Literary notes about silence (AI summary)
Writers employ silence in diverse and evocative ways to shape the atmosphere and deepen characterization. It can serve as a pause that invites introspection or signals a turning point in dialogue, as when a reflective quiet precedes an important statement or response [1, 2, 3]. Silence may also be used to underscore tension or foreboding, drawing attention to what remains unsaid, as seen when characters are engulfed in a heavy, almost oppressive quiet [4, 5, 6]. In some narratives, silence conveys consent or unspoken understanding, emphasizing the weight of internal emotions or shared experiences without the interference of words [7, 8, 9]. Additionally, it functions as both a literal absence of sound and an artistic metaphor, capturing moments of stillness where even nature seems to pause, heightening the reader’s sense of dramatic expectation [10, 11]. Overall, the varied use of silence enriches literary works by allowing authors to explore the complexity of human experience beyond mere dialogue.
- After a little while of silence, he said he thought somebody might read a prayer.
— from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - A profound silence followed the statement.
— from The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc - "Oh, David, how?" whispered Christie after a moment's silence, for the last words were solemn in their earnestness.
— from Work: A Story of Experience by Louisa May Alcott - For weeks and months he never made a sound, in the black silence eating his very soul.
— from White Fang by Jack London - In the silence Gabriel could hear the falling of the molten wax into the tray and the thumping of his own heart against his ribs.
— from Dubliners by James Joyce - For who shall answer them, now that the lips of Socrates are sealed in eternal silence, and eternal darkness is laid upon his lids?”
— from Best Russian Short Stories - In such a case, universal silence is taken to imply the consent of the people.
— from The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - For silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.
— from Plutarch's Morals by Plutarch - What he means I can not tell, but silence will be the best rebuke."
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper - They had crowded round Wendy, and as they looked a terrible silence fell upon the wood.
— from Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie - The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me.
— from Dubliners by James Joyce
