Literary notes about saturnine (AI summary)
In literature, "saturnine" is often employed to evoke an air of dark, brooding melancholy mixed with a certain austere elegance. Authors use it to describe both physical features and temperamental qualities—a character might be depicted as having a “long saturnine face” that suggests a life touched by sorrow or severity ([1]), or as possessing an expression and humor that are curiously reserved and at times even wry ([2]). Beyond physical description, the term lends itself to capturing a mood that is simultaneously solemn and enigmatic, as when a character’s overall demeanor exudes a cold, introspective intensity ([3],[4],[5]). This versatility makes "saturnine" a favored descriptor for writers aiming to imbue their portraits of figures with a mix of mystique, somber introspection, and refined detachment.
- How well I remember his long saturnine face, slightly pitted with smallpox, and his chestnut wig.
— from Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu - [44] Dryden said of himself: "My conversation is slow and dull, my humor saturnine and reserved.
— from Genius in Sunshine and Shadow by Maturin Murray Ballou - Somehow his words and his look did not seem to accord, or else it was that his cast of face made his smile look malignant and saturnine.
— from Dracula by Bram Stoker - His temper was of the saturnine complexion, and without the least taint of moroseness.
— from Joseph Andrews, Vol. 1 by Henry Fielding - The Prioress had been careful to select a Nun whose disposition was naturally solemn and saturnine.
— from The Monk: A Romance by M. G. Lewis
