Literary notes about flit (AI summary)
The term "flit" is used in literature to evoke a sense of light, ephemeral motion—whether describing the delicate flutter of nature or the fleeting passage of an emotion. In some works, it paints a picture of swift physical movement, as seen in depictions of birds, fireflies, or shadows dancing across surfaces ([1], [2], [3], [4]). At other times, it serves a metaphorical purpose, suggesting the transient nature of life or momentary shifts in human expression, as in the sudden spasm of rage or the elusive images of the past ([5], [6], [7], [8]). This versatility allows writers to infuse their narratives with a lyrical quality that captures both the physical and the intangible, making "flit" a vibrant and evocative choice of word.
- May I not, then, say: "Myriads of fireflies flit hither and thither in the dew-wet grass like little fluttering tapers"?
— from The World I Live In by Helen Keller - The bees and fireflies flit and twinkle in their vast hives; curved clouds like the breath of gods hover between the towers and the moon.
— from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. Du Bois - And in the water, near the opaque soapy circles, little fish flit to and fro and green water-weeds nod their heads.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - Fireflies flit in the bush near the dried-up pond, and bamboo branches fling their shadows on the grass-grown path.
— from The gardener by Rabindranath Tagore - I kept my eyes fixed on Lucy, as did Van Helsing, and we saw a spasm as of rage flit like a shadow over her face; the sharp teeth champed together.
— from Dracula by Bram Stoker - V. elapse, lapse, flow, run, proceed, advance, pass; roll on, wear on, press on; flit, fly, slip, slide, glide; run its course.
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget - As he went out into the rigorous night, I saw the lonely figure flit away before us.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - She has flitted away to town, with no intention of remaining there, and will soon flit hither again, to the confusion of the fashionable intelligence.
— from Bleak House by Charles Dickens
