Literary notes about dirk (AI summary)
In literature, the term "dirk" functions on two intertwined levels—as both a tangible weapon and a personal name that carries symbolic weight. It often designates a small dagger that conveys immediate danger or decisive action, as when a character unsheathes it to defend against betrayal or commit violence [1], [2], [3]. At the same time, "Dirk" emerges as a familiar name, notably in the works of W. Somerset Maugham where characters such as Dirk Stroeve illustrate themes of vulnerability, ridicule, and even compassion [4], [5], [6], [7]. Authors also use the word to evoke historical or martial imagery, lending their narratives a flavor of raw determination or impending conflict [8], [9], [10].
- Alan drew a dirk, which he held in his left hand in case they should run in under his sword.
— from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson - I persuaded him to throw the dirk away; and it was as easy as persuading a child to give up some bright fresh new way of killing itself.
— from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - Then I slipped to the poor devil's side, and without a word I drove my dirk into his heart!
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain - I thought that among those surroundings, with their recollections of his boyhood, Dirk Stroeve would forget his unhappiness.
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham - For all his pain, Dirk Stroeve remained a ridiculous object.
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham - Dirk Stroeve, telling the story, had such a look of blank astonishment on his round, foolish face that it was almost impossible not to laugh.
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham - Dirk and I alone followed the hearse to the cemetery.
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham - With so many score of Naples Bravoes, each a dirk in his right-hand, a muff on his left, he would traverse France, and do it.
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle - One solemn mode of swearing was by kissing the dirk, imprecating upon themselves death by that, or a similar weapon, if they broke their vow.
— from The Lady of the Lake by Walter Scott - In undress naval uniform, with a dirk, and holding his cap under his arm, he handed Kutúzov a garrison report and the keys of the town.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy
