Literary notes about young (AI summary)
The word “young” functions as a multifaceted descriptor in literature, often evoking images of vitality, potential, and the formative phases of life. Authors use "young" to reminisce about bygone eras or idealize the freshness of youth, as when a narrator wistfully recalls “my young days” [1] or notes that being young renews one’s spirit [2]. In characterizations, “young” serves not only to indicate age but to imply qualities like optimism, inexperience, or burgeoning promise—as seen in descriptions of a “handsome young man” [3] or a courteous “young lady” [4]. Moreover, its usage extends to groups, marking collective energy and the promise of renewal, such as in festive scenes featuring “young men and maidens” [5] or reflective depictions of youth’s impetuosity that shapes historical events [6]. Through such varied applications, “young” becomes a literary touchstone that captures both the dynamic spirit of early life and the bittersweet passage of time.
- Yes, things are better than they used to be in my young days."
— from Little Folks (September 1884) by Various - " As he uttered these words I felt the years roll back; once again I am a young disciple, purified in the daily fires of chastisement!
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda - He named Charles—— whom I knew by sight—very handsome young man, of irreproachable conduct, and about twenty-two years of age.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - She did not wait long before she saw a young girl approach the spot where he lay.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - The young men and maidens, singing Easter hymns, march round and round the fire, till the blaze dies down.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer - A Cause was put out into the world, and, old or young, sick or sound, knowing or unknowing, who can rein in the effect of that Cause?
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling