Zeugmatic shift is a rhetorical and syntactic maneuver in poetry where a single word (often a verb or adjective) governs or modifies two or more other words in a sentence, but with a shift in meaning or application that creates surprise, irony, or layered interpretation. For example, "She broke his car and his heart"—where "broke" operates literally and figuratively. In poetry, zeugmatic shifts can compress complex relationships into a single phrase, generating semantic tension or wit. This technique appears in metaphysical poetry (Donne) and modernist work (Eliot). For students, it demonstrates how syntax can be leveraged for conceptual economy and interpretive depth, turning grammatical ambiguity into poetic resource.

Shift in meaning when single word governs multiple phrases differently. Related to Zeugmatic pun. Classical rhetorical device. Creates economy and wit through grammatical pivot. Study Pope and Augustan poetry for masterful examples.