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Literary notes about show (AI summary)

The word “show” is deployed in literature with a rich versatility, sometimes denoting a vivid physical display and at other times the revelation of internal states. It can convey something as concrete as the menacing stance of an advancing force or the vivid blooming of trees ([1], [2]), while in other contexts it functions to uncover hidden emotions or characteristics, as when a character’s true feelings are masked beneath a veneer or subtly revealed in their tone ([3], [4]). Moreover, “show” often bridges internal and external worlds—illustrating abstract ideas by making them tangible through demonstrative acts or signals, whether in gestures of defiance, declarations of worth, or invitations to share wisdom ([5], [6], [7]). This multifaceted use underscores its power to both depict and evoke, serving as a key literary device for transforming nuances into expressive detail.
  1. This division should show itself as threateningly as possible on the most practicable line for making an attack up the valley.
    — from Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete by Ulysses S. Grant
  2. Like Kinśuk trees they stood, that show In spring their blossoms' crimson glow.
    — from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki
  3. His mother was very much agitated at receiving him on his arrival; if he felt any such agitation he certainly did not show it.
    — from Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray
  4. As I told my story I tried to show my resentment in my voice.
    — from Short Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  5. Adieu, my dear; be cheerful, and show character.
    — from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I
  6. Give me a bar, and I will show you what brains and skill and hard work can make of it."
    — from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden
  7. And this other love I will now show you in a mystery.
    — from Phaedrus by Plato

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