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Literary notes about aloft (AI summary)

The term “aloft” appears in literature with remarkably diverse applications, serving both a literal and metaphorical function. In many texts, it describes the literal act of lifting or rising into the air—whether through soaring towers [1], raised banners [2], or even an eagle’s flight [3]—evoking images of elevation and grandeur. Alternatively, authors employ “aloft” in a figurative manner, conveying the elevation of spirit or prominence; for instance, the bearer of sorrow is depicted as carrying his pain aloft [4], while moments of celebration see champagne glasses or caps being raised aloft [5, 6]. Its usage thus spans from the physical, as seen in maritime actions or the handling of heavy objects [7, 8, 9], to the symbolic, as characters or sentiments are elevated above the mundane [10]. This versatility enhances both the visual and emotional landscapes of the narratives, making “aloft” a favored expression in a variety of literary contexts.
  1. At last we reached a tower that soared aloft.
    — from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri
  2. The banner of the king on high, Floating all splendid in the sky From golden shaft, aloft he bore,— The Norsemen's rallying-point of yore.
    — from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson
  3. One great gray bird, a gull or curlew, soared aloft in the blue heaven.
    — from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
  4. Thou seest the Father; Thy sad sighs gather, And bear aloft Thy sorrow and His pain!
    — from Faust [part 1]. Translated Into English in the Original Metres by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  5. Toward the latter end of the dinner the groom rises, and holding a filled champagne glass aloft says: "To the bride!"
    — from Etiquette by Emily Post
  6. At this arose a great shout, many casting their caps aloft, for joy of the gift.
    — from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
  7. Then he picked up a rock much larger than the first, swung it aloft and hurled it with prodigious force.
    — from The Odyssey by Homer
  8. "Lay aloft and loose the topsails!" shouted the captain, as soon as the first man showed himself.
    — from Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
  9. The rigging was then sent down and coiled away below, and everything was made snug aloft.
    — from Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
  10. For had there been light, where should it have been but by being over all, aloft, and enlightening?
    — from The Confessions of St. Augustine by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine

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