Literary notes about subtility (AI summary)
In literature, "subtility" is often invoked to suggest a refined, delicate quality that may pertain to both thought and material form. Writers use the term to express intellectual finesse or cunning, as seen when it describes a mind marked by refined sensibility and strategic clarity ([1], [2]), while in other contexts it indicates an ethereal or almost imperceptible quality—be it in the delicate fabric of a poem or the intangible nature of air ([3], [4]). Moreover, "subtility" can denote an elevated level of refinement and culture, capturing the essence of exquisite taste or the intricacies of moral feeling ([5], [6]). This layered usage demonstrates a literary predilection for celebrating nuance and the power of the scarcely seen yet deeply felt.
- Peasants are rough, coarse, and clumsy; savages are noted, not only for their keen senses, but for great subtility of mind.
— from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - "He would sometimes conduct the mind with painful subtility through the multiplied steps of a long demonstration.
— from The History of Dartmouth College by Baxter Perry Smith - How great the subtility of the air is in which we live, we ourselves know perfectly well; for it is not only not tangible, but not discernible.
— from Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1: Luther on the Creation by Martin Luther - It is curious to note how Bryant's translation totally misses the intimate sense of the delicate subtility of the poem.
— from The Book of American Negro Poetry - Salutations to thy form of exceeding subtility!
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 - The greatest subtility of feeling and thought goes hand in hand with the utmost simplicity of moral ideas.
— from Without Dogma: A Novel of Modern Poland by Henryk Sienkiewicz
