Literary notes about swathed (AI summary)
The word "swathed" is employed by writers to evoke a sense of enveloping or concealing, whether it be a person, object, or even an entire landscape. It often underscores a transformation or protection through a physical covering—be it bandages that hide a man’s identity [1] or a fortress rendered ethereal by soft, creamy light [2]. Sometimes, the term carries a nuanced emotional weight, as a character might be wrapped in a cocoon of suffering or privacy [3], while in other instances, nature itself is cloaked in a shroud of mist that suggests both mystery and beauty [4]. This versatile usage enriches descriptions, allowing authors to layer meaning and mood through imagery of wrapping and concealment.
- A man had come in—Jurgis could not see his features for the bandages that swathed him, but he knew the burly figure.
— from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - The rugged fortress lay swathed in the softness of the creamy light.
— from St. George and St. Michael by George MacDonald - Mr D’Arcy came from the pantry, fully swathed and buttoned, and in a repentant tone told them the history of his cold.
— from Dubliners by James Joyce - the mantle of snow that swathed the balcony, the sun had appeared and was stitching seams of gold, with embroidered patches of dark shadow.
— from Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
