English 210 Part 2

Parole

Focuses on the meanings and uses of words in communication. Emphasizes how culture, social status, and perspective can change the meanings of words because meaning is not static but dependent on context. Focuses on words/phrases within cultural communication rather than the rules or structure of words (langue).

Pentameter

Line with 5 metrical feet

Persona

The “I” of the work, the speaker of the poem who expresses their opinions and perspective.

Plot

Pattern/Sequence of events within a narrative

Poetaster

A unliked or disgraced writer who is considered unworthy of the title of poet due to lack of ability. Trivial or worthless verse is called poetastery.

POV

Perspective from which the story is told, can be 3rd person, 1st person, etc. 3rd person omniscient is when the outside narrator knows all details from all characters. 3rd person limited focuses on one or a few characters. 1st person means only one character is speaking and has no knowledge of the other character’s internal thoughts.

Postcolonial literature

Literature written from countries that were colonized by European powers and are now independent. Mostly countries from Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Caribbean islands though some argue this category should include white

Apology

a formal defense or justification of a belief, idea, or work rather than an expression of regret/remorse.

Archaism

use of outdated or old-fashioned language, style, or expressions. Writers may use it to create a historical feel or to mimic earlier literary traditions.

Archetype

recurring symbol, character type, or theme that appears across different works and cultures.

Baroque

a style of artistic expression characterized by the use of complex forms, and flamboyance, and juxtaposition of contrasting elements. It was prevalent in the 17th century.

Beast Fables

short stories featuring animals that act like humans and convey moral lessons.

Belles-lettres

refers to literary works valued for their aesthetic qualities rather than practical or informational content. It typically includes essays, poetry, and other refined writing.

Bibliography

a list of sources, such as books and articles, used or referenced in a work, and provides publication details.

Bildungsroman

a coming-of-age novel that follows a character’s psychological and moral growth. It usually traces the journey from youth to adulthood.

Black Comedy

a style of humor that treats serious, dark, or taboo subjects in a humorous way in order to showcase the absurdity and cruelty of the modern world.

Bombast

overly inflated, grandiose, or pompous language. It is often used to impress but can come across as exaggerated or insincere.

Rhetorical question

a question that is not meant to be responded to because the answer is apparent. Rather, the question is meant to induce a sense of dramatic effect, coercion, or reflection.

Rising action

a segment in the plot that has built up to lead to the climax.

Rococo

an art style that came about in the middle of the 1700s in France, which features soft, intriguing designs that contrasted the Baroque period before it. It is also known as rocaille, a French word meaning “stone debris,” derived from the Middle French roquailles.

Romance

a literary genre that focuses heavily on the feeling of deep devotion that two characters have for one another.

Salon

an event hosted in a private venue where the arts were discussed to invoke intellectualism. Usually hosted by an influential woman in high society known as a "salonnière", the social event emerged in France and Italy around the 17th and 18th centuries, during the Age of Enlightenment.

Sensibility

a literary term that transpired in the 18th century, where a piece of literature was meant to give an empathetic, emotional response instead of a detached, impassive response from the reader.

Sentimental novel

a novel meant to provoke a cathartic response. Many of these novels feature emotional moments, a sense of sacrifice, and deeply emotional romance.

Short story

A story that utilizes the same devices as a normal literary text, but is more brief and concise to give the maximum impact of the plot in only a few pages.

Solecism

an error that breaks the rules in standard grammar and sentence structure, usually through double negatives and mixed verbs. A literary example is in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Pot-Boiler

A work that is made to earn money by appealing to popularity, rather than focusing on artistic quality even if the maker is typically talented.

Propagandism

Spreading ideas or information that is often biased or misleading to influence peoples opinion especially for political gain.

Prose

An ordinary written or spoken language that does not follow a rhythmic or poetic structure.

Protagonist

The main character in a story or someone who strongly supports a cause.

Psychomachy

An internal struggle within a person's mind or soul or a conflict between a person's moral side and physical desires.

Realism

A style in art, film, or writing that shows things as they really are, with accurate and detailed representation of everyday life.

Restoration

The act of returning someone or something to a former state or power especially when a ruler or government is brought back to power.

Rhetoric

The skill of using language effectively to persuade or influence others, often through techniques like figurative language and strong word choice.

Gothic novel

A genre in which themes of horror, terror, death, and suspense are all combined. There are also elements of 18th century Romanticism. The setting is typically castles and ruined mansions. Overall, it has high emotion and terror.

Grotesque

Something that is distorted or is different from what is usual or expected. It is related to something that is bizarre or out of the ordinary. It could be someone or something that has deformities of some kind. A thing or person that is unpleasant.

Hagiography

A type of biography that typically “idolizes” a saint. It documents a saint’s life and is considered as its own genre. In later use it is literally “the study of saints.” There are elements of admiration and idealization of the saints that are being documented.

Heptameter

A type of verse consisting of 7 metrical feet. This meter was more popular in the 16th and 7th centuries. It was typically used for its song

Hermeneutics

The study, theory, or methodology of interpretation. It is particularly used for written texts, literature, philosophy, or religious scripture. It is an art that seeks to understand the context and meaning behind written works. The word is often linked to the Greek god, Hermes (the messenger god.)

Hero

In literature, this character is the main protagonist of the story. These characters are usually larger than life, have some fatal flaw, and are usually idealized within the story. Sometimes they can have divine power, or be seen as divine. An example is Achillies in the Iliad.

Heteroglossia

This term is coined by Mikhail Bakhtin. It is the coexistence of language varieties such as religion, social, ethnic, or professional, within a literary text. It is “many

Hexameter

A measurement of writing in verse that consists of 6 metrical feet. Most famously used with the metrical foot, dactyl. It was used for ancient Greek or Latin poems because it flowed well with the language. It is used in The Iliad and The Odyssey.

trimeter

a line of poetry consisting of three metrical feet

type

a category or classification of written works that share common characteristics

typography

the art or work of preparing books or online material for printing, especially of designing how text will appear when it is printed

typology

a system of dividing things into different types

univocal

a word or a term that has only one possible meaning

unreliable narrator

a narrator whose credibility is compromised, which makes readers question their narrative

utopia

an imaginary place or state in which everything is perfect

vaudeville

a form of theatre or television entertainment that consists of a series of short performances, such as singing, dancing and funny acts

verisimilitude

the quality of seeming to be true or real

Stream of consciousness

- a type of third-person narration where the text reads as if it's coming from the thoughts of one of the characters without commentary from the narrator.

Sublime

- a style that's meant to excite the senses of the reader beyond their ordinary limits. Oftentimes, it's connected to something frightening or supernatural.

Subtext

- the unsaid or less obvious meaning or message within a literary piece.

Surrealism

- a literary and artistic movement with the goal of creating something that is bizarre, avant-garde, or "surreal" in a way that emphasizes exploring the subconscious mind.

Syllogism

- a type of deductive reasoning where two premises are combined in order to arrive at a conclusion, like (“all birds lay eggs. A swan is a bird. Therefore, a swan lays eggs.”)

Synonym

- a word with a similar meaning as another word

Tetrameter

- a line of poetry with four feet

Third-person narrator

- external narrators that use third-person pronouns. Can either be omniscient or have a limited view.

Transcendentalism

- a movement that emphasized individual intuition and individualism, as well as an innate goodness of humanity. Tied to philosophy and social reform.

Hubris

over-exaggerated pride and self-confidence; tends to appear in Greek plays

Humanism

a philosophy, not apart of a religion or other supernatural beliefs, that have the ability and are responsible for leading ethical lives of personal fulfillment

Hypertext

a link in a text that directs the reader to another text

In Medias Res

(Latin) “into the middle of things.” an epic convention to describe a story starting in the middle of the action

Intentional Fallacy

a literary criticism term used to describe the problems when trying judge a piece of literature by assuming the authors intentions

Interior Monologue

also known as “inner monologue,” a person’s narration of thoughts, often perceived as a voice in their consciousness

Langue

(French) “Language.” a view of language as a system of conventions used for communication within a community

Litany

a prayer consisting of multiple invocations and supplications; could also refer to any sizable series or set

Monometer

A line of verse that contains a single metrical foot.

Naturalism

A movement in the late 19th-century that uses scientific thought and observation to study humans as results of heredity and their environment.

Nemesis

a longstanding or formidable rival; named after the Greek goddess of vengeful justice.

Novel

prose narrative that is long and complex, dealing with the human experience through interconnected events.

Novella

a short story with a compact plot; falls in between a short story and a novel.

Octometer

a line of poetry that consists of eight metrical feet.

Omniscient Narrator

this type of narrator is a voice outside the story and has access to all the characters’ thoughts and feelings.

Palimpsest

a manuscript (typically papyrus) that has been written on, erased, and then reused.

Palindrome

a word or phrase that is the same both forward and backward

Literati

The collective term for educated people, especially those involved in studying, writing, or criticizing literary works.

Logocentrism

A philosophical concept used by Jacques Derrida and others, which refers to the Western tradition of centering discourse on a central, absolute, or transcendent truth.

Machiavel

A stage villain that is seen in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama. It's named after the Florentine Political Theorist Niccolo Machiavelli, whose famous book ‘The Prince’ justified the use of dishonest means to retain state power. Shakesperes Iago and Richard III are the most famous examples of this type.

magic realism

A type of modern fiction, that includes fabulous and fantastical events in the narrative that otherwise keeps the reliable tone of objective realistic report.

Mannerism

A term for self-conscious acts of peculiarities of style, usually elaborate. Seen in literary works of any period. 

Melodrama

A popular form of sensational drama that flourished in the 19th century theater.

Metadrama

Is a drama about drama or any self-conscious moment. It draws attention to its own fictional status as a theatrical pretense, often addressing the audience and they refer to the play itself and acknowledge the dramatics of the situation.

Mimesis

The Greek word for imitation, a central term in aesthetic and literary theory science Aristotle.

Anachronism

Something that is out of its proper time period, disrupting historical or chronological accuracy.

Angst

A deep feeling of inner turmoil, worry, or emotional struggle, often about life or identity.

Antagonist

The character or force that opposes the main character (protagonist) and creates conflict.

Anticlimax

When a story builds up to something significant but resolves in a way that feels underwhelming or disappointing.

Antihero

A main character who lacks traditional heroic qualities and may be morally ambiguous or flawed.

Anxiety of influence

A concept describing the pressure writers feel when shaped by earlier authors, often leading them to struggle to assert originality.

Apocalyptic

Relating to large-scale destruction or the end of the world, often with a sense of revelation or finality.

Apollonian & Dionysian

A contrast between order, logic, and restraint (Apollonian) and chaos, emotion, and instinct (Dionysian).