literary definitions

Synecdoche

common figure of speech (or trope) by which something is referred to indirectly, either naming only some part or constituent of it.

Synecdoche example

“Hands”in reference to manual labourers

Periphrasis

a round about way of referring to something by means of several words instead of naming it directly in a single word or phrase

periphrasis example

“passed away” instead of died

Anadiplosis

a rhetorical figure of repetition in which a word or phrase appears both at the end of one cleanse, sentence, or stanza and at the beginning of the next, thus linking them.

Anadiplosis example

Glad you came by the wanted.

Let me take you by the hand, hand you another drink, drink it if you can.

Anaphora

a rhetorical figure of repetition where in which the same word or phrase is repeated in (usually the beginning of ) successive lines, clauses , or sentences. found frequently in verse and prose

Anaphora example

Mine—by the right of the White Election

 

Mine—by the Royal Seal!

 

Mine—by the sign ni the scarlet prison

Antistrophe

the repetition of words at the end of consecutive sentences, phrases or paragraphs

Antistrophe example

Government of the people, for the people, by the people

Anacoluthon

a grammatical term for a change of construction in a sentence that leaves the initial construction unfinished

Anacoluthon example

Either you go- but we’ll see

Aposiopesis

a figure of speech by wherein a sentence is deliberately broken off and left unfinished, the ending to be supplied by the imagination, giving an impression of unwillingness or inability to continue

Aposiopesis example

Get out, or else- !

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together in a sentence or verse

Assonance example

His tender heir might bear his memory

Litotes

a figure of speech in which an affirmation is made indirectly by denying its opposite, usually with an effect of understatement.

Litotes example

its not the worse thing i’ve eaten

Zeugma

a figure of speech in which 1 word refers to 2 others in the sentence

Zeugma example

she broke his car and his heart. “she broke” is referring to the other of them

Antithesis

a contrast or opposition either rhetorical or philosophical

Antithesis example

hope for the best; prepare for the worst

Chiasmus

a figure of speech in which the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the following phrase, such that two key concepts from the original phrase reappear in the second phrase in the inverted order

Chiasmus

she has all my love; my heart belongs to her

hyperbaton

a figure of speech by which the normal order of words in a sentence is significantly altered, a very common form of poetic license

Hyperbaton example

how Yoda speaks! hmmmmmm. sweet, she was.

asyndeton

skipping one or more conjunctions ( and, or, if,but, for , nor ,so, yet) which are usually used in a series of phrases

Asyndeton example

after seeing all the evidence, I agree. they disagree

consonance example

Same and home have the same ‘m’ sound, but the vowel sounds before it are different. A long ‘a’ and a long ‘o’

Décima

a stanza formed of 10 lines made up of 8 syllable lines with a pause at the 4th one

Endecha

a quatrain of 5,6,or 7 syllable lines with assonant rhyme in the even-numbered lines

Entremés

a short 1 act play performed between the acts of a full length play

Estribillo

a refrain, usually an introductory stanza repeated totally or partially, following each subsequent stanza

Jácara

am irreverent and ribald ballad

ovillejo

a complicated stanza form consisting mainly of rhymed couplets with shorter lines interspersed among linger ones

Romance

The Spanish ballad. in octosyllabic meter with alternate assonant rhyme; generally narrative in content

seguidilla

a popular 4 line stanza with a mixture of 7 and 5 syllable lines in assonant rhyme

silva

a poem mixing 7 and 11 syllable lines with no set rhyme scheme or stanza length

verso arte menor

8 syllables or less

Advertencia

a foreword, prologue or explanatory note

aprobación

ecclesiastical (belonging to the Catholic church) license to print or to perform

verso arte mayor

a 12 syllable line divide into two hemistich’s

Hemistich

half a line of verse

Auto sacramental

an allegorical or religious play

baile

a poetic form based on a. dance rhythm. a very brief dramatic work

cantiga de estribillo

an ancient Castilian/ galacian-portugese song; a forerunner of the villancico

censura

ecclestical approva; during the time of the inquisition

conceptista

a practitioner or adherent of conceptismo

Conceptismo

a literary style prevalent in 17th century Spain, characterised by its reliance on the conceit on wit on cleverness and word play

copla

a term with various meanings including couplet line, and stanza in plural: Ballard and popular song

Cosante

a Castilian/ Galician-portugese verse form based on a series of couplets in which each new couplet picks up part of the sense of the previous one and adds some new thought

Cosante example

they were forecasting a steady rise in sales

culteranismo

a 17th century Spanish literary style reliant on learned allusion, euphemism, precocity

Eco

a stanza or series of lines in which the end-rhyme of certain lines is repeated, as if by an echo

Endecha real

a quatrain of 3, 7 syllable lines and one 11 syllable line with assonant rhyme in the even numbered lines

ensalada

poem with a mixture of meters and rhyme

Entremés

a short 1 act play performed between the acts of a full length play

epinicio

a triumphal ode honouring a victory

Gaita Gallega

a sprightly Galician rhythm used in Spanish popular verse

glosa

poem performed with an initial statement of a theme and a series of stanzas that expand on the theme and usually repeat one or more lines of text being glossed

Letrilla

a usually light poem generally written in short lines of/with refrain

Lira

a rhymed stanza of 4-6 lines combining lines of 7 and 11 syllables

Loa

a brief theatrical piece played as a prologue to a principle play, often in praise of visiting or newly arrived dignitaries for royal anniversaries

modernismo

Spanish American literary movement beginning in the 1800’s influenced by French symbolists and Parnassians but American in essence. Most famous author Rubén Darío of Nicaragua

Octava real

stanza of 8, 11 syllable lines rhyming ABABABCC used in spanish epic poetry

Pie quebrado

8 syllable verse with one or more lines of each stanza ‘broken’ or shortened, generally to 4 syllables

Romance

the spanish ballad in octosyllabic meter with alternate assonant rhyme; generally narrative in content

sainete

a light hearted one act play

Tocotín

an indian style dance form

Ultarísmo

an avant-garde Hispanic literary movement that flourished briefly after WW1

Villancico

originally a poem in short lines in the manner of the songs sung by peasants; in Sir Juana’s time, one of sequence of lyrics composed to be sung at matins in a religious holiday

Zarzuela

A light musical dramatic performance

consonance

a literary device that occurs when 2 words have the same consonant sound following different vowel sounds