Literary notes about saunter (AI summary)
In literature, saunter is frequently employed to evoke a sense of deliberate, unhurried movement that reflects both mood and character. Writers use it to describe a leisurely stroll that is imbued with a relaxed confidence—as when a character ambles through a scenic countryside or a bustling urban setting with an air of nonchalance [1], [2]. It can carry a contemplative tone, suggesting a thoughtful engagement with one’s surroundings or even a nuanced defiance of society’s rush [3], [4]. At times, the term underscores a charming indifference, as characters amble through social spaces or natural landscapes, their measured pace inviting readers to savor the moment along with them [5], [6], [7].
- He loved to saunter through fields of wild oats and corn-flowers, and busied himself with clouds nearly as much as with events.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - O the gleesome saunter over fields and hillsides!
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - H2 anchor Song of Prudence Manhattan's streets I saunter'd pondering, On Time, Space, Reality—on such as these, and abreast with them Prudence.
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - She began to saunter about the room, examining the bookshelves between the puffs of her cigarette-smoke.
— from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - After the walk across the open park, it was pleasant to saunter lazily through the cool glades.
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - We used to saunter or gypsy about the country round, pitching our tents at night.
— from The Romance of Isabel Lady Burton: The Story of Her Life. Volume II by W. H. (William Henry) Wilkins - His quick pace dropped to a leisurely saunter; he strolled on.
— from Tristram of Blent: An Episode in the Story of an Ancient House by Anthony Hope
