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Literary notes about Preoccupy (AI summary)

The term "preoccupy" has been used in literature with intriguing versatility, often implying a dominant influence or an engrossing focus. For instance, in George Santayana’s work, it signifies an image that will come to pervade the arts, suggesting a preeminent and metaphoric impact on creative culture [1]. In Benito Pérez Galdós’s discussion, the word is clarified akin to “take up,” highlighting an engagement or a holding of attention in a more literal or direct sense [2]. Meanwhile, Sigmund Freud employs "preoccupy" in the context of mourning, describing the way grief fixates itself on preserving the memory of the deceased—a process that consumes and channels emotional energy [3]. Together, these varied usages underscore the multifaceted nature of the word in capturing both abstract and concrete forms of dominance and fixation.
  1. It will then be his image that will preoccupy the arts.
    — from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana
  2. preocupar t preoccupy, take up ( de with).
    — from Doña Perfecta by Benito Pérez Galdós
  3. On the contrary, mourning loves to preoccupy itself with the deceased, to elaborate his memory, and preserve it for the longest possible time.
    — from Totem and Taboo by Sigmund Freud

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