Literary notes about austere (AI summary)
The word "austere" has been used in literature to evoke a wide range of meanings—from a strict, ascetic way of life to a sober, almost monastic demeanor. In some works, the term describes a life of self-denial or moral rigor, as when Abelard warns against an overly punishing mode of existence [1] or when Plato is noted for his moderately austere lifestyle [2]. At other times, authors use it to highlight a character’s physical or vocal presence, lending an air of gravity or severity, as seen in Chekhov’s description of a voice [3] or the imposing figure of Holmes [4]. The term also extends to landscapes and language, suggesting simplicity and unadorned beauty—from the austere simplicity of a well-furnished room [5] to the stark imagery in architectural descriptions [6]. Whether characterizing a temperament, a method of expression [7], or an overall mood, "austere" consistently connotes a blend of strictness, clarity, and a refined, often somber, elegance [8, 9].
- I told you in my former letter how unhappy I should be if you died; and if you loved me, you would moderate the rigour of your austere life.
— from Letters of Abelard and Heloise by Peter Abelard and Héloïse - Plato advised Xenocrates, a man rather austere
— from Plutarch's Morals by Plutarch - “Who told you all this?” asked Serafima Aleksandrovna in an austere low voice.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - I looked back at the platform when we had left it far behind and saw the tall, austere figure of Holmes standing motionless and gazing after us.
— from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle - I then entered a dining room, decorated and furnished in austere good taste.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - I THE towers of Zenith aspired above the morning mist; austere towers of steel and cement and limestone, sturdy as cliffs and delicate as silver rods.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - First, an austere purity of language both grammatically and logically; in short a perfect appropriateness of the words to the meaning.
— from Biographia Literaria by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - It is, in my judgment, a little bare, hard, austere.
— from Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen - Beyond the bar the sea, calm and austere, dreamed in the afterlight.
— from Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery
