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Literary notes about RIPOSTE (AI summary)

The word riposte is used in literature to evoke both the literal and metaphorical idea of a swift counterattack. In many narratives, it is depicted as a precise reply in the heat of combat—a moment when a parried thrust is met with an immediate, calculated counter, as seen in descriptions of fencing ([1], [2], [3]). At the same time, riposte is frequently employed to symbolize sharp verbal repartee, highlighting a character’s agility in conversation ([4], [5]). Writers also draw parallels between the act of physical combat and witty exchanges, suggesting that, much like a well-timed riposte in battle, a clever verbal response can decisively alter the dynamic of an encounter ([6], [7]).
  1. He put aside the blade with a quick parade, and instead of making a riposte sprang within the other's guard.
    — from Historical Romances: Under the Red Robe, Count Hannibal, A Gentleman of France by Stanley John Weyman
  2. After parrying a swinging butt blow, when a butt strike to the jaw is often the quickest possible riposte.
    — from Military Instructors Manual by J. P. (James Perry) Cole
  3. When Darleton parried and tried the riposte, his thrust was met and turned.
    — from Frank Merriwell's Endurance; or, A Square Shooter by Burt L. Standish
  4. He laughed, and then would come the swift riposte of witty repartee.
    — from The Whistler Book A Monograph of the Life and Position in Art of James McNeill Whistler, Together with a Careful Study of His More Important Works by Sadakichi Hartmann
  5. Defending her currently less-than-optimum diet against my gentle criticism, she threw me a tough riposte.
    — from How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Isabel A. Moser
  6. Never forget that the parry and riposte are twin sisters, [Pg 95] whose lives are so closely bound up in each other, that they cannot exist apart.
    — from Secrets of the Sword by Bazancourt, César Lecat, baron de
  7. Riposte and parry ought to be so closely allied that the riposte may seem to be the second part of the parry.
    — from Secrets of the Sword by Bazancourt, César Lecat, baron de

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