Grief

Passages

Every passage tagged with this emotion in the Vela corpus. Search the body text, narrow by source or register, click through to a book’s profile to see how the passage sits with the rest of the work.

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• From The Decameron (1353)

  On the morrow, having meanwhile revolved in himself many and divers devices, he betook himself, after eating, as of his wont, to his daughter's chamber and sending for the lady, who as yet knew nothing of these things, shut himself up with her and proceeded, with tears in his eyes, to bespeak her thus: 'Ghismonda, meseemed I knew thy virtue and thine honesty, nor might it ever have occurred to my mind, though it were told me, had I not seen it with mine own eyes, that thou wouldst, even so much as in thought, have abandoned thyself to any man, except he were thy husband; wherefore in this scant remnant of life that my eld reserveth unto me, I shall still abide sorrowful, remembering me of this. Would God, an thou must needs stoop to such wantonness, thou hadst taken a man sortable to thy quality! But, amongst so many who frequent my court, thou hast chosen Guiscardo, a youth of the meanest condition, reared in our court, well nigh of charity, from a little child up to this day; wherefore thou hast put me in sore travail of mind, for that I know not what course to take with thee. With Guiscardo, whom I caused take yesternight, as he issued forth of the tunnel and have in ward, I am already resolved how to deal; but with thee God knoweth I know not what to do. On one side love draweth me, which I still borne thee more than father ever bore daughter, and on the other most just despite, conceived for thine exceeding folly; the one would have me pardon thee, the other would have me, against my nature, deal harshly by thee. But ere I come to a decision, I would fain hear what thou hast to say to this.' So saying, he bowed his head and wept sore as would a beaten child.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  30 “Thus says the LORD , ‘Write this man [Coniah] down as childless, A man who will not prosper (succeed) in his lifetime; For not one of his descendants will succeed In sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.’ ” Jeremiah 23 The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch 1 “W OE TO the shepherds (civil leaders, rulers) who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD . 2 Therefore thus says the LORD , the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” says the LORD . 3 “Then I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 “I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” says the LORD . 5 “Behold (listen closely), the days are coming,” says the LORD , “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as King and act wisely And will do [those things that accomplish] justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called; ‘The LORD Our Righteousness.’ [Matt 1:21–23 ; Rom 3:22 ] 7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD , “when they will no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but [they will say], ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries to which I had driven them.’ Then they will live in their own land.” [Jer 16:14 , 15 ] False Prophets Denounced 9 Concerning the prophets: My heart [says Jeremiah] is broken within me, All my bones shake; I have become like a drunken man, A man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words [declared against unfaithful leaders]. 10 For the land is full of adulterers (unfaithful to God); The land mourns because of the curse [of God upon it]. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. The course of action [of the false prophets] is evil and they rush into wickedness; And their power is not right. 11 “For both [false] prophet and priest are ungodly (profane, polluted); Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD .

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  leCtUre 19 | hoW sCholars stUdy Psalms 119 Parallelism works in one of two ways. In synonymous parallelism, the same thought is echoed. For example, in Psalm 113:7, take this echoed thought: “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.” On the other hand, one can express an opposing thought in the second line. This is called antithetic parallelism. Consider Psalm 126:5: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.” It’s metaphorical. Metaphor is a major part of what makes the psalms poetry. This isn’t about literal sowing and reaping. It’s about planning and enjoying the results. The psalm authors are very skilled at using parallelism to map out large patterns in a psalm. For instance, the first verse may not correspond to the second. Imagine that the first verse corresponds to the last verse, and the second verse corresponds to the penultimate verse. This is called a chiasm. In Psalm 22, verses 1 and 11, there are words that correspond to each other in some way. Both verses are pleas to God to not abandon the one praying. Verses 1 and 11 are in parallelism with each other. That means that the entire unit of verses 1 through 11 is designated by inclusion. There are other examples of inclusion throughout the book of Psalms. A Difficult Passage Understanding parallelism can also help with difficult passages. For instance, the final stanza of Psalm 137 is addressed to Babylon. It is in the context of the exile of Jews in Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 586 BCE: “Blessed shall be he who takes your little children and dashes them against the rocks.” At first, it seems Israel is calling for the massacre of innocent children. However, the true reading lies in parallelism. The prior verse is this: “Blessed shall be he who repays you what you have done to us.” The phrase “your little children and dashes them against the rocks” stands in poetic parallelism with “repays you what you have unto us.” This isn’t about Babylonian babies and all. It’s about Israelite babies. It is about coming to terms with what happened in the conquest of Jerusalem in 586. This is a way Israel can say, “You massacred our infants,” without saying it directly. The point is not a wish against Babylon; the point is articulating the pain.

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  l e Ct Ure 20 | t he mU si C of the Psalms 127 A lament also has a format, though it’s more complex. There are seven parts. In a long psalm, parts might repeat. In a short psalm, a part might be left out. The parts are: 1. A general cry to God. 2. A stated problem. 3. A request or petition for help. 4. An avowal of innocence. 5. A profession of trust. 6. A promise to thank God. 7. Actual praise. The Purpose There is a reason for this format. The psalms are doing something psychologically. The Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann has said, “There is a close correspondence between the anatomy of the lament psalm and the anatomy of the soul.” In the lament format, the Israelite is praying a lament psalm. The lament actively embraces angst, grief, and anger, and then it moves on to trust and thanksgiving. It’s ancient Israelite therapy, so to speak. There are also ancient Near Eastern incantations that begin with an address of praise to a god using his standardized titles. These move to a petition, and finally move to a promise to praise and attract new devotees to that god. The psalms reflect raw emotions. The writers of the psalms were convinced that God wanted to hear all of those emotions. Suggested Reading Brueggemann, Spirituality of the Psalms . PROVERBS IN THE BIBLE: WISDOM LITERATURE LECTURE 21 This lecture is an introduction to the Old Testament genre of wisdom literature and to the book of Proverbs specifically. Imagery from Proverbs became repeatedly re-used in later religious traditions in fascinating ways. Hokhma Scholars translate a specific Hebrew term, Hokhma, as meaning “wisdom.” However, Hokhma has a fairly wide meaning. It can mean the kind of knowledge of cultural traditions that is found especially in non-literature cultures. This knowledge of cultural traditions includes etiquette, rules of jurisprudence, and practical skill. 21

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  Tuar night the weight against Stephen’s heart, with its icy cold- ness, melted; and it flowed out in such a torrent of grief that she could not stand up against that torrent, so that drowning though she was she found pen and paper, and she wrote to Angela Crossby. What a letter! All the pent-up passion of months, all the ter- rible, rending, destructive frustrations must burst from her heart: ‘ Love me, only love me the way I love you. Angela, for God’s sake, try to love me a little — don’t throw me away, because if you do I’m utterly finished. You know how I love you, with my soul and my body; if it’s wrong, grotesque, unholy — have pity. THE WELL OF LONELINESS 223 Pll be humble. Oh, my darling, I am humble now; I’m just a poor, heart-broken freak of a creature who loves you and needs you much more than its life, because life’s worse than death, ten times worse without you. I’m some awful mistake — God’s mis- take — I don’t know if there are any more like me, I pray not for their sakes, because it’s pure hell. But oh, my dear, whatever I am, I just love you and love you. I thought it was dead, but it wasn’t. It’s alive — so terribly alive to-night in my bedroom. . . .” And so it went on for page after page. But never a word about Roger Antrim and what she had seen that morning in the garden. Some fine instinct of utterly selfless protection towards this woman had managed to survive all the anguish and all the madness of that day. The letter was a ter- rible indictment against Stephen, a complete vindication of Angela Crossby. 5 ANGELA went to her husband’s study, and she stood before him utterly shaken, utterly appalled at what she would do, yet utterly and ruthlessly determined to do it from a primitive instinct of self-preservation. In her ears she could still hear that terrible laughter — that uncanny, hysterical, agonized laughter. Stephen was mad, and God only knew what she might do or say in a mo- ment of madness, and then — but she dared not look into the future. Cringing in spirit and trembling in body, she forgot the girl’s faithful and loyal devotion, her will to forgive, her desire te protect, so clearly set forth in that pitiful letter.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted [as a sign of mourning and respect] for seven days. 1 Samuel 1 a 1:1 Lit mountains of . b 1:1 It is sometimes claimed that Samuel was from the tribe of Ephraim (rather than the tribe of Levi) and so was not eligible to serve as a priest. He was an Ephraimite only in the sense that his family lived in the tribal area of Ephraim. His genealogy is given in 1 Chr 6:22–28 . At least two other men in the passage are named Elkanah. Samuel’s father, Elkanah, is the man mentioned in 1 Chr 6:27 . The men mentioned in 1 Chr 6:23 , 24 , and 26 are several generations removed from Samuel. c 1:3 Lit from days to days. d 1:5 Lit closed her womb . e 1:6 Lit closed her womb . f 1:10 Lit bitter of soul . g 1:11 Lit shearing knife . This was a requirement of a Nazirite vow which would apply to Samuel all of his life (see Num 6:2 ff). h 1:13 This implies that the custom at that time was to pray aloud; the outcome (vv 19 , 20 ) shows that God hears prayer, whether it is spoken or silent. i 1:20 The name possibly means “The Name [i.e. Yahweh, LORD ] is God” or “His name is God,” but the etymology is uncertain. j 1:21 Lit sacrifice of days. k 1:22 At this time children were nursed until about age three. But it may be fair to say that Hannah also wanted to keep the boy as long as she reasonably could; giving up her only child—even for the best of purposes—must have been terribly difficult. l 1:24 These containers were made from almost the entire skin of an animal and were used for holding wine. 1 Samuel 2 a 2:4 Or filled with terror . b 2:10 This would first apply to Saul, whom Samuel would anoint as king of Israel (10:1 ), and then to David (16:13 ) and other earthly kings. Ultimately it can be applied to Christ, who will rule over Israel and the world. c 2:11 Lit in the presence of . d 2:12 Lit sons of Belial . e 2:14 In general, sons of Israel or Israel or Israelites refers to all the people (males and females) of the various tribes descended from the twelve sons (Gen 35:23–26 ) of Jacob (later renamed Israel by God). In verses concerning things such as warfare or circumcision sons of Israel or Israel or Israelites usually refers only to the males. Tribes of ancient people were identified by the name of their founding ancestor. Therefore, this same general rule applies when referring to individual tribal groups, e.g. sons of Reuben, Reuben, Reubenites and so throughout.

• From Understanding the Old Testament (2019)

  Understanding the o ld testament 66 Jephthah If Abimelech is the most brutal judge, the next one, Jephthah, is the most pitiable. Chapter 10 describes God handing Israel over to its enemy, the Ammonites. In chapter 11, God raises Jephthah as a judge. He starts off looking better than Abimelech and Gideon. He tries diplomacy in Judges 11:12–28. He negotiates with the Ammonites about a piece of land that was claimed by Israel and Ammon. Israel had taken it long ago from people called Amorites. Jephthah wants to argue that it belongs to Israel, but he has many of the events wrong. Later, Jephthah makes a vow in chapter 12, verse 30. He says, “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power, whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return from the Ammonites in peace shall belong to the Lord. I shall offer it up as a burnt offering.” Jephthah is successful. In verse 34, this occurs: When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came out to meet him with tambourine playing and dancing. She was his only child. He had neither son or daughter besides her. When he saw her, he tore his garments and said “Oh my daughter! You have struck me down and brought calamity upon me, for I have made a vow to the Lord and I cannot take it back.” “Father,” she replied, “you have made a vow to the Lord. Do with me as you have vowed because the Lord has taken vengeance for you against your enemies the Ammonites.” This episode concludes with: “He did to her as he had vowed.” This is a tragic ending. The vow and whether it should have been binding troubled early Christian and Jewish theologians. Some medieval theologians pointed out that it only says, “He did as he had vowed”—not explicitly that he killed her. Perhaps he didn’t actually kill her, but instead put her away in a cloister, much like a nun in a convent. However, most earlier Christian and Jewish writers knew it was an actual killing. l e Ct Ure 11 | t he Boo K of J Udges 67 The rabbis and the 4th-century Christian writer Augustine said Jephthah should never have made a vow like that in the first place. However, Augustine goes on to praise Jephthah for keeping the vow. Other theologians, Christians and Jewish, considered the vow and its fulfillment both reprehensible. Jephthah returning from Battle is greeted by his Daughter , giovanni a ntonio Pellegrini, 1708 - 1713

• From Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings (2018)

  Wallace Peach has written many of the beats found in this book. She has kindly allowed me to include here her excellent post on how real people react to death. Common Physical Reactions to a Death:Tightness in the forehead, throat, or chestDry mouthBreathlessnessNausea and/or a hollow feeling in the stomachWeakness, fatigueSleep disturbances, dreams, and nightmaresAppetite disturbancesDisbelief is often a first reaction upon hearing of a death, especially if the death is sudden. Disbelief manifests as an initial numbness, a surreal sense that this can’t be happening, that the world has stopped making sense.Internal/External Coping : Your characters’ reactions will vary widely. Some will express themselves externally, others internally. This can be a source of misunderstanding – the less emotionally expressive characters accused of coldness or indifference, the more openly expressive characters accused of wallowing in self-pity.Social Immersion/Withdrawal: Some characters will desire immersion within their social network to gain support or stem loneliness and fear. Other characters may avoid interactions, needing time to process and reflect in solitude. Many will fall somewhere in between, appearing fine until the brittle walls of control collapse at a word or gesture.The Rollercoaster: Most people will dip in and out of grief, able to handle it in small doses before backing up and regaining emotional control. Your characters will function and grieve, function and grieve.Reminders: Some characters may avoid reminders of the deceased, finding that places or objects trigger painful feelings. Others may have the opposite reaction—desiring to visit those places and carry keepsakes.Active/Passive: Death generates a sense of helplessness. Some grieving characters may resort to intense activity (cooking, training, working, painting the house, or shopping). This is a coping mechanism that counters the loss of control. Others will feel lethargic, distracted and forgetful. They’ll have trouble focusing or wander in a fog without the will to complete the simplest tasks.Spirituality and Religion: For some characters, death may challenge spiritual or religious beliefs and shake faith to its foundations. For others, spiritual or religious beliefs may be or become the lifeline that sees the character through.Conflicted Relationships: These are relationships shaped by a tangle of positive and negative experiences, wishes, and emotions. Characters are grappling for balance and control, for respect, love, or approval. Death ends all chances for a satisfactory resolution. The feelings left behind are a stew of love, anger, regret, and guilt.Recklessness: Though recklessness may appear as a death wish, it might actually be angry defiance, a wager that death can be beaten at its game. Characters may also put themselves at risk to make up for a failure to protect others or guilt at their own survival.Anxiety, insecurity, and panic: Unlike recklessness, anxiety can be paralyzing. A shattered world can leave a character with a heightened sense of mortality, a fear of surviving on their own, or an aversion to taking risks.Relief: Characters may feel relief after the death, particularly if the deceased suffered.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  David Mourns Abner 31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said, “Should Abner [the great warrior] die as a fool dies? 34 “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him. 35 All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.” 36 And all the people took notice of it and it l pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 “Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!” 2 Samuel 4 Ish-bosheth Murdered 1 W HEN SAUL’S son Ish-bosheth [king of Israel], heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he a lost courage, and all Israel was horrified. 2 Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of [raiding] bands [of soldiers]. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons (tribe) of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of [the tribe of] Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been resident aliens there to this day). 4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the news [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. And the boy’s nurse picked him up and fled; but it happened that while she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth. 5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. 6 They came into the interior of the house as if to get wheat [for the soldiers], and they struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped [unnoticed]. 7 Now when they entered the house he was lying on his bed in his bedroom.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Instead I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” False Prophets 13 But I said, “Alas, Lord GOD ! Behold, the [false] prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I [the LORD ] will give you lasting peace in this place.’ ” 14 Then the LORD said to me, “The [counterfeit] prophets are prophesying lies in My Name. I have neither sent them nor authorized them nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you made-up visions [pretending to call forth responses from handmade gods], a worthless divination and the deceit of their own mind. 15 “Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the [false] prophets who are prophesying in My Name, although I did not send them—yet they keep saying, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’: by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end and be consumed. 16 “And the people to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword; and they will have no one to bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters. For I will pour out their [own] wickedness on them [and not only on the imposters posing as prophets, for the people could not have been deceived without their own consent]. 17 “Therefore [Jeremiah] you will say this word to them, ‘Let my eyes flow with tears night and day, And let them never cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a great blow, With a very serious and severely infected wound. 18 ‘If I go out into the field, Then I gaze on those slaughtered with the sword! And if I enter the city, Then I gaze on [those tormented with] the diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest [who should have guided the people] Go about [bewildered and exiled] in a land (Babylon) that they do not know or understand.’ ” 19 Have You [O LORD ] completely rejected Judah? Do You loathe Zion? Why have You stricken us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace and completeness, but nothing good came; And [we hoped] for a time of healing, but behold, terror! 20 We know and acknowledge, O LORD , Our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against You. 21 Do not treat us with contempt and condemn us, for Your own name’s sake; Do not disgrace Your a glorious throne; Remember [with consideration] and do not break Your [solemn] covenant with us. 22 Are there any among the idols of the nations who can send rain? Or can the heavens [of their own will] give showers? Is it not You, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait and hope [confidently] in You, For You are the one who has made all these things [the heavens and the rain].

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  27 The LORD said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, just as I have removed Israel; and will reject this city which I have chosen, this Jerusalem, and the house, of which I said, ‘My Name [and the pledge of My Presence] shall be there.’ ” Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah 28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh Neco (Necho) king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates [to help him fight Nabopolassar the king of Babylon]. King Josiah went out to meet him, but Pharaoh killed Josiah at Megiddo when he saw him. 30 Josiah’s servants carried his dead body in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in his father’s place. 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for [only] three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did evil in the sight of the LORD , in accordance with everything that his forefathers had done. 33 Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he would not reign in Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Jehoiakim Made King by Pharaoh 34 Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, where he died. 35 Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money as Pharaoh commanded. He collected the silver and gold from the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did evil in the sight of the LORD , in accordance with everything that his forefathers had done. 2 Kings 24 Babylon Controls Jehoiakim 1 I N HIS days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The LORD sent marauding bands of Chaldeans, Arameans (Syrians), Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim. And He sent them against Judah to destroy it, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servants the prophets.

• From The Well of Loneliness (1928)

  ‘You’re home very early, Stephen,’ said Anna, but Sir Philip was staring at his daughter’s face. : What’s the matter?’ he inquired, and his voice sounded anxious. ‘ Come here and tell me about it.’ Then Stephen quite suddenly burst into tears, and she wept and she wept as she stood there before them, and she poured out her shame and humiliation, telling all that Roger had said about her mother, telling all that she, Stephen, would have done to defend her, had it not been that Roger would not fight with a girl. She wept and she wept without any restraint, scarcely know- ing what she said — at that moment not caring. And Sir Philip listened with his head on his hand, and Anna listened bewildered and dumbfounded. She tried to kiss Stephen, to hold her to her, 54 THE WELL OF LONELINESS but Stephen, still sobbing, pushed her away; in this orgy of grief she resented consolation, so that in the end Anna took her to the nursery and delivered her over to the care of Mrs. Bingham, feeling that the child did not want her. When Anna went quietly back to the study, Sir Philip was still sitting with his head on his hand. She said: ‘It’s time you realized, Philip, that if you’re Stephen’s father, I’m her mother. So far you’ve managed the child your own way, and I don’t think it’s been successful. You’ve treated Stephen as though she were a boy — perhaps it’s because I’ve not given you a son —’ Her voice trembled a little but she went on gravely: ‘It’s not good for Stephen; I know it’s not good, and at times it frightens me, Philip.’ ‘ No, no!’ he said sharply. But Anna persisted: ‘ Yes, Philip, at times it makes me afraid -I can’t tell you why, but it seems all wrong — it makes me feel — strange with the child.’ He looked at her out of his melancholy eyes: * Can’t you trust me? Won’t you try to trust me, Anna?’ But Anna shook her head: ‘ I don’t understand, why shouldn’t you trust me, Philip? ’ And then in his terror for this well-beloved woman, Sir Philip committed the first cowardly action of his life— he who would not have spared himself pain, could not bear to inflict it on Anna. In his infinite pity for Stephen’s mother, he sinned very deeply and gravely against Stephen, by withholding from that mother his own conviction that her child was not as other children. ‘ There’s nothing for you to understand,’ he said firmly, ‘ but I like you to trust me in all things.’ After this they sat talking about the child, Sir Philip very quiet and reassuring.

• From Emotional Beats: How to Easily Convert your Writing into Palpable Feelings (2018)

  Relief and a sense of liberation may also occur at the end of conflicted relationship, the battle finally over. Guilt frequently accompanies the sense of relief.Guilt: Guilt is very common and often completely illogical. All the “ I should have’s ” and “ if only’s ” roll through the character’s brain, especially in cases of suicide.Anger: Anger generally has four sources:Justified anger at perpetrators and the failures of individuals and institutions. This is fertile ground for thoughts of revenge.Lashing out at others in response to feelings of helplessness and loss of control.Anger at one’s self for an inability to prevent the death.Anger at the deceased for dying, for not fighting harder, not making better choices, or abandoning the survivors (like guilt, this anger isn’t always logical).Unexpected Death: Death out of the natural sequence of life is generally more tragic than death after a long life. Sudden death is frequently harder to deal with than a loss that’s expected. Death by a purposeful or negligent hand is often more difficult than one by accident or illness.Previous Experience: Previous experience with death can prepare a character for new losses and soften the sharp edges. At the same time, if previous deaths weren’t fully processed, new losses can trigger unresolved emotions and complicate healing.Delaying grief: Death and grief make characters feel vulnerable. In dangerous situations, it’s common for grief responses to be suppressed or delayed. Then, once safe, the emotional blockade opens. If that safe haven for grief is a long time coming, consider that feelings may bottleneck, turn in on the character, or explode.Children’s Grief: Don’t forget that babies, children, and teens grieve too.Babies experience a sense of absence in their lives. They also respond to the stress of the adults around them.Little children and teens experience the SAME feelings as adults including guilt – believing that they somehow could have prevented the death.Children also dip in and out of grief, cry and whine one minute, then play and laugh the next.Children and teens tend to regress to younger behaviors.Children will frequently delay their own grief until they see that the adults are handling it well and it’s safe to grieve.In an attempt to fit in, teenagers will frequently hide their grief. Teens may not talk about their feelings with their parents, but will talk to another trusted adult and among each other. List of Common SynonymsAuthor Lara Eakins has painstakingly compiled and shared an excellent list of synonyms for some of the most common words we use in our writing: Amazing — incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary. Anger — enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden. Angry — mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed. Answer — reply, respond, retort, acknowledge. Ask - — question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz. Awful — dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  The women would have comforted her and bidden her arise, not yet knowing her; but after they had bespoken her awhile in vain, they sought to lift her and finding her motionless, raised her up and knew her at once for Salvestra and for dead; whereupon all who were there, overcome with double pity, set up a yet greater clamour of lamentation. The news soon spread abroad among the men without the church and came presently to the ears of her husband, who was amongst them and who, without lending ear to consolation or comfort from any, wept a great while; after which he recounted to many of those who were there the story of that which had befallen that night between the dead youth and his wife; and so was the cause of each one's death made everywhere manifest, the which was grievous unto all. Then, taking up the dead girl and decking her, as they use to deck the dead, they laid her beside Girolamo on the same bier and there long bewept her; after which the twain were buried in one same tomb, and so these, whom love had not availed to conjoin on life, death conjoined with an inseparable union." THE NINTH STORY [Day the Fourth] SIR GUILLAUME DE ROUSSILLON GIVETH HIS WIFE TO EAT THE HEART OF SIR GUILLAUME DE GUARDESTAING BY HIM SLAIN AND LOVED OF HER, WHICH SHE AFTER COMING TO KNOW, CASTETH HERSELF FROM A HIGH CASEMENT TO THE GROUND AND DYING, IS BURIED WITH HER LOVER Neifile having made an end of her story, which had awakened no little compassion in all the ladies her companions, the king, who purposed not to infringe Dioneo his privilege, there being none else to tell but they twain, began, "Gentle ladies, since you have such compassion upon ill-fortuned loves, it hath occurred to me to tell you a story whereof it will behove you have no less pity than of the last, for that those to whom that which I shall tell happened were persons of more account than those of whom it hath been spoken and yet more cruel was the mishap that befell them.

• From The Decameron (1353)

  When the day came and Girolamo was found dead before his own door, great was outcry, especially on the part of his mother, and the physicians having examined him and searched his body everywhere, but finding no wound nor bruise whatsoever on him, it was generally concluded that he had died of grief, as was indeed the case. Then was the body carried into a church and the sad mother, repairing thither with many other ladies, kinswomen and neighbours, began to weep without stint and make sore moan over him, according to our usance. What while the lamentation was at it highest, the good man, in whose house he had died, said to Salvestra, 'Harkye, put some mantlet or other on thy head and get thee to the church whither Girolamo hath been carried and mingle with the women and hearken to that which is discoursed of the matter; and I will do the like among the men, so we may hear if aught be said against us.' The thing pleased the girl, who was too late grown pitiful and would fain look upon him, dead, whom, living, she had not willed to pleasure with one poor kiss, and she went thither. A marvellous thing it is to think how uneath to search out are the ways of love! That heart, which Girolamo's fair fortune had not availed to open, his illhap opened and the old flames reviving all therein, whenas she saw the dead face it[254] melted of a sudden into such compassion that she pressed between the women, veiled as she was in the mantlet, and stayed not till she won to the body, and there, giving a terrible great shriek, she cast herself, face downward, on the dead youth, whom she bathed not with many tears, for that no sooner did she touch him than grief bereaved her of life, even as it had bereft him. [Footnote 254: _i.e._ her heart.]

• From Unbought and Unbossed: Transgressive Black Women, Sexuality, and Representation (2014)

  In calling attention to sexualized violence, in no way do I attempt to overshadow or undermine the transgressive behavior, sexual agency, or empowerment of these characters or, moreover, to suggest that transgressive behavior operates alternatively or as an intrinsic reactionary stance to sexual(ized) aggression or violence. Nor do I postulate that sexual vulnerability is a prerequisite or, for that matter, conduit for liberatory black female sexuality. Since transgressive behavior, sexual empowerment, and sexual vulnerability are not entirely discrete categories, I am interested in how they imbricate in a Hegelian sense. For, if "sexual violation" constitutes part of a "legacy of racialization," as literary and queer studies scholar Darieck Scott posits, how does (racialized) sexualized violence interface with transgressive behavior-or, in what ways, if any, does transgression in these post-civil rights literary productions operate?5 To what extent does black women's transgressive behavior, whether expressed as recalcitrance, sexual excess, or subversion of established norms, serve as a medium by which to broach and transgress a complex, albeit at times fractured, past and to navigate-as autonomous subjects-the temporal moment? And, read collectively, how do Morrison, Shockley, Walker, Jones, and Naylor, as literary and sociocultural activists, shift paradigms of black womanhood and female sexuality; and, how do they attend to the concrete issues governing black women of the post-civil rights era and beyond without essentializing the totality of black women's experiences? Unbought and Unbossed begins its analysis with post-civil rights novels of the twentieth century (while offering critical comparative analysis of other literary, sociocultural, and historical moments) to establish a nexus in which literary texts, movement ideologies, and the politics of identity and representation intersect to provide a broad interdisciplinary discursive framework for analyzing these complex dynamics. At its very core, this book is grounded in critical race studies, black feminist theory, and representations of black womanhood. As such, it is in dialogue with a multidisciplinary cadre of pioneering black feminist scholars, particularly Darlene Clark Hine, Patricia Hill Collins, Paula Giddings, bell hooks, Deborah McDowell, and Mary Helen Washington, who have produced landmark work in these intellectual arenas. In its conceptual orientation and grounding in interdisciplinary literary and cultural studies, this book is in concert with scholars who have advanced scholarship on constructions of black womanhood, race, and their intersectional affinities with political desire and/or nationalism: most notably, Hazel Carby, Claudia Tate, Ann duCille, and Madhu Dubey-and, more recently, Candice Jenkins and Lisa Thompson.'

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  7 For he left to Jehoahaz [king of Israel] an army of no more than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 footmen, for the king of Aram (Ben-hadad) had destroyed them and made them like dust to be trampled. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, everything that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 Jehoahaz slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in Samaria; Joash his son became king in his place. 10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, b Jehoash (Joash) the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the LORD ; he did not turn away from all the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; but he walked in them. 12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, everything that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 Joash slept with his fathers [in death], and Jeroboam [II] sat on his throne. Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Death of Elisha 14 Now Elisha had become sick with the illness by which he would die. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” [2 Kin 2:12 ] 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window to the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And Elisha said, “The LORD ’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram (Syria); for you will strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. 19 So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.” 20 Elisha died, and they buried him. Now marauding bands of Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And it happened that as a man was being buried [on an open bier], they saw a marauding band [coming]; and they threw the man into Elisha’s grave.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  Then I took the crown which was on his head and the b band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” [1 Sam 31:4 ] 11 Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the LORD ’s people and the house of c Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle]. 13 David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the LORD ’s anointed?” 15 David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” So he struck the Amalekite and he died. 16 David said to the [fallen] man, “d Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD ’s anointed.’ ” David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan 17 Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in e the Book of Jashar: 19 “Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult. 21 “f O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not g anointed with oil. 22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty. 23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions. 24 “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you h luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. 25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places. 26 “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a good friend to me. Your i love toward me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

• From Amplified Holy Bible (2015)

  19 “For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away e unharmed? So may the LORD reward you with good in return for what you have done for me this day. 20 “Now, behold, I know that you will certainly be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21 “So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household (extended family).” 22 David gave Saul his oath; and Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the mountain stronghold. 1 Samuel 25 Samuel’s Death 1 N OW SAMUEL died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David left and went down to the Wilderness of Paran. Nabal and Abigail 2 Now there was a man in Maon whose business and possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings; he was a a Calebite). 4 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5 So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and b greet him in my name; 6 and this is what you shall say, ‘c Have a long life! Peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. 7 ‘Now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we have not harmed them, nor were they missing anything all the time they were in Carmel. 8 ‘Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight [and be well-treated], for we have come on a d good (festive) day. e Please, give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ” 9 When David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David; then they waited. 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? f There are many servants today, each of whom is breaking away from his master. 11 “So should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” 12 So David’s young men made their way back and returned; and they came and told him everything that was said [to them by Nabal].

• From The Decameron (1353)

  The gentle lady, thus grown a wild creature, abiding on this wise, it befell, after some months, that there came on like wise to the place whither she had aforetime been driven by stress of weather, a little vessel from Pisa and there abode some days. On broad this bark was a gentleman named Currado [of the family] of the Marquises of Malespina, who, with his wife, a lady of worth and piety, was on his return home from a pilgrimage to all the holy places that be in the kingdom of Apulia. To pass away the time, Currado set out one day, with his lady and certain of his servants and his dogs, to go about the island, and not far from Madam Beritola's place of harbourage, the dogs started the two kids, which were now grown pretty big, as they went grazing. The latter, chased by the dogs, fled to no other place but into the cavern where was Madam Beritola, who, seeing this, started to her feet and catching up a staff, beat off the dogs. Currado and his wife, who came after them, seeing the lady, who was grown swart and lean and hairy, marvelled, and she yet more at them. But after Currado had, at her instance, called off his dogs, they prevailed with her, by dint of much entreaty, to tell them who she was and what she did there; whereupon she fully discovered to them her whole condition and all that had befallen her, together with her firm resolution [to abide alone in the island]. Currado, who had know Arrighetto Capece very well, hearing this, wept for pity, and did his utmost to divert her with words from so barbarous a purpose, offering to carry her back to her own house or to keep her with himself, holding her in such honour as his sister, until God should send her happier fortune. The lady not yielding to these proffers, Currado left his wife with her, bidding the latter cause bring thither to eat and clothe the lady, who was all in rags, with some of her own apparel, and charging her contrive, by whatsoever means, to bring her away with her. Accordingly, the gentle lady, being left with Madam Beritola, after condoling with her amain of her misfortunes, sent for raiment and victual and prevailed on her, with all the pains in the world, to don the one and eat the other.