Literary notes about shift (AI summary)
The word "shift" in literature is a versatile term that captures a range of movements and changes—both literal and figurative. It can indicate a transformation in power or circumstance, as when a change of kings might nullify a gift [1], or the redistribution of resources subtly alters a balance [2]. At times, it marks a physical movement such as a repositioning to board a coach in the midst of rain [3] or the gradual adjustment of water that never holds still [4]. "Shift" also conveys a symbolic change, whether in conversation, personal fortunes, or even a turning point in narrative events, such as diverting from one topic to another [5, 6]. In this way, authors employ "shift" to articulate transitions—whether a subtle movement of moonlight across a window-sill [7] or a deliberate change in strategy that reflects both inner and outer transformations in their works.
- "For if there came a shift of kings," said he, "the gift might come to nothing.
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson - The admission of additional water was enough to shift its balance.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - We staid till it was very late; it rained sadly, but we made shift to get coaches.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys - It was so hard to tell anything about the water; the damned things shift around so—never lie still five minutes at a time.
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain - He may shift, but he cannot annul the compulsion.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud - Now, we will do so no longer, and you can shift for yourself for the future."
— from Aesop's Fables; a new translation by Aesop - Time passed slowly; the streaks of moonlight on the window-sill did not shift their position, but seemed as though frozen....
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
