Literary notes about ether (AI summary)
The word "ether" appears in literature with a remarkable versatility, serving both as a depiction of an elusive physical substance and as a metaphor for the sublime or otherworldly. In some works, it is described as a tangible medium—its dense nature affecting the progress of stars and acting as the conduit for light vibrations [1][2]—while in others, it embodies an ethereal realm that evokes notions of vast, uncharted spaces or transcendent energy, as seen in references to cosmic radiance and celestial expanses [3][4]. At times, its usage extends to the practical and scientific realms, illustrating its role in chemical processes and even medicine [5][6], yet even in these contexts the term retains a sense of mystery and depth that bridges the concrete and the abstract.
- An ether, absolutely dense, would put an infinitely more effectual stop to the progress of a star than would an ether of adamant or of iron.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - A luminous body imparts vibration to the luminiferous ether.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - , none other was better ’Mid bearers of war-shields, more worthy to govern, 25 ’Neath the arch of the ether.
— from Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem - And I said—“She is warmer than Dian: She rolls through an ether of sighs— She revels in a region of sighs.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - We shall inclose the bulb in this little bag of fine flannel (fig. 3.), then soke it in ether, and introduce it into the receiver of the air-pump.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - The crystals were insoluble in water, almost insoluble in alcohol, but readily soluble in ether.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers
