Literary notes about Worked (AI summary)
In literature, the word "worked" appears as a versatile term that captures both the concrete effort of manual labor and the more abstract process of development and transformation. It is used to depict physical toil—as in the vivid portrayals of shared effort in war [1] or the long days of manual labor in [2]—and to illustrate the slow, careful process of creation, whether that's kneading bread rising on a hearth [3] or sketching out a design over days and nights [4]. The term can also convey emotional or metaphorical exertion, as seen when characters "worked up" emotions [5] or when hardships "worked upon" a person, leaving a lasting impact [6]. Across genres, from the adventures of Robinson Crusoe [7] to the intricate social dramas in The Brothers Karamazov [8], "worked" functions as a dynamic literary device that encapsulates perseverance, transformation, and the human condition.
- He looked round at the grave listening faces and told them to remember that they had fought and worked side by side.
— from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - The carpenters, blacksmiths, and painters worked hard from morning to night, and in less than three weeks the place was ready.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - Hannah had left a pan of bread to rise, Meg had worked it up early, set it on the hearth for a second rising, and forgotten it.
— from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott - He designed the Club badge himself, and worked over it, altering and improving it, a number of days and nights; then sent to London and had it made.
— from Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World by Mark Twain - He could hardly grasp it in his hand, and worked the skin up and down in the most delicious manner.
— from The Romance of Lust: A classic Victorian erotic novel by Anonymous - I think it means that thou art fey (1); unless it be the mere want of sleep that has worked upon thee.
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson - From the 26th to the 30th I worked very hard in carrying all my goods to my new habitation, though some part of the time it rained exceedingly hard.
— from The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe - It was not men's grief, but their joy Christ visited, He worked His first miracle to help men's gladness....
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
