Literary notes about return (AI summary)
The term “return” in literature carries a multifaceted significance, functioning both as the marker of a physical journey and as an invitation to revisit past states—be they emotional, spiritual, or intellectual. It can denote the literal act of coming back, as seen in emotional farewells and homecomings, where characters express longing or anticipation for a loved one’s reappearance [1] [2] [3]. At the same time, it serves as a literary pivot in historical and scholarly works, where “return” punctuates detailed narratives, guiding the reader through chronological cycles or the restoration of order, as demonstrated in numerous annotations and commentaries [4] [5] [6]. Moreover, the word often underscores a transformation or a reflective pause in life’s trajectory, such as the desire to reclaim a former identity or state of simplicity [7] or to reengage with a cherished past [8]. In these varied uses, “return” enriches the narrative by connecting the reader with themes of renewal, continuity, and the inevitable cyclical nature of human experience.
- Rest assured of my love, and that I await your return impatiently.
— from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I - III A week passed, after my return to London, without the receipt of any communication from Miss Halcombe.
— from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - Mr. Collins's return into Hertfordshire was no longer a matter of pleasure to Mrs. Bennet.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Note 111 ( return ) [ Nulla Ecclesia sine Episcopo, has been a fact as well as a maxim since the time of Tertullian and Irenaeus.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Note 119 ( return ) [ The circumstances of his second return may be collected from Athanasius himself, tom. i. p.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - [ Andronicus paid the Catalans in the debased money, much to their indignation.—M.] Note 498 ( return )
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - and so unworthy a slave, as the poor Pamela: All I desire is, to be permitted to return to my native meanness unviolated.
— from Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson - This she repeated incessantly ... ‘If I knew that I should return to life, and be a proper young lady again, I should be ashamed ...
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
