Literary Terms #2

Novel: A lengthy fictional narrative that explores human experiences through a connected sequence of events and characters.

Novella: A shorter fictional work, longer than a short story but shorter than a novel, typically focusing on a single incident or character.

Octometer: A poetic meter consisting of eight metrical feet per line.

Omniscient narrator: A narrative voice that possesses complete knowledge of all characters, events, and settings within a story.

Palimpsest: Originally, a manuscript page that has been scraped clean for reuse, but still bears traces of the original writing; metaphorically, it refers to something that has been altered but still shows evidence of its earlier form.

Palindrome: A word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward, such as 'madam' or 'racecar'.

Parole: In linguistics, refers to the concrete use of language in everyday speech by individuals, as opposed to 'langue', which is the abstract system of language.

Pentameter: A line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.

Persona: The voice or character adopted by an author in a literary work, distinct from the author's own personality.

Marxist Criticism: A critical approach that interprets literature based on the socio-economic theories of Karl Marx, focusing on class struggle, materialism, and the ways in which literature reflects, reinforces, or challenges societal power structures.

Narrative Theory: The study of narrative structures and how they affect our perception and interpretation of stories, encompassing the analysis of narrative techniques, genres, and the role of the narrator.

Bowdlerize – To censor or remove material from a text that is considered improper or offensive, typically in a way that distorts its meaning or impact.

Climax – The peak of tension or conflict in a narrative, typically the point at which the plot turns.

Deus Ex Machina – A plot device whereby an unexpected power or event resolves what seems to be an unsolvable issue, typically considered to be an artificial or contrived ending.

Denouement – The final tying up of the conflicts of a narrative, after the climax and bringing closure to the story.

Dialectic – A mode of argument that is the interchange of opposing ideas to arrive at a higher truth or synthesis.

Dialogue – A conversation between characters in a piece of literature that advances the plot, reveals character, or conveys a theme.

Didactic – A style of composition intended to instruct or impart moral, philosophical, or practical guidance.

Digression – A brief departure from the main topic or storyline, traditionally taken in order to provide background or thematic enrichment.

Dimeter – A poetry line of verse consisting of two metrical feet.

Deconstruction – A critical practice that attempts to subvert the usual assumptions made about language, meaning, and structure in a text, and usually finds contradictions and complexities.

Ethnic Studies A multidisciplinary academic field of study that examines the histories, cultures, and experiences of suppressed racial and ethnic groups, often focusing on matters of identity, power, and resistance.

Magic Realism: A kind of modern fiction in which fabulous and fantastical events are included in a narrative that otherwise maintains the ‘reliable’ tone of objective realistic report  

Mannerism: A vague term for the self-conscious cultivation of peculiarities in style– usually elaborate, ingenious, and ornate– in literary works of any period

Melodrama: A popular form of sensational drama that flourished in the 19th-century theatre, surviving in different forms in modern cinema and television. The term, meaning ‘song-drama’ in Greek, was originally applied in the European theatre to scenes of mime or spoken dialogue accompanied by music

Metadrama: Drama about drama, or any moment of self-consciousness by which a play draws attention to its own fictional status as a theatrical pretense

Mimesis: The Greek word for imitation, a central term in aesthetic and literary theory since Aristotle 

Monometer: A verse line consisting of only one foot

Naturalism: A more deliberate kind of realism in novels, stories, and plays, usually involving a view of human beings as passive victims of natural forces and social environment

Nemesis: Retribution or punishment for wrongdoing; or the agent carrying out such punishment, often personified as Nemesis, a minor Greek goddess responsible for executing the vengeance of the gods against erring humans

Neoclassicism: The literary principle according to which the writing and criticism of poetry and drama were to be guided by rules and precedents derived from the best ancient Greek and Roman authors 

Lacaninan Criticism: analyzes literature and culture by focusing on the unconscious, language, and the symbolic order, exploring how these elements shape our understanding of identity, desire, and the human psyche 

Pot-boiler- a derogatory term for a work written solely or mainly to earn money

Propagandism- works written to serve the purpose of propaganda, which is to persuade people to support a particular religious or political cause

Prose- the form of written language that is not organized according to the formal patterns of verse

Protagonist- the chief character in a play or story opposed by the antagonist

Psychomancy- a battle for the soul, describes a battle between vice and virtue

Realism- a mode of writing that gives the impression of reflecting or recording faithfully an actual way of life

Restoration- the literary period that follows after the English Civil War, after the exile of King Charles the second

Rhetoric- the deliberate exploitation of eloquence for the most persuasive effect in public speaking or writing

Rhetorical question- A question asked for the sake or persuasive effect rather than a genuine request for information, implication of the answer being too obvious to answer

Postcolonial criticism- considers vexed culture-political questions of national and ethnic identity, otherness, race, imperialism and language, during and after the colonial periods. It draws upon post-structuralist such as those of deconstruction in order to unravel the complex relations between colonial centre and colonial periphery, often in ways that have been criticized for being excessively abstruse. 

Poststructuralism- reacts against structuralist pretensions to scientific objectivity and comprehensiveness. Thoughts emphasize the instability of meanings and of intellectual categories and sought to undermine any theoretical system that claimed to have universal validity. They set out to dissolve the fixed binary oppositions of structuralist thought that between language and metalanguage-and thus between literary and criticism. These thinkers disregard certainties. 

Surrealism: An anti-rational movement in the 1920s and 1930s that explores the meaning and exceeds the limits of reality through European art and literature.   

syllogism: A type of logical argument that contains deductive logic from two propositions or 'premises' to try to draw a conclusion. 

synonym: A word that has similar meaning to another word and can substitute for certain contexts. 

tetrameter: A verse line of four metrical feet.

third-person narrator: The most common type of narrative where the narrator is not a character within the story, but stands "outside" the story. 

Transcendentalism: A mid-19th century idealist philosophical movement led by Ralph Waldo who emphasized natural phenomena as symbols and spiritual truths. 

trimeter: A verse line of three metrical feet. 

type: A fictional character who represents an some sort of class or group.

Reader-Response Criticism: A literary theory that focuses on the responses of the reader to its literary work rather than the work itself. It gives the reader more of an active role within the text. Therefore, it relies on the reader's response to what they interpret as the meaning of the text.

Grotesque - characterized by bizarre distortions; freakish caricatures of people’s appearances and behaviors

Hagiography - writing devoted to recording and glorifying the lives of saints and martyrs; a form of Christian propaganda 

Heptameter - a line of verse composed of seven feet; a seven-stress line 

Hermeneutics - theory of interpretation, concerned with general problems of understanding the meaning of a text

Hero - main character in a narrative or dramatic work; the protagonist 

Heteroglossia - conflicting discourses within any field of linguistic activity, like a national language, novel, or conversation 

Hexameter - a line of verse of six feet; a six-stress line

Hubris - a Greek word meaning overweening pride; overconfidence 

Humanism - values and ideals of the Renaissance period, where there was an emphasis on human agency and capabilities 

Historical Criticism - analyzes a text by the historical context of when it was written, the context of the author’s life, and the cultural/social norms of the period. 

Hypertext - a genre of electronic literature characterized by the use of hypertext links that provide a new context for non-linearity in literature and reader interaction. 

In Medias Res - a literary technique that refers to the practice of beginning an epic or other narrative by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of events. Latin for "in the midst of things." 

Intentional Fallacy - describes the problem inherent in trying to judge a work of art by assuming the intent or purpose of the artist who created it. 

Interior Monologue - a narrative technique used to display a character's thoughts to the reader. 

Langue - denotes a system of internalized, shared rules governing a national language's vocabulary, grammar, and sound system. 

Litany - a poem that involves repeated phrases and sections. 

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

Logocentrism - a philosophical and literary concept that prioritizes the spoken word and written language as the primary means of understanding meaning, often placing a central focus on single, definitive interpretation. 

Machiavel - a type of stage villain found in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, named after the Florentine political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. 

Jungian (Myth) Criticism - a type of literary criticism based on the theories of Carl Jung, a psychiatrist who developed his own theory of analytical psychology. Jungian criticism focuses on the analysis of archetypes in literature and mythology, which are shared images that express the universal unconscious. It also explores the goal of individuation, which is the integration of the unconscious and conscious mind. 

Typography The art/technique deciding type to make written language legible and visually appealing. The arrangement of printed words on the page

Typology A system of interpretation applied by early Christian theologians to the Hebrew scriptures. A study of or analysis of classification based on types or categories.

Univocal Having only one mean; unmistakable in sense.

Unreliable Narrator A narrator whose perspective appears to be false or biased.

Utopia An imagined form of ideal or superior human society.

Vaudeville Popular variety show in the late 19th and early 20th Featured a mix of specialty acts such as burlesque, comedy, song, and dance.

Verisimilitude The appearance of being true or real in literary works.

Structuralism A movement of thought in the humanities, widespread in anthropology, linguistics, and literary theory, and influential in the 1950s and ’60s. Primarily considers language as a system of signs and signification, the elements of which are understandable only in relation to each other and to the system. This examines the underlying systems and structures within a text, rather than focusing on individual meanings or the author’s intent.

Anachronism – a thing belonging to a time other than the one it exists in

Angst – an unfocused feeling of anxiety or dread, usually about the human experience

Antagonist – a character or force that opposes the protagonist

Anticlimax – a disappointing conclusion to an exciting series of events

Antihero – a central character in a story who lacks traditional heroic characteristics

Anxiety of influence – term coined be Harold Bloom concerning writers’ psychological struggle with drawing inspiration from predecessors, while also creating something original and surpassing past works

Apocalyptic – describing or prophesying the destruction of the world

Apollonian & Dionysian – Related to Nietzsche, describes the opposing and complimentary forces of human nature and art. Apollonian is associated with reason, order, beauty, and form, while Dionysian is associated with passion, chaos, ecstasy, and the power of nature.

Apology – a written defense or justification of a person’s actions, beliefs, or existence, often written with great formality.

African American Studies – an interdisciplinary academic field that explores the history, culture, and experiences of African Americans and people of African descent, often analyzing social, political, and economic structures critically.

Biographical Criticism – a method of critical analysis that examines the relationship between an author’s works and their life experiences.

Dystopia: the opposite of utopia; an extremely unpleasant imaginary world, usually taking place in the future

Epiphany: originally used in Christian theology to describe a manifestation of God's presence in the world, but redefined by James Joyce as a secular revelation; a sudden spiritual manifestation where the 'whatness' of an object/gesture appears radiant

Episodic: a narrative constructed by a succession of loosely connected incidents rather than a defined plot; often each "episode" is only linked by the presence of one central character

Epistle: a letter; as a literary form it is a verse epistle, a poem in the form of a letter to a friend in a conversational style often containing a moral or philosophical subject

Epistolary Novel: a novel written in the form of a series of letters exchanged between characters in the story with journal entries sometimes included; often seen in 18th century French and English novels

Essay: a short work written in prose that proposes an argument or discusses a subject without claiming to be a thorough commentary; more relaxed than a formal dissertation

Exegesis: the interpretation or explanation of a text; originally applied to the analysis of religious scriptures, but now applies to poems or prose

Exposition: the presentation of a systematic explanation of or argument about a particular subject; or the opening of a play or story which introduces the characters and plot, usually by referencing previous events

Feminist Criticism: Beginning in the 1920s with Virginia Woolf, it is a mode of literary and cultural discussion inspired by modern feminist thought. Since the 1970s, it has developed as an arena of debate about the relationship between literature and the cultural subordination of women as writers, readers, or characters within the patriarchy. In the late 1970s, attention was redirected from the "sins" of male authors and towards the virtues of women's writings instead. Since the 1980s, works of this criticism have come under scrutiny for their exclusion of ethnic or sexual minorities, causing it to become much more focused on intersectionality.

Romanticism -  late 18th century to mid 19th century literary period characterized by its emphasis on the individual, the irrational, the subjective, and the emotional. Often a rejection of Enlightenment ideals and the concepts of order, calmness, and unity.

Salon - a gathering of people who meet to discuss topics

Sensibility - the ability to respond to the emotional level of a work of literature rather than analyzing logically

Sentimental Novel - a novel that relies on the emotional response of both the characters and the readers of the novel

Short Story - a short work of prose fiction (can be read in 2 hours or less) 

Solecism - a group of words in a sentence that are not grammatically correct, a blunder of speech

Stream of Consciousness - a type of third person narration where the narrator takes the role of the character and showcases the character’s thinking process without exterior intervention from the narrator

Sublime, the - the feeling of awe/grandeur that follows and authors use of language and imagery that exceeds the original limits of a person’s (usually a character’s) capabilities

Subtext - the meaning of a text that is not stated explicitly

Psychoanalytic Criticism - the style of criticism that applies psychoanalytic theories to the analysis of literature. However, this style of analysis does not focus on the text as much as it does on the author (or, occasionally, the reader.) It seeks to explore and explain some of the unfulfilled desires of a person that can be seen through descriptive symbolism with an emphasis on emotional logic over rational logic. It is a theory of the mind.

Queer Theory - the style of criticism that interprets the text regardless of the sex or intention of the author. It seeks to remove the stigma surrounding discussions of gender, sex, and sexuality. Theorists of queer theory argue that gender and sexuality are malleable and do not fit into a strict binary or system in general. This style of criticism also often parallels feminist theory. It questions themes of equality and difference and seeks to understand questions of difference and to look for the subtle things in literature that a reader can pick up on regarding the emotional relationships between characters regardless of the author’s original intent.

plot - the sequence of events that make up a story, consisting of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

poetaster - a poet of inferior talent

point of view - the narrative from which a story is told, can be told from a first-person perspective or a third-person perspective that is sometimes omniscient, meaning wide range of knowledge is known of the story (for example, a character’s inner thoughts or feelings) from the narrative perspective  

postcolonial literature - writing from or about formerly colonized countries that explores the lasting effects of colonialism on identity, culture, and power; often challenges imperial narratives and gives voice to marginalized perspectives.

Postmodernism - a period marked by the rejection of conventional storytelling, favoring fragmented structures, unreliable narrators, and metafictional techniques

pot-boiler - an insulting term used to describe a piece of work that was written only/mostly for monetary purposes

propagandism - the spreading of ideas, information, or rumors that are often biased or misleading with the intent of promoting a particular ideology or political cause 

prose - written language in its regular form without structured meter or rhyme that is found in poetry 

New Criticism - An approach to literary analysis that emphasizes close reading and examines the text as independent of the intentions of the author, historical background, or response from the reader. It focuses on elements such as imagery, symbolism, structure, and paradox to reveal meaning. It argues that the value of a work lies in its coherence and complexity. This approach helped shape modern literary studies by encouraging objective and detailed textual analysis. 

New Historicism - A literary theory that emphasizes the relationship between a work of literature and the historical period/context in which it was produced. It views literary works as not isolated works but instead products of their time. It argues that a piece is shaped by the social, political, and ideological forces that surrounded them. The theories of Michel Foucault are drawn on, especially his ideas about power and knowledge.

Expurgate To remove a passage from a text that could be seen as sensitive.

Extempore A kind of poetry that includes spur of the moment pieces and involves extemporization.

Archaism - The use of writing that is considered outdated or old-fashioned.

Archetype - Symbol, plot, or character type that appears in numerous stories.

Baroque - Writing style with extravagant, bizarre, and heavily ornamented writing.

Beast Fable - Writing where animals talk and behave like humans.

Belles-Lettres - Writing made for aesthetic effect.

Bibliography - List of books and sources referred to in scholarly work.

Bildungsroman - Writing that depicts and explores the developments of the protagonist.

Black Comedy - Work that deals with tragic or distressing topics in a humorous way/

Bombast - Exaggerated language used to impress people.

Cultural Studies - Examines a wide range of topics, including music, art, and film, as well as social, political, and economic issues.  It focuses on their contexts socially, as well as how they have been seen and handled throughout history.

Rising action—the first part of the narrative that establishes, develops, and intensifies the central struggle. It's the sequence of events on the left-hand side of Freytag’s pyramid as the story rises toward the climax.

Rococo—is an 18th century style of architecture and interior design that is highly ornate and playful. It was thought of by neo-classical critics as just “pretty,” as lacking any intellectual heft. When applied to literature, it’s not all that specific, usually meaning cheerful lightness, intimacy of tone, and elegant playfulness.

Romance—a verse or prose story about improbable adventures of idealized characters in a remote or enchanted setting. Certain modern literary genres—for example, science fiction and certain detective stories—are sometimes considered variants of romance.