The following list
contains terms that we have used during the first part of this quarter.
Further definitions can be found in the appendix “Poetic Forms and Literary
Terminology” beginning on page A-37 of the Norton Anthology (or any
glossary of literary terms).
Rhythm and Meter
foot (A-37)—the unit
repeated that gives a steady rhythm to poetry
iamb (iambic foot) (A-37)—unstressed followed by stressed: unite, repeat, insist
trochee (trochaic foot)
(A-37)—stressed followed by unstressed: unit, reaper, instant
anapest (anapestic foot)
(A-38)—two unstressed followed by stressed: intercede, disarranged
dactyl (dactylic foot)
(A-38)—stressed followed by two unstressed: Washington, applejack
spondee (spondaic foot)
(A-38)—two stressed: heartbreak, headline
trimeter (A-38)—a verse
line of three feet
tetrameter (A-38)— a
verse line of four feet
pentameter (A-38)— a
verse line of five feet
hexameter (A-38)— a
verse line of six feet
caesura (A-39)—strong
pause (usually grammatically marked) in a verse line
end-stopped lines (A-39)—verse lines that end with a strong mark of punctuation
enjambment (A-39)—lines
where the sense flows over the ends into the next
Sense and Sound
alliteration (A-40)—beginning with same consonant or consonant sound
assonance (A-40)—repetition of same or similar vowel sounds
consonance (A-40)—repetition of pattern of consonant sounds with varied vowels:
languor/linger, reader/raider
Rhyme and Stanza
masculine rhyme (A-41)—last syllable rhyme
feminine rhyme (A-41)—two syllable rhyme with second syllable unstressed
blank verse (A-41)—unrhymed iambic pentameter
stanza (A-41)—a
recurring unit of a poem
couplet (A-41)—rhymed
successive lines
closed couplet (A-41)—couplet expressing a complete thought (ending with semicolon or
period)
tetrameter couplets (A-42)—rhymed
successive tetrameter lines
ballad stanza (A-42)—alternate tetrameter and trimeter lines usually rhyming abcb
(or abab)
sonnet (A-43)—a poem
consisting of fourteen lines of iambic pentameter
verse paragraphs (A-43)—divisions in long blank verse or irregularly rhymed verse, usually
marked like prose paragraphs (indented first lines)
Figurative Language
simile (A-43)—comparison
marked with specific word of likening, such as “like” or “as”
metaphor (A-43)—comparison that likens one thing to another without a word of
likening
epic simile (A-43)—an
extended simile in which the thing compared is described as an object in its
own right
antithesis (A-44)—the
placement of opposing ideas in parallel grammar
hyperbole (A-44)—willful
exaggeration
paradox (A-44)—a
statement that on the surface seems improbable but which turns out to be
rational, usually in some unexpected sense
personification (A-45)—the attribution of human qualities to an inanimate object or abstract
idea
allegory (A-45)—a
narrative where concepts are represented as persons who act out a plot
classical allusion (A-45)—reference to classical literature or mythology
Terms of Literary Art
Allegory, Symbol, Emblem, Type (A-46-A-47)—Allegory (see above); a literary symbol is the representation of an object or event which has a further range of reference beyond itself; an emblem was a kind of poetry where the text elucidated the meaning of an enigmatic picture; a type was a person or event in the Old Testament which was seen as prefiguring a person or event in the New Testament
Baroque and Mannerist
(A-47)—see discussion in the Norton Anthology.
Catastrophe and Catharsis (A-47)—catastrophe is the conclusion of a play and is usually only applied to tragedy (the related term "denouement" (unraveling) refers to the precipitating events in a comedy or a tragedy (i.e. the events that bring about the conclusion); catharsis is from Aristotle and refers to the process supposedly undergone by the audience of a tragedy, where the play "purges" them of the emotions of pity and fear.
Didactic poetry (A-48) teaches a branch of knowledge and is not a derogatory term
Dramatic irony (A-48) occurs when the audience knows more about the "real" situation than a character on the stage.
Eulogy, Elegy (A-48)—eulogy is a work of praise for either a very distinguished or
recently dead person; an elegy is a formal, usually long, poetic lament for
someone who has died
Fancy, Imagination (A-48)—after Coleridge distinct terms; fancy is the power of combining
several known properties into new combinations; imagination is the faculty of
using such properties to create something entirely new
Folios, Quartos, etc., (A-49) are terms used to specify the size of book pages. A folio page is made by folding a single sheet of paper (usually 14" X 20" or larger) once, giving four printable pages. A quarto page is made by folding a single sheet of paper twice, giving eight printable pages.
Genre, Decorum (A-49)—genre is an established literary form or type, such as the epic, the
sonnet, the Pindaric Ode, a stage comedy, and so on; decorum, in literary
criticism, refers to the principle that there should be fitness between
characters, actions and language
Humors and Temperaments (A-49) are psychological terms used by Renaissance writers. According to the medical knowledge of the time, every person's constitution was made up of four basic humors: the choleric (bile), the sanguine (blood), the phlegmatic (phlegm), and the melancholy (black bile). The temperament, or mixture, of these four humors was held to determine both a person's physical condition and character. When a particular humor predominated in a person's body, then that person's character would be dominated by that humor: choler = anger; sanguine = geniality; phlegm = cold torpor; and melancholy = gloomy self-absorption.
Irony, Sarcasm (A-50)—ways of saying one thing but meaning another; irony implies an
attitude on the part of the speaker quite different from the thoughts being
expressed; sarcasm is a more broad and taunting form using apparent praise to
denigrate
Myth and Legend (A-50)—Myths are hereditary narratives that purport to explain how the world came to be and why it continues in the same way; legends are old and popularly repeated stories.
Pathos, the Sublime,
Bathos (A-51)—pathos refers to scenes or passages designed to evoke the
feelings of pity or sympathetic sorrow from an audience; the sublime refers to
the effect of terror and pleasure produced by contemplation of the vast,
obscure and powerful; bathos is the unintentional descent from high to low
which occurs when an author attempts to be lofty and ends up ridiculous
Poetic diction (A-51)—the distinctive language used by a poet which is not current in the
discourse of an age
Romance (A-52)—medieval romances were verse narratives of adventure, usually involving
quests, and both natural and supernatural trials
Wit, Humor (A-53)—in
their present use, both terms refer to elements in a literary work that are
designed to amuse an audience; through the Eighteenth century, however, wit
had a broad range of meanings, including general intelligence, mental acuity,
ingenuity in literary invention, especially in a brilliant and paradoxical
style