Final answer:
Various texts reflect on the impact of cold weather on individuals, using it to express both physical discomfort and emotional states. Coldness is utilized in literature to depict literal sensations as well as metaphorical distances or feelings. The theme of cold weather serves as a common thread to explore human experiences with the climate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reflections on cold weather and the impact it has on individuals can be drawn from several textual examples. In one, the ominous presence of cold can feel so overwhelming that a person contemplates extreme measures such as burning down a house to eliminate a persistent cold dampness. Another passage relates to discomfort due to cold temperatures causing someone to lose sleep on a cold, damp clay floor, highlighting the physical torment cold weather can induce. Lastly, the literary device of juxtaposition is used between the terms 'warmth' and the lack of a corresponding term for 'coolth', indicating an interesting linguistic observation about how we perceive and prioritize certain sensations over others.
Coldness is not only used to describe physical sensations but also to illustrate emotional distances or lack of enthusiasm. In poetry, for example, the coldness felt towards certain clichéd images can be a form of emotional protection, resisting the 'obvious' in favour of more nuanced appreciation. Yet another example reveals that the same coldness in water can trigger a profound emotional response, mingling physical sensation with a sense of personal adversity.
Climatic conditions and their influence on people surface frequently in literature, as seen in these examples, exploring the various dimensions of coldness both literally and metaphorically. This investigation into cold weather's effects in literature spans the spectrum from its tangible physical discomfort to its nuanced emotional representations.