LITERATURE
Literature is a term use
to describe written or spoken material. The term is most commonly used to refer
to words of the creative imagination including works of poetry, drama, fiction
and non-fiction. Literature is the art of written works. It is the body of
written works of a language period or culture
NOVEL
A fictional prose
narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot that is unfolded by
the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters. A novel can also be
defined as a long story which tells of the relations or behavior of a number of
people the actions may last for a short time or extend over a period of time
POETRY
Poetry is an imaginative awareness of
experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional
response. It is also a literary
work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and
ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm
DRAMA
A composition in prose or
verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving conflict or
contrast of character, especially one intended to be acted on the stage.
Drama is the specific mode
of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word
"dran" meaning "action"
ESSAY
A short
literary composition on a single subject, usually presenting the personal view
of the author. An essay is a piece
of writing which is often written from an author's personal point
of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary
criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of
daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition of an
essay is vague, overlapping with those of an article
and a short story. Almost all
modern essays are written in prose,
but works in verse have been dubbed
essays.
An
account or recital of an event or a series of events, either true or
fictitious, as: a. An account or report regarding the facts of an event or
group of events.
Story is a tale that is made up for
entertainment or a retelling of something that occurred or a piece of gossip
that is being spread.
PLOT
Plot is a literary term
defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one
another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and cause. A plot structure
is the way in which the story elements are arranged. Writers vary structure
depending on the needs of the story.
THEME
A
theme is the central
idea or ideas explored by a literary work. In contemporary literary studies, a theme
is the central topic, subject, or concept the author is trying to point out,
not to be confused with whatever message, moral, or commentary it may send or be
interpreted as sending regarding said concept.
CHARACTER
A character is a person or animal in a narrative work of art (such as a novel, play, or film) Derived from the ancient Greek word
kharaktêr, the English word dates from the restoration.
CHARACTERIZATION
Characterization or characterization
is the art of creating characters for a narrative, including the process of
conveying information about them.
TONE
Tone is a literary technique that is a part of
composition, which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the
audience implied in a literary work. The tone of a literary work is also the perspective or attitude that the
author adopts with regards to a specific character, place or development.
ACTION
An action
is the sequence of events that follow the climax and end in the resolution. It
is also the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict
has been resolved.
COUNTER-ACTION
to oppose, neutralize, or
mitigate the effects of by contrary action. Or action intended to nullify the
effects of some previous action.
CONFLICT
Conflict is the struggle between the opposing
forces on which the action in a work of literature depends. Conflict is
an inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more
characters or forces. Conflict creates tension and interest in a story by
adding doubt as to the outcome.
RESOLUTION
Resolution is the part of the story's plot line in which the problem of
the story is resolved or worked out. The
outcome of the conflict in a play or story. The resolution concludes the
falling action.
DENOUEMENT
The final resolution of
the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel denouement refers to the
resolution of the complications of a plot in a work of fiction,
generally done in a final chapter or section (often in the epilogue). The denouement
generally follows the climax, except in mystery novels, in which
the denouement and the climax may occur at the same time.
MOOD
The literary definition of
mood refers to the atmosphere that a character is in. It is the atmosphere that
the writer is trying to convey to his or her readers. Mood is the dominant impression or
emotional atmosphere evoked by the text.
IMAGERY
Imagery is an author's use of descriptive and
figurative language to create a picture in the reader's mind. An author uses a word or phrase to stimulate your
memory of those senses. These memories can be positive or negative which will
contribute to the mood of your poem (We'll get to that later!). Be careful what
you write about.
METAPHOR
Metaphor is a figure of
speech in which two unlike things or ideas are compared directly, without the
use of the word "like" or as.
ALLEGORY
Prose or verse in which
the objects, events or people are presented symbolically, so that the story
conveys a meaning other than and deeper than the actual incident or characters
described. Often, the form is used to teach a moral lesson.
SYMBOLISM
Any object, person, place,
or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something
larger than it does, such as a quality, an attitude, a belief, or a value. For
instance, a rose is often a symbol love and beauty while a skull is often a
symbol of death.
SETTING
The time and place of
action in a narrative. In short stories, novels, poetry, and nonfiction,
setting is generally created by description. In drama, setting is usually
established by stage directions and dialogue. Setting can be of great
importance in establishing not only physical background but also mood or
emotional intensity. In turn, the mood contributes to the plot and theme of the
narrative.
LEGEND
Is a narrative of human actions that are perceived
both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess
certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. It’s a Latin word legenda meaning
(things to be read).
FOLKTALES
An account, legend, or
story that is passed along orally from generation to generation. Folk talks are
of unknown authorship.
FOLKLORE
Folklore is a collection
of fictional tales about people and/or animals. The traditional beliefs,
practices, customs, stories, jokes, songs (etc.) of a people, handed down
orally or behaviorally from individual to individual
FOLKSONG
It is used to refer to a
narrative song that uses traditional melodies to speak on a particular topic.
Often, topical folk songs address social and political issues such as work,
war, and popular opinion.
PROVERB
A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete
saying popularly known and repeated, which
expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of
humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic
rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim.
STYLE
Style, to a fiction
writer, is basically the way you write, as opposed to what you write about
(though the two things are definitely linked). It results from things like word
choice, tone, and syntax.
CATHARSIS
Catharsis is a term in dramatic art that describes the effect of tragedy (or comedy and quite possibly other artistic
forms) principally on the audience (although some have speculated on characters
in the drama as well). It is also an emotional relief mostly on a tragedy work
and release of tension from the audience.
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
Is also referred to as
literary technique, is the way a writer uses tools and techniques in their
literary works to develop the story.
ALLITERATION
The repetition of the
initial letter or sound in two or more closely associated words or stressed
syllables. Alliteration is not restricted to poetry. A pattern of sound that
includes the repetition of consonant sounds. The repetition can be located at
the beginning of successive words or inside the words. Poets often use
alliteration to audibly represent the action that is taking place
RHYME
The repetition of sounds
in two or more words or phrases that usually appear close to each other in a
poem. For example: river/shiver, song/long, leap/deep. If the rhyme occurs at
the ends of lines, it is called end rhyme.
RHYTHM
The arrangement of
stressed an unstressed syllables into a pattern. Rhythm is most apparent in
poetry, though it is part of all good writing.
GENRES
Category or class of
artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, style, or content. Some
current genres are the novel, short story, essay, epic, tragedy, comedy,
satire, and lyric.
ANTAGONIST
A character in a story or
poem who deceives, frustrates, or works again the main character, or protagonist, in some way.
The antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. It could be death, the
devil, an illness, or any challenge that prevents the main character from
living “happily ever after." In fact, the antagonist could be a character
of virtue in a literary work where the protagonist represents evil
PROTAGONIST
A protagonist is
considered to be the main character or lead figure in
a novel, play, story, or poem. It may also be referred to as the
"hero" of a work. Over a period of time the meaning of the term
protagonist has changed. The word protagonist originated in ancient Greek drama
and referred to the leader of a chorus. Soon the definition was changed to
represent the first actor onstage.
ARTHETYPE
The original model or
pattern from which copies are made or from which something develops. It is also
a symbol, theme, setting, or character that is thought to have some universal
meaning and recurs in different times and places in myth, literature, folklore,
dreams, and rituals. The term is from the Greek archetupon, meaning “pattern”
or “model.”
STYROTYPE
An author's method of
treating a character so that the character is immediately identified with a
group. A character may be associated with a group through accent, food choices,
style of dress, or any readily identifiable group characteristic.
POINT OF VIEW
Is a way the events of a
story are conveyed to the reader, it is the “vantage point” from which the narrative is passed from
author to the reader. The point of view can vary from work to work. The vantage point from which a narrative is
told.
AUTHOR
An author is
broadly defined as "the person who originated or gave existence to
anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility for what was
created, A writer of a book, article, or report.
AUTHORIAL VOICE
The voices or speakers
used by authors when they seemingly speak for themselves in a book. The use of
this term makes it clear in critical discussion that the narration or
presentation of a story is not necessarily to be identified with the
biographical and historical author
INCIDENCE
. It can also be define as
an occurrence or event that took place in a literary work like play or drama. A
distinct piece of action, or an episode, as in a story or play
EPIC
A long narrative poem that
relates the deeds of a hero. Epics incorporate myth, legend, folk tale, and
history, and usually reflect the values of the society from which they
originate.
DIRGE
A dirge is a somber song or lament expressing mourning
or grief,
such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral.
The word is also commonly used to describe singing in an un-tuneful manner
CRITICISM
Criticism is the study,
evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary
criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is
the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals. Though the two
activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always
been, theorists.
CRITIC
A person who expresses an
unfavorable opinion of something. Is a person that criticizes something
CRITIQUE
Is the study, evaluation,
and interpretation of literature
LITERARY CRITIC
A person who expresses an
unfavorable opinion of literary works or someone that criticizes literary
work
POET
A person that writes a
poem it is under the branch of literature called poetry
NOVELIST
A person that writes a
novel or a prose
PLAYWRIGHT
A person that writes a
play or drama
IDIOM
An idiom is an expression
that means something other than the literal meanings of its individual words. A
speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself
grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its
elements
SIMILIE
a simile is a type of figurative
language, language that does not mean exactly what it says, that
makes a comparison between two otherwise unalike objects or ideas by connecting
them with the words "like" or "as."
IRONY
a literary term referring
to how a person, situation, statement, or circumstance is not as it would
actually seem. Many times it is the exact opposite of what it appears to be.
There are many types of irony, the three most common being verbal irony,
dramatic irony, and cosmic irony.
PERSONIFICATION
A figure of speech where
animals, ideas or inorganic objects are given human characteristics. Or when
human attribute are given to animal or inanimate. E.g. the sun is laughing
HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is a figure of
speech that is a grossly exaggerated description or statement. In literature,
such exaggeration is used for emphasis or vivid descriptions. In drama,
hyperbole is quite common, especially in heroic drama
LITOTES
is a figure of speech
in which understatement is employed for rhetorical effect
For example, rather than saying that something is attractive (or even very
attractive), one might merely say it is "not unattractive".
PARADOX
The paradox is an
anomalous juxtaposition of incongruous ideas for the sake of striking
exposition or unexpected insight. It functions as a method of literary
composition - and analysis - which involves examining apparently contradictory
statements and drawing conclusions either to reconcile them or to explain their
presence
SARCASM
Sarcasm is "a sharp,
bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter gibe or taunt usually conveyed through irony or understatement [The word
comes from the Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmos) which is taken from the word
σαρκάζειν meaning "to tear flesh, gnash the teeth, speak bitterly. A mocking, often ironic or satirical remark, usually intended to wound
as well as amuse.
ODE
A lyrical verse in praise
of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or
serves as an inspiration. It is a poem of praise
DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE
literary device that is
used when a character
reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings, those that are hidden
throughout the course of the story line, through a poem or a speech. This speech,
where only one character speaks, is recited while other characters are present
onstage. This monologue often comes during a climactic moment in a work and
often reveals hidden truths about a character, their history and their
relationship
DRAMATIC IRONY
This type of irony is the
device of giving the spectator an item of information that at least one of the
characters in the narrative is unaware of (at least consciously), thus placing
the spectator a step ahead of at least one of the characters. Dramatic irony
has three stages—installation, exploitation, and resolution (often also called
preparation, suspension, and resolution.
SOLILOQUY
is a device often used in
drama when a character speaks to himself or herself, relating thoughts and
feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience. It is a Latin word
meaning talking by oneself.
POETIC DICTION
It is the term used to refer to the linguistic
style, the vocabulary, and the metaphors used in the
writing of poetry.
POETIC JUSTICE
Is a literary outcome in
which bad characters are punished and good characters are rewarded. Or The fact
of experiencing a fitting or deserved retribution for one's actions.
POETIC LICENCE
The liberty taken by an artist or a writer in
deviating from conventional form or fact to achieve a desired effect, or liberty taken by a poet, prose writer, or other artist in deviating from
rule, conventional form, logic, or fact, in order to produce a desired effect.
FARCE
a farce is a comedy that aims at entertaining the audience
by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal
humor of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed
usually increases, culminating in an ending which often involves an elaborate
chase scene
COMIC RELIEF
Comic relief usually means
a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episode
interposed in the midst of serious or tragic elements in a drama. Comic relief
often takes the form of a bumbling,
wisecracking
sidekick of the hero or villain in a work of fiction.
METRE
is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. The study
of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody
ASIDE
An aside is a dramatic
device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the
audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other
characters on stage. An aside is, by convention, a true statement of a
character's thought; a character may be mistaken in an aside, but may not be
dishonest.
EPILOGUE
An epilogue or epilog is a
piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to
bring closure to the work. It is presented from the perspective of within the
story;
PROLOGUE
is an opening to a story
that establishes the setting and gives background details of the book.
DIALOGUE
The conversation between characters in a drama or narrative. Or it is known as the process of
communication between characters in a literary works
SATIRE
Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which
vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with
the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement.[1]
Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often
constructive social
criticism, using wit as a
weapon.
NARRATOR
Is a personal or
impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator
is also a character
within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the first person or
first-person narrator. The narrator is constructed by the author and may be presented as distinct from,
or the same as, the author, depending upon the author's construction. The
narrator is one of three entities responsible for story-telling of any kind.
The others are the author and the audience (the latter called
the "reader" when referring specifically to literature)
RHETORIC
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims
to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade,
or motivate particular audiences in specific situations
CAST
To be assign a part in a
play, movie, or other production to act
COSTUME
A distinctive forms of
clothing, including official or ceremonial attire such as ecclesiastical vestments, coronation
robes, academic gowns, armor, and theatrical dress.
MASK
A covering for all or part
of the face, worn to conceal one's identity.
PERFORMANCE ART
Performance art is a performance presented to an
audience, traditionally interdisciplinary.
Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully
orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without
audience participation
RITUAL
A religious or solemn
ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed
order.
SCENE
It is the
place where some action or event occurs in literary works mostly drama or play.
HERO
In literature, a hero is
courageous. A hero, or protagonist, is the principal character of a story, who
may be known for special achievements. The hero may risk or sacrifice his or
her life for the greater good. A hero is usually recognized in a work of
literature as someone with great courage and strength
HEROINE
The principal female
character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation or a woman noted for
courage and daring action
ANTICISM
is a counter-proposition and denotes a
direct contrast
to the original proposition. In setting the opposite, an individual brings out
a contrast in the meaning
EUPHEMISM
A mild or indirect word or
expression for one too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or
embarrassing. Or an act of putting a serious situation in a mild way.
EXCLAMATION
Often spoken with extra
force or emphasis E.g. Hoe wonderful
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often spoken with extra force or emphasis: How wonderful!
CLIMAX
meaning turning point of
a narrative work is its
point of highest tension or drama or when the action starts in which the
solution is given
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