Literary notes about merry (AI summary)
The word "merry" is employed to evoke a spirit of light-heartedness, joviality, and spirited celebration in literature. Authors use it to portray characters imbued with a buoyant nature—such as jovial men and witty youths—and to set an atmosphere of carefree festivity, whether at a feast or during moments of playful banter [1] [2]. It frequently appears in contexts where human behavior contrasts with more somber moods, highlighting the transient pleasure of good company or a cheerful occasion [3] [4]. In its varied applications, "merry" helps to color scenes with warmth and humor, rendering both character and setting vibrant and memorable [5] [6].
- And then my husband (God be with his soul! 'A was a merry man) took up the child.
— from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare - " "But thou gentle, merry spirit," quoth Robin, "dost thou not think that mayhap this same Robin Hood may be the better man of the two?
— from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle - All the drivers were more or less the worse for merry-making, and the groom was absorbed in his bride.
— from My Ántonia by Willa Cather - So after dinner came in W. Joyce and eat and drank and were merry.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys - He felt as he had once felt in his rash youth when another boy had enticed him on the merry-go-round at a picnic.
— from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery - Here we are very Frolic and merry, And free from all entangling, Lawsuits, debates, and wrangling.
— from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
