Literary notes about true (AI summary)
Writers employ the word "true" in multifaceted ways that enrich their narratives and arguments. It often operates as an affirmation of accuracy or veracity, as when a character accepts an inconvenient fact with resignation [1] or debates the foundations of ethics and science [2] [3]. At other times, it underscores authenticity and loyalty—whether it is the genuine nature of friendship and love in lyrical verse [4] [5], or the steadfast moral qualities admired in individuals and societies [6] [7]. Moreover, "true" serves to qualify both abstract ideals and concrete descriptions, from poetic declarations of personal identity and worth to scientific assertions about the natural world, revealing that truth in literature can be as expansive and nuanced as life itself [8] [9].
- He sighed: “True, everlastingly true, though my day is over, and though there is the result.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - For these reasons ‘the greatest happiness’ principle is not the true foundation of ethics.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - PHYLLODINEOUS.—Having flattened, leaf-like twigs or leafstalks instead of true leaves.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin - Bear her my true love's kiss; and so, farewell.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - You are my true and honourable wife, As dear to me as are the ruddy drops That visit my sad heart.
— from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare - “If you have true friends you are a rich man, but true friends are scarce.”
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - After all, nobody can spend more than he has:—this is true of individuals, it is also true of nations.
— from The Twilight of the Idols; or, How to Philosophize with the Hammer. The Antichrist by Nietzsche - And when shalt thou attain to the happiness of true simplicity, and unaffected gravity?
— from Meditations by Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius - The true lion of St. Mark (that is, when used as a badge for sacred purposes to typify St. Mark) has a halo.
— from A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies