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Literary notes about reminiscent (AI summary)

The word "reminiscent" in literature often functions as a subtle bridge between the present and a memory-laden past, imbuing a moment, gesture, or object with layers of nostalgic or symbolic association. It appears in descriptions of characters whose expressions hint at bygone days, as when a smile recalls earlier, gentler times [1, 2], or when a look or a voice conjures vivid reminiscences of events or figures long gone [3, 4]. Authors employ the term to evoke moods and atmospheres that resonate with familiar cultural or historical images, offering the reader a sensory or emotional connection to what once was, whether through a vivid setting that recalls ancient design [5] or a touch that brings to mind remembered warmth and intimacy [6]. In this way, "reminiscent" enriches narrative textures by seamlessly blending fresh experiences with echoes of the past [7, 8].
  1. The Senator’s face wore a reminiscent smile.
    — from The Polly Page Yacht Club by Izola L. (Izola Louise) Forrester
  2. Her lips broke into a reminiscent smile.
    — from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
  3. "My jaw dropped and I shut the door mighty quick, when I saw that," he told me, with a reminiscent, amused chuckle at himself.
    — from Emerson's Wife and Other Western Stories by Florence Finch Kelly
  4. “The moon’s light is reminiscent of the light in the hand of a beloved parent.
    — from Psychoanalysis, Sleep and Dreams by André Tridon
  5. And the ovoid shape was reminiscent of the even more ancient spindizzy design.
    — from The Lani People by Jesse F. Bone
  6. Then, in reminiscent moments, as when she saw a log fire burning low, she would think tenderly of him.
    — from The Trufflers: A Story by Samuel Merwin
  7. So reminiscent of Bazarov's former sallies was this little speech that Vasili Ivanitch's heart fairly overflowed.
    — from Fathers and Sons by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
  8. Babaji's practical wisdom, I reflected with a quick, reminiscent smile, was ever to the fore.
    — from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

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