Literary notes about close (AI summary)
The word close serves multiple functions in literature. It denotes physical proximity, as characters lean together, move side by side, or encounter elements in their immediate environment (e.g., [1], [2], [3], [4]). It also marks the conclusion of events or actions, suggesting an ending or finality in a narrative, whether it be the termination of a conversation or a session (e.g., [5], [6], [7]). Moreover, close conveys intimacy in human relationships—highlighting bonds that are both emotional and physical (e.g., [8], [9], [10])—and even emerges in abstract notions, describing a tight correlation between ideas or concepts (e.g., [11], [12]).
- “You will kindly close the door,” said Holmes.
— from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Gilbert drew her close to him and kissed her.
— from Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery - The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first, but he was so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him from falling off.
— from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - “Not far off, quite close to the house.”
— from The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - Her promise brought the long-drawn interview to a sudden close.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - With the close of the session, his own functions ended.
— from The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams - At the close, after Ita missa est, I played a fugue.
— from The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - In the high school and the university, and afterwards in the service, Alexey Alexandrovitch had never formed a close friendship with anyone.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - She had been close to his breast; he had been close to hers.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - “Susan Sowerby,” said Ben Weatherstaff, getting close to her.
— from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Thus the analogy between the magical and the scientific conceptions of the world is close.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer - The articulation of the skeleton came after this segmentation of the muscular system, and the two entered into very close correlation.
— from Paradise Lost by John Milton