Literary notes about Arms (AI summary)
The word “arms” assumes a variety of meanings in literature, serving as a versatile symbol across genres and eras. In some contexts it refers quite literally to the human limbs, often connoting intimacy or physical action—as when a character embraces another with tender care [1, 2, 3, 4]. In other examples, “arms” denotes weaponry or military force, evoking both the reality of combat and the grandeur or tragedy of battle, as seen in calls to arms or descriptions of martial prowess [5, 6, 7, 8]. Authors also extend the term to the domain of heraldry, where “arms” represents family crests and emblems that symbolize lineage or authority [9, 10, 11]. This range—from personal touch to instruments of war and markers of identity—illustrates how "arms" functions as an evocative and multi-layered motif in literary texts [12, 13, 14].
- She hid her head on my bosom, and put her arms round my neck—and we waited a little while in silence.
— from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Mr. Bhaer was Nick Bottom, and Tina was Titania,—a perfect little fairy in his arms.
— from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott - I drew aside and apologised, when suddenly, with a loud exclamation, he clasped me in his arms and kissed me warmly.
— from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - “The same,” said he, rising, and placing his arms round my neck he kissed me again and again.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - When he uttered these words and called the gods to hear his vows, the Rutulians stir one another up to arms.
— from The Aeneid of Virgil by Virgil - To arms, to arms!”
— from The History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, Complete by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - The treaty was signed upon these terms, and we laid down our arms.
— from The Satyricon — Complete by Petronius Arbiter - "The empire," said he, "abounds with men and horses, and arms sufficient to defend our frontiers, and to chastise the Barbarians.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Presently it brought me to stone uprights, with an unroofed lodge beside them, and coats of arms upon the top.
— from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson - The illustration is of the arms of the Prussian province of Brandenburg.
— from A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies - In the event of a grant following upon the creation of an Irish peerage, the patent of supporters would be issued by Ulster King of Arms.
— from A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies - Men and arms have I enough To attend Cuchulain here!"
— from The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge - The perfection of your arms would add glory to kingly splendour with their touch.
— from The gardener by Rabindranath Tagore - Not so my father taught my childhood arms; Born in a siege, and bred among alarms!
— from The Aeneid by Virgil
