Literary notes about Pledge (AI summary)
The word "pledge" carries a rich and multifaceted significance in literature, serving both as an emblem of personal honor and as a symbol of tangible security. Authors often use it to denote a solemn promise, as when a character declares a deep yearning for a noble pledge [1] or vows unwavering loyalty even in the face of great peril [2]. At other times, it takes on a more practical tone, appearing in legal or financial contexts where it represents collateral, such as a ring or a cherished possession given as assurance [3][4]. Moreover, the term frequently transcends its immediate literal meaning and is employed metaphorically to embody commitment to higher ideals, moral fortitude, or even the stability of society [5][6].
- My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - and I shall try the matter, or ever thou be given to him; yea, we shall behold which may prevail against the other; and hereto I pledge my life.
— from The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga); with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda - First of all, she went to a pawnshop to pledge her turquoise ring, her only jewellery.
— from The Bet, and other stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - He woke me, and I gave him the ring which he went to pledge immediately.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - The Bulgarians were malicious enough to pray for the long life of Isaac Angelus, the surest pledge of their freedom and prosperity.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Then said he: "How can I trust the promise when thou keepest the pledge in thine own hands, and dost not deposit the gift in the charge of another?
— from The Danish History, Books I-IX by Grammaticus Saxo
