Catharsis,  meaning “cleansing” in Greek, refers to a literary theory first developed by the philosopher Aristotle, who believed that cleansing our emotions was the purpose of a good story, especially a tragedy. Aphorismus is often written as a rhetorical question such as “How can you call this music?”to show the difference between the usual meaning of a word and how it is  being used. When employed properly, the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work. For example: wailing in the winter wind. Allegory. As an adjective applied to writing or literary works, abstract refers to words or phrases that name things not knowable through the five senses. 45+ Literary Devices and Terms That Everyone Should Know Whether you're a writer, reader, student, or all of the above, it's important to know how literary devices work. Etymology investigates and documents the lives (mainly the origins) of words. repetition of a root word in a variety of ways. Also, adventures usually includes dangerous situations, narrow escapes, problems to be solved through intelligence and skill, exotic people and places, and brave deeds. Glossary of Literary Terms Not only do literary terms give greater relevance to words and their meanings, but also add to the beauty of a language. Mnemonic devices include special rhymes and poems, acronyms, images, songs, outlines, and other tools. A Glossary of Literary Terms, now in its 8th edition, is written in a lucid style, and is a must buy for anyone who wants to expand their literary horizons. Start studying Glossary of Literary Terms. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ad hominem is Latin for “against the man,” and refers to the logical fallacy (error) of arguing that someone is incorrect because they are unattractive, immoral, weird, or any other bad thing you could say about them as a person. A Glossary of Literary Terms. A tale in prose or verse in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. Folklore refers to the tales people tell – folk stories, fairy tales, “tall tales,” and even urban legends. Prose is just non-verse writing. Whereas many poems end lines with the natural pause at the end of a phrase or with punctuation as end-stopped lines, enjambment ends a line in the middle of a phrase, allowing it to continue onto the next line as an enjambed line. A perfect society in which everything works and everyone is happy – or at least is supposed to be. In the loose definition, an ode is any work of art or literature that expresses high praise. An epitaph is a short statement about a deceased person, often carved on his/her tombstone. In literature, a fable (pronounced fey-buh l) is a short fictional story that has a moral or teaches a lesson. A sonnet is a fourteen line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme. A metaphor is a common figure of speech that makes a comparison by directly relating one thing to another unrelated thing (though these things may share some similarities). A villain is the bad guy, the one who comes up with diabolical plots to somehow cause harm or ruin. Amplification involves extending a sentence or phrase in order to further explain, emphasize, or exaggerate certain points of a definition, description, or argument. When employed properly, the different literary devices help readers to appreciate, interpret and analyze a literary work. Glossary of Poetic Terms By Nasrullah Mambrol on September 20, 2020 • ( 0). Peripeteia is also known as the turning point, the place in which the tragic protagonist’s fortune changes from good to bad. a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked to make a point rather than to elicit an answer. Cacophony is considered the opposite of euphony which is the use of beautiful, melodious-sounding words. Often, a series of words can have the same basic definitions, but completely different connotations—these are the emotions or meanings implied by a word, phrase, or thing. This repetition creates a rhythm while emphasizing the repeated phrase. Glossary of Literary Terms. Bathos is text that abruptly turns from serious and poetic, to regular and silly. Accordingly, the term comes from the Medieval Latin questa, meaning “search” or “inquiry.”, A rebus is a code or reference where pictures, letters, or symbols represent certain words or phrases. Aphorismus is a term in which the speaker questions whether a word is being used correctly to show disagreement. The dialogue form is the use of a sustained dialogue to express an argument or idea. A cliché is a saying, image, or idea which has been used so much that it sounds terribly uncreative. Surrealism is a literary and artistic movement in which the goal is to create something bizarre and disjointed, but still somehow understandable. Kairos in Ancient Greek meant “time” – but it wasn’t just any time. When you give credit to the original author (by giving the person’s name, name of the article, and where it was posted or printed), you are citing the source. Exemplum is just Latin for “example.” And that’s all it is. An apologue is a short story or fable which provides a simple moral lesson. Genres allow literary critics and students to classify compositions within the larger canon of literature. A dystopia is a horrible place where everything has gone wrong. This is a reprint from The Essentials of Literature in English Post-1914. Whereas utopia means a perfect paradise, dystopia means exactly the opposite. Consonance is when the same consonant sound appears repeatedly in a line or sentence, creating a rhythmic effect. An archaism is an old word or expression that is no longer used with its original meaning or is only used in specific studies or areas. Browse this list of poetic terms, including literary devices, poetic forms and techniques, and schools and movements. Tautology is defining or explaining something by saying exactly the same thing again in different words. A synopsis is a brief summary that gives audiences an idea of what a composition is about. Essays may be written in first-person point of view (I, ours, mine), but third-person (people, he, she) is preferable in most academic essays. ALLEGORY. A Glossary of Literary Terms 10th Edition By M. H. Abrams & Geoffrey Galt Harpham. The next time I read this, it shall be for the purpose of looking up a term or reference, as a dictionary ought to be used. A parable is a short story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Tone refers to the “feel” of a piece of writing. The term lingo is relatively vague—it can mean any type of nonstandard language, and varies between professions, age groups, sexes, nationalities, ethnicities, location, and so on. Many literary critics are of the opinion that archetypes, which have a common and recurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literary work. Very, very useful as a glossary of literary terms, as the book is named. its literal meaning. A Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples. An apologia is a defense of one’s conduct or opinions. Abrams, Geoffrey Harpham. Style is the way in which an author writes and/or tells a story. Antonomasia can range from lighthearted nicknames to epic names. School and be schooled. 5 stars. A Glossary of Literary Terms Robert Harris Version Date: February 25, 2012 October 11, 2008 To find a particular term, use your browser's Find command. The word “cliche” was originally French for the sound of a printing plate, which prints the same thing over and over. Recommended. The term can be used as a noun or an adjective. This usually involves some kind of deception or miscommunication. Abrams, Geoffrey Harpham. Hyperbaton is a figure of speech in which the typical, natural order of words is changed as certain words are moved out of order. It may also include the environment of the story, which can be made up of the physical location, climate, weather, or social and cultural surroundings. This webpage is for Dr. Wheeler's literature students, and it offers introductory survey information concerning the literature of classical China, classical Rome, classical Greece, the Bible as Literature, medieval literature, Renaissance literature, and genre studies. Metonymy A form of metaphor in which a phrase is understood to represent something more; for example, to use the phrase “sabre rattling” to mean “threatening war.”. Glossary of Literary Terms. The key here is that folklore has no author – it just emerges from the culture and is carried forward by constant retelling. It’s an extremely important quality of formal writing. Protagonist is just another word for “main character.” The story circles around this character’s experiences, and the audience is invited to see the world from his or her perspective. The Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. AMAZING GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS + EXAMPLES. They sometimes impersonate a main character or cause confusion among the love interests. The majority of Germanic poetry (including Old English) is of this type. An Epithet is a glorified nickname. Match. A monologue is a speech given by a single character in a story. In the strictest academic terms, a romance is a narrative genre in literature that involves a mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual a story line where the focus is on a quest that involves bravery and strong values, not a love interest. Setting is the time and place (or when and where) of the story. In a story, the antagonist is the opposite of the protagonist, or main character. The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time. Or message in a narrative ’ s roughly synonymous with “ a saying. ” Aphorisms often use metaphors glossary of literary terms. Sounds for a harsher, blunter way of saying something uncomfortable phrasing in any dramatic or literary work name... 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