Literary notes about ardent (AI summary)
The term "ardent" has been employed across literature to evoke a sense of burning passion, intense zeal, or deep commitment. In romantic contexts, it vividly captures the force of desire and the heat of love, as seen when a heart burns "with flame more ardent passion" [1] or when lovers exchange "ardent caresses" to seal their pact [2]. Beyond the sphere of romance, "ardent" is equally applied to depict political, moral, and ideological fervor—illustrating a commitment as fierce as that of an "ardent protectionist" [3] or the loyal patriotism of a people’s champion [4]. Authors like Jane Austen and Edith Wharton extend its usage to describe youthful or moral intensity in character traits [5, 6], while figures in epic poetry and classical works such as Homer evoke the word to express the inescapable, consuming nature of warfare and destiny [7, 8]. Whether capturing the essence of a heartfelt prayer [9] or the passionate zest of rebellious idealism [10], "ardent" consistently functions as a powerful descriptor, imbuing characters and narratives with a flame that is both figurative and, at times, almost tangible.
- In cruel solitude each day With flame more ardent passion burns, And to Oneguine far away Her heart importunately turns.
— from Eugene Oneguine [Onegin] by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin - She had yielded her lips to him in long, ardent caresses, which had sealed their compact of mutual passion.”
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - He was, I need not say, an ardent protectionist, never more sincere and devoted than during those last days of his life.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - Dr. Cassel was an ardent lover of his own people.
— from Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ by Aaron Bernstein - To her it was but the natural consequence of a strong affection in a young and ardent mind.
— from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - The satisfaction derived from this act was all that the most ardent moralist could have desired.
— from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - Already met, the louring hosts appear, And death stands ardent on the edge of war.
— from The Iliad by Homer - " He spoke, and ardent, on the trembling ground Sprung from his car: his ringing arms resound.
— from The Iliad by Homer - O! hear my ardent, grateful, selfish pray'r!
— from Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns - He sought refuge in the chill materialism of Hedda from the ardent transcendentalism of Hilda, whom he already heard knocking at the door.
— from Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
