Literary notes about Intermit (AI summary)
The word "intermit" has been employed in literature with a diverse range of meanings. In historical and religious contexts, as seen in [1], Josephus uses it to express relentless continuity, implying that the act of building was never paused. Conversely, Whitman’s use in [2] invites readers to consider the dangers of even brief lapses—suggesting that ceasing, even momentarily, in the pursuit of absolution may lead to error. Dante’s poetic treatment in [3] elevates the term to a metaphorical dimension, evoking the notion of an unyielding, eternal motion that cannot be interrupted, while in Darwin’s scientific observation [4], it describes a tangible, measurable irregularity in the rhythm of a heartbeat. Together, these examples illustrate how "intermit" can convey everything from a steadfast, unwavering effort to a momentary cessation, adapting its nuance to the demands of both literary artistry and precise scientific discourse.
- So, in dependence on those prophets, they applied themselves earnestly to building, and did not intermit one day.
— from Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus - And now, for fear of mistake, we may not intermit to beg our absolution from all that genuinely is, or goes along with, even Culture.
— from Complete Prose Works by Walt Whitman - ‘Son,’ said he, ‘who of us shall intermit Motion a moment, for an age must lie Nor fan himself when flames are round him lit.
— from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri - [1334] gives the case of a man, who by continually watching and counting his own pulse, at last caused one beat out of every six to intermit.
— from The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin
