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Literary notes about vexing (AI summary)

The term vexing in literature is employed with remarkable versatility, often conveying both tangible irritations and abstract emotional turmoil. It is used to describe burdensome, self-imposed responsibilities that weigh on sensitive characters [1] as well as idle habits that disturb a sacred sense of duty [2]. In some contexts, authors invoke vexing to capture the relentless anxiety of unsolved problems or intrusive thoughts, stirring the reader to feel the weight of inner disquiet [3][4]. The word also appears in more everyday settings—from the ceaseless clamor of a faulty clock that disrupts routine [5] to the minor disturbances that can hinder peaceful sleep [6]. Moreover, its use is not confined to internal experiences; it frequently characterizes interpersonal interactions, as when characters strive to avoid vexing those they care about or defy established norms [7][8]. Whether illustrating the physical irritation of an incessantly ringing sound or the psychological impact of persistent misfortune, vexing enriches literary narratives by underscoring moments of discomfort and moral conflict [9][10].
  1. He prepares a vexing responsibility for himself if he is sensitive.
    — from Romantic Spain: A Record of Personal Experiences (Vol. II) by John Augustus O'Shea
  2. It is only an idle, useless habit, most displeasing and vexing to the holy ear of Him whose commandment we break without thought or care.
    — from Daisy's Work: The Third Commandment by Joanna H. (Joanna Hooe) Mathews
  3. This feeling began to agitate me with a vexing, forward-reaching sense of a lack that should be filled.
    — from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
  4. A day and a night have been passed in vexing thought.
    — from Guy Kenmore's Wife, and The Rose and the Lily by Miller, Alex. McVeigh, Mrs.
  5. If you have ever lived with a clock afflicted with that perversity, you know how vexing it is—such a stoppage.
    — from Chance: A Tale in Two Parts by Joseph Conrad
  6. Lie down, and while sweet slumber overtakes you, I will have a care that no unseemly noise, nor buzzing fly, nor vexing gnat disturbs your dreams."
    — from Old Greek Stories by James Baldwin
  7. he cried, “do not let my poor affairs be vexing you.”
    — from Gilian The Dreamer: His Fancy, His Love and Adventure by Neil Munro
  8. “I cannot do it; I love the king and I am always afraid of vexing him.
    — from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova
  9. Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man; And bitter shame hath
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  10. A dry sail clinging to your legs and wrapping itself round your head is not pleasant, but, when the sail is sopping wet, it becomes quite vexing.
    — from Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome

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