Literary notes about glisten (AI summary)
The term "glisten" is deployed in literature to convey both tangible and emotional brightness. It is often used to illustrate physical sparkle—from water droplets on objects [1] and glistening metal [2] to moonlit surfaces [3]—imbuing inanimate scenes with a transient, polished beauty. At the same time, the word elegantly captures inner feelings, as characters' eyes glisten with tears or unspoken sentiment [4], [5], [6], [7]. Thus, "glisten" bridges the gap between literal light and the metaphorical shimmer of emotion, enriching descriptions across genres.
- My clothes are drenched and drops of water glisten on the mica of my map case.
— from 'Neath Verdun, August-October, 1914 by Maurice Genevoix - I was now gaining rapidly on the schooner; I could see the brass glisten on the tiller as it banged about, and still no soul appeared upon her decks.
— from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - He may glisten like the snow in the sun.
— from Secret Power; or, The Secret of Success in Christian Life and Work by Dwight Lyman Moody - Mr Bramble no sooner received this reply, than his eyes began to glisten, his face grew pale, and his teeth chattered.
— from The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by T. Smollett - Her eyes began to glisten and her lids to twinkle.
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - Her heart flutters like a bird at this, and her eyes glisten through unshed but irrepressible tears.
— from Daughters of Belgravia; vol. 2 of 3 by Fraser, Alexander, Mrs. - she says, stroking the hair of the little boy at her knee; his eyes glisten hungrily at the thought, as he nods stoutly in support of his mother.
— from How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York by Jacob A. Riis
