Literary notes about easily (AI summary)
In literature, “easily” is a versatile adverb that conveys notions of minimal effort or resistance across various contexts. Authors use it to imply physical actions—such as crossing a river or obtaining an item with little difficulty ([1], [2])—as well as to describe moments of swift recognition or understanding, as when a character quickly grasps a situation or emotion ([3], [4]). At times, it underscores an element of simplicity in arrangements or proofs, suggesting that certain outcomes or explanations can be reached with little hindrance ([5], [6]). The adverb also appears in more abstract or reflective contexts, highlighting easy persuasion, susceptibility to influence, or rapid transitions in thought or dialogue, which enrich both the narrative pace and character dynamics ([7], [8], [9]). In each instance, “easily” serves as a subtle yet powerful modifier that shapes the texture of the literary scene.
- Thence he arrived at the river Hebrus, 108 and easily crossed it.
— from The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian - “You can easily get one from the Jews,” he added.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - At seven o’clock, Madame Lebel, her husband, and a child of eighteen months, whom I easily recognized as my own, arrived.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - But his words came easily, and his voice was agreeable in tone, albeit constrained.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - The event of such an agreement may be easily foreseen.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - They claimed that they could easily prove their innocence upon trial.
— from The Red Record by Ida B. Wells-Barnett - O king of kings, among the six senses, the mind alone that is easily moved is the most dangerous!
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - You think me unsteady: easily swayed by the whim of the moment, easily tempted, easily put aside.
— from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - It is such a pretty charade, my dear, that I can easily guess what fairy brought it.—Nobody could have written so prettily, but you, Emma.”
— from Emma by Jane Austen