Literary notes about have (AI summary)
The word "have" displays remarkable versatility in literature, functioning not only as an auxiliary to construct perfect tenses—as in the reflective admissions "I have made no representations yet" [1] or the declaration "I have come to Tahiti now to buy a schooner" [2]—but also as a marker of possession and intent, evident when a character notes "You have written me a very charming letter" [3]. It further conveys conditionality and expectation in assertions like "I would have the leadership" [4] or in expressions of regret and missed opportunity, such as "you would have sent—you would not have left him—if he were alive" [5]. Through these varied uses, "have" enriches narrative nuance and deepens character expression by grounding actions in time, responsibility, and relational dynamics.
- I have made no representations yet, as it would be useless to do so until I have the power of correction.
— from The Life of Horatio, Lord Nelson by Robert Southey - I have come to Tahiti now to buy a schooner.
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham - My dear little Toto , You have written me a very charming letter.
— from Juliette Drouet's Love-Letters to Victor Hugo by Juliette Drouet and Louis Guimbaud - He wanted, not to escape a clubbing, but to have the leadership.
— from The call of the wild by Jack London - You would have sent—you would not have left him—if he were alive!
— from North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
