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Literary notes about silent (AI summary)

The word silent is used in literature as a powerful tool to convey both a tangible quiet and an inner state of emotion or restraint. At times, it describes a physical stillness that evokes moods of mystery or foreboding—as when landscapes, cities, or nights are rendered with a quiet that intensifies the setting’s atmosphere ([1], [2], [3]). In other moments, silence reveals a character’s emotional depth or thoughtful introspection, suggesting that what is left unsaid may speak louder than words; characters remain mute in the wake of sorrow, awe, or personal reflection ([4], [5]). Moreover, silent can underscore social dynamics, highlighting differences in behavior between groups and marking moments of subtle defiance or dignity ([6], [7]). Overall, silent becomes more than a mere absence of sound—it is imbued with meaning that bridges the inner life with the external world ([8], [9]).
  1. I reviewed the whole extraordinary sequence of events as I rattled on through the silent gas-lit streets.
    — from The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
  2. Night came on,—night calm, unmoved, and glorious, shining down with her innumerable and solemn angel eyes, twinkling, beautiful, but silent.
    — from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
  3. The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free: We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea.
    — from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
  4. She remembered her oath, and was silent.
    — from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  5. I humoured him: the watch ticked on: he breathed fast and low: I stood silent.
    — from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë
  6. Stiepan it appeared was reserved and silent only with men, and in the company of women was free and talkative.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  7. He may be deaf and silent; and that is called dignity.
    — from What's Wrong with the World by G. K. Chesterton
  8. A sombre irresolution held him silent for a while.
    — from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad
  9. The last of the four was always silent and, for the most part, kept his face turned in unmolested directions.
    — from The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane

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