Literary notes about outline (AI summary)
In literature, "outline" functions as a multifaceted concept, serving both as a depiction of physical contours and as a framework for ideas. In some works, it denotes the visible contours of landscapes or figures—for example, the oceanic outline of distant coasts [1] or the elegant outline of the Apennines captured in a dramatic description [2]. At times, authors employ the term to refer to a schematic or preliminary sketch of information, as when an author promises only the barest outline of the facts [3] or makes an attempt to outline a plan or meaning [4]. In other instances, "outline" acts as a metaphorical or visual cue, highlighting a transient or vague form, such as the shadowy outline of a figure against the starlight [5] or the dark outline of a cart at a post-office entrance [6]. This use—oscillating between precise structural guidance and evocative imagery—demonstrates its versatility and enduring appeal as a literary device.
- His reconnoissance was to ascertain the general oceanic outline of these coasts.
— from Vitus Bering: the Discoverer of Bering Strait by Peter Lauridsen - and, above all, how elegant the outline of these waving Apennines, now softening from the wildness, which their interior regions exhibited!
— from The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Ward Radcliffe - It is surprising in how many curious ways this gradation can be shown; but only the barest outline of the facts can here be given.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin - I will try to give some sort of outline of my meaning.
— from Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Peering through the gloom, I saw the vague outline of a man, a shade blacker than the blackness of the open door.
— from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - At the entrance of the post-office there was the dark outline of a cart and three horses.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
