Literary notes about sway (AI summary)
The term "sway" in literature serves as a versatile device that captures both physical movement and abstract influence. At times it vividly describes the natural, rhythmic motion of objects—such as a curtain moving to and fro [1] or a boat gently rocking on the water [2]—while in other contexts it embodies the power or authority exerted by a leader or force, as seen when a ruler's dominion is articulated with the weight of tradition and reputation [3, 4]. Moreover, "sway" frequently connotes the compelling pull of emotion or persuasion, whether it is the soft, persuasive clout over hearts and minds [5, 6] or the broader control of thought and culture [7, 8]. In this way, the word bridges the tangible and the metaphorical, enhancing both the scene's physicality and the narrative’s exploration of power.
- In the white curtain, to and fro, She saw the gusty shadow sway.
— from The Early Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson by Baron Alfred Tennyson Tennyson - Suddenly the oblong patch of starlight seemed to sway to and fro.
— from The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories by H. G. Wells - At that time Evander, who had fled from the Peloponnesus, ruled this country more by his credit and reputation than absolute sway.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - In seasons of great peril 'Tis good that one bear sway; Then choose we a Dictator, Whom all men shall obey.
— from Lays of Ancient Rome by Baron Thomas Babington Macaulay Macaulay - If you do love old men, if your sweet sway Allow obedience, if yourselves are old, Make it your cause; send down, and take my part!
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - CL O! from what power hast thou this powerful might, With insufficiency my heart to sway?
— from Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare - Perchance I may be able to sway them toward my views, and make them cry, ‘Long live princess Crystallina!’
— from Baron Trump's Marvellous Underground Journey by Ingersoll Lockwood - And justice has an interest which is the interest not of the ruler or judge, but of those who come under his sway.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato
