Literary notes about rich (AI summary)
In literature, the term "rich" wears many hats, capturing both tangible wealth and an abundance of sensory or emotional qualities. It often denotes material prosperity, as seen when characters marry or inherit fortunes that elevate their societal stature [1], [2], [3], or when sumptuous wealth is showcased in lavish surroundings [4], [5]. Beyond mere monetary value, "rich" is employed to evoke vivid descriptions of color, texture, and atmosphere—an ornate ceiling adorned with a rich color-decoration emphasizes opulence and aesthetic detail [6], while landscapes are brought to life with descriptions of rich greenery and vivid natural splendor [7], [8]. The word also transcends physical wealth, hinting at deep emotional or spiritual abundance, as when it underscores a soul burdened with the disease of excess or a character imbued with rich feelings [9], [10]. In some contexts, "rich" is used ironically or philosophically to question what true wealth really means, blending material, intellectual, and moral considerations into one evocative term [11], [12].
- In 1676 he married a rich wife, at Caen, his native town, where he settled and revived the local 'Academy.'
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - He died very rich, and had, for the last yeare, lived very handsomely, his lady bringing him to it.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys - So these grand folks would ask in my son-in-law’s ear, ‘Who may that gentleman be?’—‘The father-in-law with the money bags; he is very rich.
— from Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac - The King, in a most rich embroidered suit and cloak, looked most noble.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys - The company represented the rich and fashionable of the city.
— from Letters from China and Japan by Harriet Alice Chipman Dewey and John Dewey - Ceiling-beams were carved into highly ornamental forms before receiving their rich color-decoration of red, green, blue, and gold.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees.
— from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - How sweetly bloom'd the gay, green birk, How rich the hawthorn's blossom, As underneath their fragrant shade, I clasp'd her to my bosom!
— from Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns - Slowly the disease of the soul, which rich people have, grabbed hold of him.
— from Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - On her spiritual side, also, she was rich in feeling, as such a nature well might be.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - Word derivations are rich in suggestiveness.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - Men and nations start with a vague notion of being rich, or great, or good.
— from Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking by William James
