Willful

I may well say that a willfuler woman, and one more wedded unto her own opinion, without order, reason, and discretion, I never did know or heard of.

I hope you’ll excuse the liberty, but I’ve come to Detmold along with Herr Peters, the apothecary, in his pony chaise; and a willfuler-minded beast I never sat behind. A taste of the whip would do him good, and if he was mine he should have it.

Norris was one of the willfullest of the notorious 12, and he opposed the arming of our ships, the declaration of war, the draft, the war revenue bill, etc.

Sudden she came of her own broken and sick will. Their wills were healing each other. She was willfuller now than he. She held his head in her arms, her flesh was all about him.

Sweet from the rock, honey from hateful places, / Tenderness opening among the thorns, / Wild briar-roses scent the heedless ocean, / Willfuler, wilder than unicorns.

Why is the wildest, willfullest daydream (which may be quite banal) no less than the most naive and flabby documentary welcomed, sometimes, with equal fervor?

By the reverse token, in opera, where music is primary, the composer’s intent is hard to sabotage by even the willfullest mind.