Literary notes about liberty (AI summary)
In literature, liberty emerges as a multifaceted concept that embodies both physical freedom and an intangible, almost elemental, quality of the human spirit. In some works, it is portrayed as a vital force intertwined with power, self-esteem, and curiosity ([1]), while in historical narratives it becomes a rallying cry against tyranny and oppression, as seen when authors defend national sovereignty and human rights ([2], [3], [4]). At times, liberty is depicted as a personal entitlement—invoked in debates over religious and civil rights ([5], [6])—where its preservation or forfeiture carries dramatic, often ironic, consequences ([7], [8]). Whether signifying the innate right to live unburdened or serving as a symbolic banner in a struggle for justice, liberty is used to challenge authority and inspire hope for a more open society ([9], [10]).
- with power, liberty, the earth, the elements, Health, defiance, gayety, self-esteem, curiosity; Allons!
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - But a formidable ally appeared in arms to vindicate the majesty of the empire, and to guard the peace and liberty of Scythia.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - In 1824 Byron went to Greece to give himself and a large part of his fortune to help that country in its struggle for liberty against the Turks.
— from English Literature by William J. Long - Miss Anthony replied that "our country stood for religious as well as civil liberty."
— from The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) by Ida Husted Harper - 'I am of opinion, Sir, that every man is entitled to liberty of conscience in religion; and that the magistrate cannot restrain that right.'
— from Boswell's Life of Johnson by James Boswell - This one branch is the Liberty of Thought: from which it is impossible to separate the cognate liberty of speaking and of writing.
— from On Liberty by John Stuart Mill - The pistol was fired against Spanish liberty; and the royal Just, finding the object missed, sneaks off, and leaves his dupe for the executioner.
— from Paradise Lost by John Milton - Leave me alone for half an hour, and if you have reason to complain of my success I will forfeit my deposit,—I mean my liberty.”
— from The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales by Bret Harte - In America the liberty of association for political purposes is unbounded.
— from Democracy in America — Volume 1 by Alexis de Tocqueville - Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light, for the law of writ and the liberty.
— from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare
