Literary notes about metallic (AI summary)
The term "metallic" is used with remarkable versatility, often serving as an evocative tool that conveys both material qualities and sensory experiences. In some texts it emphasizes the inherent physicality of objects—from the deep, lustrous sheen of a garment ([1]) to the palpable blast of resonant sound marked by a sharp clang ([2], [3]). In other narratives, "metallic" extends beyond tangible reality to imbue voices or atmospheres with a cold, hard, and sometimes foreboding quality, as when a character’s tone is described in this way ([4], [5]). Additionally, the word anchors depictions of machinery and constructed environments, highlighting structural elements with definitive clarity ([6], [7]). Through these varied applications, "metallic" enriches the descriptive palette, allowing authors to craft vivid imagery that resonates both visually and aurally.
- The deep metallic blue vest embroidered with silver and the short Mauresque jacket spangled and sewn with turquoises became her wonderfully.
— from The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers - On impact, it gave off a metallic sonority, and as incredible as this sounds, it seemed, I swear, to be made of riveted plates.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - I gave my orders in a low voice, and heard the harsh, metallic sound of the cocking, of rifles.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - And the voice, changed and transformed, distinctly grated out these metallic syllables: "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BAG?" Chapter XXIII
— from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - He knew that with his metallic voice he could sing with great musical rhythm and accuracy, while his delivery was simply perfect.
— from My Life — Volume 1 by Richard Wagner - about two inches in diameter, and heated to a degree not sufficient to render it luminous, in the focus of this large metallic concave mirror.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - The rails of each section are all bonded together so as to be in metallic contact, and each section is insulated from the two neighbouring sections.
— from How it Works by Archibald Williams
