Literary notes about Surrender (AI summary)
The term “surrender” is employed with a remarkable range in literature, functioning both as a literal, strategic act and as a metaphor for emotional or ideological capitulation. On one hand, historical narratives use the word to denote formal military defeat or treaty arrangements—for instance, as seen when opponents submit their arms in battle [1], or when the terms of a royal treaty are defined by a promise of surrender [2]. On the other hand, writers evoke surrender to capture deeper personal or symbolic relinquishments, whether it is the total abandonment of one’s defenses and pride [3] or the moment of yielding to overwhelming passion and vulnerability [4]. This versatility in usage underscores how surrender moves beyond a simple act of yielding, becoming a powerful literary symbol across genres and eras.
- Men can only be taken prisoners if they surrender according to the rules of strategy and tactics, as the Germans did.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - The promise of its surrender was the principal article of the treaty."
— from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I - There are principles at stake that one cannot surrender.
— from The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde - So perhaps whatever beauty of life still remains to me is contained in some moment of surrender, abasement, and humiliation.
— from De Profundis by Oscar Wilde
