All 17 Uses of
compose
in
The Idiot
- Aglaya gazed coldly, intently, and composedly at him, without taking her eyes off his face, and watched his confusion.†
Chpt 1.7composedly = in a calm manner
- Aglaya gazed at him for some seconds with precisely the same composure and calm astonishment as she had shown a little while before, when the prince handed her the note, and it appeared that this calm surprise and seemingly absolute incomprehension of what was said to her, were more terribly overwhelming to Gania than even the most plainly expressed disdain would have been.†
Chpt 1.7composure = calm state of mind
- "Let him go on reading at all costs!" ordered Lizabetha Prokofievna, evidently preserving her composure by a desperate effort.†
Chpt 2.8 *
- She was silent a moment to get breath, and to recover her composure.†
Chpt 2.12
- You manage your composure too awkwardly.†
Chpt 3.7
- The prince finished her speech for her with the utmost composure.†
Chpt 3.9
- The majority of the guests—who were somewhat empty-headed, after all, in spite of their aristocratic bearing—never guessed, in their self-satisfied composure, that much of their superiority was mere veneer, which indeed they had adopted unconsciously and by inheritance.†
Chpt 4.6
- The latter, too, though he would probably have received news of a great disaster to the Epanchin family with perfect composure, would nevertheless have considered it a personal offence if they had dared to marry their daughter without his advice, or we might almost say, his leave.†
Chpt 4.6
- "You are quite ready, I observe," she said, with absolute composure, "dressed, and your hat in your hand.†
Chpt 4.8
- In spite of his apparent outward composure, he was evidently in a state of great mental agitation.†
Chpt 4.11
- When, a minute after, he reached the drawing-room door, his face was quite composed.†
Chpt 1.7
- "I am telling you the truth," said the prince in his former composed tone of voice; "and believe me, I am extremely sorry that the circumstance should have made such an unpleasant impression upon you!"†
Chpt 1.7
- She said all this, knitting away the while as though perfectly calm and composed.†
Chpt 1.8
- It was always a difficult thing to put this warrior to confusion, and his sudden descent left him as composed as before.†
Chpt 1.9
- They began to hunt for the reptile and were more composed than I was; they did not seem to be afraid of it.†
Chpt 3.5
- She had heard of the indignation in the town, and knew that some of the populace was getting up a sort of charivari with music, that verses had been composed for the occasion, and that the rest of Pavlofsk society more or less encouraged these preparations.†
Chpt 4.10
- The prince was a whole hour soothing and comforting her, and left her, at length, pacified and composed.†
Chpt 4.10
Definitions:
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(1)
(compose as in: compose a poem) to write or create something with care -- especially music or a literary work, but could be other things as diverse as a plan or a letter
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(2)
(compose as in: composed of many parts) to create something by arranging parts; or to be those parts
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(3)
(compose as in: compose myself) to calm someone or settle something
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(4)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Specialized senses of compose include typesetting (preparing text for printing). There are many specialized senses of composition where context tells what something is made up from. Finally, in classic literature, compose may have been used to indicate settling a dispute.