Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!) Easter eggs (New!)

Literary notes about boy (AI summary)

Literature uses the word “boy” in a variety of ways to evoke youth, innocence, and the passage from childhood to a more complex adulthood. It can serve as a marker of formative experience and personal adventure, as when a young protagonist recalls neighborhood excursions or early exploits ([1], [2]), while in other contexts it becomes a term of both endearment and reproach—a familiar address from an elder or mentor that captures both affection and a hint of condescension ([3], [4], [5]). The word also functions symbolically, representing not only the physical state of being young but also a stage of learning, growth, and sometimes vulnerability, as seen when a community’s future is pinned on the promise or misfortune of its youth ([6], [7], [8]). In historical narratives and folklore, “boy” frequently anchors tales of heroism or tragic loss, evoking a nostalgia for simpler times or underscoring social hierarchies and personal transformations ([9], [10], [11]). This multifaceted usage enriches the narrative texture of literary works by resonating with the universal allure of youth and the inevitable complexities it both brings and overcomes ([12], [13], [14]).
  1. As a boy I used to make frequent excursions in the neighborhood of the Professor's house.
    — from A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
  2. Oh, the days when I was young, A playful little boy, When my piping treble rung To the notes of early joy.
    — from Roughing It in the Bush by Susanna Moodie
  3. "But you perceive, my boy, that it is not so, and that facts, as usual, are very stubborn things, overruling all theories."
    — from A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
  4. I'm going to make an animal of you, my boy!"
    — from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  5. ‘Hush!’ said Mr. Jingle, in a stage-whisper—‘Large boy—dumpling face—round eyes—rascal!’
    — from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
  6. They came in voluntarily and were shot, as has been already narrated, one only, a mere boy, being spared on account of his youth.
    — from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
  7. He is alone in the midst of human society, he depends on himself alone, for he is all that a boy can be at his age.
    — from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  8. The king, a mere boy, sat in his box in the middle of the theatre, surrounded by his courtiers, richly but tastefully dressed.
    — from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova
  9. Once, when he was a little boy, grandpapa had gone with his parents to see this festivity.
    — from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen
  10. She wanted to stay in the mysterious hidden-away room and talk to the mysterious boy.
    — from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  11. In summer (A.D. 995) Asta, Gudbrand's daughter, was confined, and had a boy child, who had water poured over him, and was called Olaf.
    — from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson
  12. My heart bleed for that poor boy—that dear boy, so of the age of mine own boy had I been so blessed that he live, and with his hair and eyes the same.
    — from Dracula by Bram Stoker
  13. I am yet a boy, and it is only within two months I learned to write Angrezi.
    — from Kim by Rudyard Kipling
  14. Is it worth it?” exclaimed the boy in his grief.
    — from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux