Literary notes about sat (AI summary)
The word “sat” in literature functions as a versatile, vivid marker of both physical positioning and internal states. It frequently signals a moment of pause or introspection—whether it’s a character brooding over a crisis [1] or meditating with his elbows on his knees [2]—while also setting the scene in a quiet, almost static way, as an object or person "sat there" [3]. Authors use “sat” to invite readers into moments of reflective solitude or subtle action; for instance, characters “sat down to tea” in moments of melancholy [4] or simply “sat by the window listening” [5] to capture transient thoughts and moods. This simple verb, therefore, bridges the physical with the emotional, highlighting both routine actions and profound inner experiences across diverse literary works [6][7][8].
- He sat brooding over the desolate hearth, and trying to decide upon what must be done in this sudden crisis.
— from Lady Audley's Secret by M. E. Braddon - He sat long with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, meditating.
— from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete by Mark Twain - It sat there, dull and squat, its spout stuck out.
— from Ulysses by James Joyce - He sat down to tea, his head dropped over his cup, uglily.
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence - She sat by the window listening to his voice which reached her from the garden.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - She heard Vronsky’s abrupt ring and hurriedly dried her tears—not only dried her tears, but sat down by a lamp and opened a book, affecting composure.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - She went into her room to put on her hat, and when she came in again she sat once more upon the sofa beside him.
— from The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin - He sat down again in despair.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant
