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Literary notes about comely (AI summary)

In literature, "comely" is employed to evoke not only physical attractiveness but also an air of grace and dignity. Authors use the term to describe youthful beauty and well-proportioned features, as seen when characters are noted for their fair and pleasing appearance [1][2]. In other instances, the word softens the portrayal of maturity or even ordinariness with a refined charm, lending a sense of elegant allure to both individuals and settings [3][4]. Moreover, in classical and epic works, "comely" carries an almost timeless quality, highlighting noble or stately attributes that go beyond mere physical form [5][6]. The term thus serves as a versatile instrument in literature, enriching character descriptions with an archaic but enduring appeal [7][8].
  1. There they found their child, now grown up to be comely and fair; and after all their troubles they lived happily together to the end of their days.
    — from Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
  2. He was a tall man, and something more comely at a distance than at hand.
    — from The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come by John Bunyan
  3. Even in middle age they were still comely, and the old grey-haired women at their cottage doors had a dignity, not to say majesty, of their own.
    — from Erewhon; Or, Over the Range by Samuel Butler
  4. MISS TESMAN is a comely and pleasant- looking lady of about sixty-five.
    — from Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
  5. I have seen men taller by a head, but none so comely and so royal.
    — from The Iliad by Homer
  6. He bound his sandals on to his comely feet, girded his sword about his shoulder, and left his room looking like an immortal god.
    — from The Odyssey by Homer
  7. Hebe is represented as a comely, modest maiden, small, of a beautifully rounded contour, with nut-brown tresses and sparkling eyes.
    — from Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens
  8. In 1603 the churchwardens were ordered to provide in every church “a comely and decent pulpit.”
    — from English Villages by P. H. Ditchfield

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