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Literary notes about angel (AI summary)

The word "angel" in literature is used with remarkable versatility, serving both as a literal emissary of the divine and as a rich symbol of human qualities. In sacred texts, it often designates a messenger bearing God’s commands or comfort, as seen when divine instructions are delivered with authority ([1], [2], [3], [4]). At the same time, authors employ the term metaphorically to evoke tenderness, purity, or even the subversion of expectations; characters may be described as having the "heart of an angel" or be referred to as such in intimate, human contexts ([5], [6], [7]). In other narratives, the angel appears in roles that blend the sacred with the profane or the ironic, suggesting both righteousness and an otherworldly presence that challenges human frailty ([8], [9]). Whether as a symbol of divine intervention, a marker of beloved qualities, or an ambiguous force in moral and social dynamics, "angel" continues to hold a multi-dimensional place in literature ([10], [11]).
  1. And Manue said to the angel of the Lord: I beseech thee to consent to my request, and let us dress a kid for thee.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  2. And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  3. And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God and am sent to speak to thee and to bring thee these good tidings. 1:20.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  4. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  5. "An Angel's got to be more than a human being," he continued.
    — from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence
  6. My mother, my angel, my adored angel mother,” and Dólokhov pressed Rostóv’s hand and burst into tears.
    — from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
  7. " "I thought, Angel, that you loved me—me, my very self!
    — from Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy
  8. Ill for thee, but in wished hour Of my revenge, first sought for, thou returnest From flight, seditious Angel!
    — from Paradise Lost by John Milton
  9. Thou hast been my evil angel, and I will be thine—I will dog thee till the very instant of dissolution!”
    — from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott
  10. Then rose the saint, and ‘God,’ said he, ‘If darkness change to light with thee, The Devil may yet an angel be.’
    — from Demonology and Devil-lore by Moncure Daniel Conway
  11. Though mean and mighty rotting Together have one dust, yet reverence- That angel of the world- doth make distinction Of place 'tween high and low.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

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