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A Glossary of Important Literary Terms

Tlris gloss,r ry prcsents brief definitions of terms that appear in boldface throughout tht'brxrl.. l'.rgt' rcferences indicate where readers may find additional detail and illustration,Io1',r'llrt'r with discussions about how the concepts may be utilized in studying and writi rrli .rlrout literature..rctions The activities and events in a literary work. (3,94)alliteration The repetition of identical consonant sounds (most often the sounds beginning words) in close proximity (e.9., "pensive poets," "grown gray"). (168,175)allusion Indirect references and quotations. Authors assume that readers will recog-nize the original sources and relate their meaning to the new context. (13747)analytical sentence outline A scheme or plan for an essay, arranged according to top-ics (A, B, C, etc.) and with the topics expressed in sentences. (31)anapest A three-syllable foot consisting of two li5;ht stresses climaxed by a heavy

stress; also spelled anapaest. (767)antagonist The person, idea, force, or general set of circumstances opposing the profagonist; an essential element of plot. (70)anticipation See Ttrocafilepsis.antithesis A rhekrrical clevice of opposition, in which one idea or word is established,,rntl thcrr the opposite irlea or worcl is c'xpressed, as in "I trust but cloubt." (169)archetypal/synrbolic/mythic critical approach An interpretive literary approach ex-plaining litcraturt' in tcnns of archetypal patterns (e.g., God's creation of humanbeings, the sacrificc of ir henr, tlre initiation of a your.rg person). (274)argument The deve.lopmcnt of thought and logic in a literary work; the plan of actionin accord with a major idea. (20)assonance The repetition of identical vowel sounds in different words in close prox-imity, as in the deep gteen sea. (167,175)atmosphere or mood The emotional aura invoked by a work. (111)authorial symbols See contextual symbols..rtrthorial voice The voice or persona used by authors when seemingly speaking forllrt.mselves. The use of the term makes it possible to discuss a narration or pre-st'tttation without identifying the ideas absolutely with those of the author. See,rlso slrr'rrkcr, point ot' aiew, and third-person point of oiezu. (84,120)lr.rll.rrl A narrative poem composed of quatrainsinballad nrcosure; that is, a pattern ofr,rrrrl'i, l('lrirmeter alternating with iambic trimeter and rhyminp; x-a-x-a. (3,172)lrl.rrrl. vr.r'st' t Jrrrhymed iambic pentameter. (3, 168)

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IL/, 1 ,?rt1 ,,1 ltr11',rtltutl Itltttiltl lttntlrt.tittrlorrrrrrr[', llrllrIlrr',tlir]n,(lis(()vcl'y,atttlrlcvclo;rnrcrrtof clcLailstobe ust'tl irr

,ilt(..,:,,t\'(I/')e.r(l('n( (' llr'oup A coherent word group spoken as a single rhythmical unit, such as(r n()un phrase ("

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l'/ll \t,ltt...,tnuttl lntlttttltiltl ]tlt.ttiltl lttrtrlrirrorrcrrrt.lrl (rrlrlyilrg) ot.r.(.soluli()n Ilrr. lrrr,rl :il,tl,,r,ol lrlol rllvr,loIntr.nl, lr \\ lu, lrtttyslt't it's ,ll('('\l)l.lit)('(1, cltitritttt'r's lirrtl llrt'il tlt,slirrit,s, ,rrrrl (lrr, \\'(,r l\ r:, ( (,rrl,1, rt'tl.Usrrallytltedcnouernelttisdolteassl-rccjilylsPossilrlt,, lor.il or(ln:.,ril,,r ,rilc()nfrlicts are encled. (101)dialogue Conversations and speeches in literary works. (3)dilemma TWo ci-roices facirrg a ltrotagonist,rrrrully in a trtrgic situatiotr, rvitlr r.rtlr, ,choice being unacceptable or damaging; a cause of both intcrnal .rntl t'rtt,r.rr, rl , ,,rrflict. to5tdirneter A line of two nrctrical fcct. (167)discursive poetry l)ot'[rv cottccrrrcd mainly with thought and with sor-ial or l)olrtr, ,rlanalysis .rrrtl t.orrrrrrt'r.rtary. (3)documentirtiolr ( ir',r rr t ing rccognition to the ideas ancl worcls of others, eithcr t 6 * rr rr. lrtt'x t t r,r l, l',r l'r r t lrt't ical, gr f6otnote references. (248-53)doublc t'trletrtlrc ("double meaning") Deliberate ambiguity, often sexual ancJ trsr,rlIt, lrrrrrronrtrs. (152)drirrrr.r An irrdividual play; also plays considered as a group; one of the three,r,rJ,,rgt'rrlt's of imaginative literature. (3)d r'r rrtatic irony A special kind of si f uatl onal irony inwhich a character perceives lr is . rhcr pligl'rt in a lirnited way while the atrdience and one or more oithc otirer c6,rracters understand it entirely. (153)dramatic,or objective point of view A third-perso n narrcttionreporting speech ancl .r,. tion but excludi'5; comme'tary on the actio's antJ thoughts oi the characters. (84, s;,idynamic character A character who undergoes adaptattn, change, or growth, rrrrlike the stntic clmracter, who remains constant. ht i short story, there is usually ..lr

one dynamic character, whereas jn a nooel there may be many. (70)economic determinist/Marxist critical approach An interpretive litcrary approar.rrbased on the theories of Karl Marx, stressing that literature is b be judged'fiom a.economic perspective. (27, 36, 271)editing See montagc.enclosing setting See t'ranin;q setting."pi. A long narrrative poem elevating character, speech, and action. (3)epigran'r A short, pithy poem, often satiric. (3)essay A sltort arrd tightly org,anizt'cl written composition dealing with a topic such asa t'harat.tt'r., st'tting, or p1rjpl of vic:w. (.16)examination A rvritlt'rt or ortrl tcst or incluiry designed to discover a person,s under-, standi'g aucl capat'itv t. tleal with a particular topic or set of bpics. (222-33)explication de texte A rncth.d of ciose reading in which words aniphrases are stud_ied ir-r great detail. The New CriticallfLn'mgtiit critical method of the twentieth ce'-tury was an outgrowtl-r of the methods of explicatiort de texte. (267)exposition _ The stage of dramatic or narrative structure that introduces all things .ec-- essary for the development of the pbr. (100)fcct See/oof.It'r'inist critical approach An interpretive literary approach designed to raise con-st'i.usness about the importance and unique natureof -omen in iiterature. (27,270)lir'liorr Nnrrttti1es based in the imagination of the author, not in literal, reportoriall,rr ls, ()nc of the three n-rajor genres of imaginative literature. (2)lr1',rrr,rliv* l.r'guage words and expressions-ihat conform to a particular pattern ort.r rrr, ,.rrr,lr ;ts rnataphor, simile, andparalletism. (127)lilrtr ", r r|l l lrc written dramatic text on which a film is based, inctuding directionsl, 'r ur, r\ I'1lr'11 ,lpcJ expreSSitx-r. (210)

I t , /,, ,rr tt ttl lt!tltttt ltlttl I tl t t !tt tl lt t tttlilrrr Nlrrltotr l)t( ltll'(':i, tlrovit's. (707 221)f irst-pcrsorr point of view The use of an "l," or first-pcrson, sltrttkt'r or itttr t.ttltti n'lto

tells about things ihat he or she has seen, done, spoken, heard, thought, arnrl alstrlearned about in other ways. (82, 85, 88, 120)flashback or selective recollection A method of narration in which past cvcrrts rtrt'introduced into a present action. (102)flat character A character, usually minor, who is not individual but rather ttse l.ttI a Ittlstructural, static and unchanging; distinguished frm round charscter. (7(l)foot, feet A measured combination of heavy and light sfresses, such as tht' i,ttrrl',which contains a light ancl a ht'avy stress. (167)

formalist critical approach St't' Nr'it' t't il icnl lfttrtntlisf critical approach.framing (enclosing) setting I'ht' s.r rrrc lt',r tr t rt's rrl topic or setting used at both tht' lr.'ginning and ending ttf it work stt ,ls ltt "lt,ttttt"' or "t'ltt.lose" the work. (11.1 )free verse From the Frenclr z,t'rs liltrr,l)(x'l ly lll,rl is ttol writtetr according to set Ptrlterns. See als

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t7) \ r ,/,'. ,,rr tt ttl Iurltttt lt!nl I t!t t,il v l, I trrirrctlrrgruily IIrt'rlisr'Ir'1t,rn(V l)('t\\,(\'n \\'ll,rl isotrlirr,rIrly ()r lrr)iln,rll\'( \1,((l(rl.rr,lwllilt is irtttrally ('xp('ri('11(('tl. l'lrc rt'srrltirrg !,,1p is v11,r*1 ollt'rr ,r r,ur;,r' ol ,urrrr ,

nrr: ut, illthough sometimes the resr,rlt mily bc cntlstr()plri(. ( ll;0)irrtellectual critical approach See topticnlf intallccttutl t'tilictl LrltltnLrclr.internal rhyme The occurrence of rhyming words witllin a singlr' lint' ol vcr':,r' ( lr,; rirony Broadly, a means of indirection. Language that states thc opl-r1r5,i11' ol r,r,lr,rl r., r.tended tsoarbal irontl.The placement of characters in a state uf igrroruntt'i:; ,/r,rmaticironv,whileanemphasisonpowerlessnessissifrdfrounlirotrtl.(I5I 5'l)irony of fate Sr'('{ rrr/,/i l,'{u/l/.irony of situation Scc siltttrliornl irotnl.Italian or Petrirr:rcharr sonnet Sec srrnrrcf.journal A ttott'lrtxrk or word-processclr file for recgrdin6; resPonses and observ.tlr.rrthll, lol l)urlx)s('sof writing,maybeusedinthedevelopmentof essays. ('13, l, tlight slrt'ss lrr spccch and in metrical scansion, the less emphasized syllable.s,,rs rrrSlr,rkt'slrt'.rrc's "That time of yea\" in which that andttf are pronounced rnore lislrtly tlr,rn lirna and ycnr. (167)lilces irnd dislikes The preferences and aversions that readers develop for anrl t,'works of literature. (56-65)lirnerick A brief poem of five lines, usually comic and often bawdy, combinirrli

anapests and iambs. (3)timited point of view or limited-omniscient point of view A third-person naration inwhicll the actions and thoughts of the protagonist are the focus of attention. (85, U7)line The basic poetic unit of length, appearing as a row of words on a page, and con-iainir-rg phrases and sentences. Lines in the closed poetic form are composed of de-terminable numbers of metrical feet; lines in the open poetic form are variable,depending on content and rhythmical speech patterns. (167)literary research See research.literature Written or oral compositions tha t tell stories, dramatize situations, expressemotions, and analyze and advocate ideas. Literature is designed to engage read-ers emotionally as well as intellectually, with the major flenres being t'iction, poetrt1, tlrnmn, and nont'iction prose, and with mtrny separate sub-forms. (passi.n)long shot ln film, a distant camL.ra view, incltrding not only characters but also theirstrllorrrrtiings; Io be trrntrastecl with at closc up. (212)lyric A stanzait' p()('ln, oft('n rhyming ancl most usually with repeating metrical pat-tcrrrs, rlcsigrrcti [o lrc sung; a song. (3)major mover .fhe participant in a work's action who either causes things to happenor who is the subjcct of major events. If the first-person narrator is also a majormover, such as tl:re Ttrtttagorrisf, that fact gives first-hand authenticity to the narra-tion. (80)malapropism The comic use of an irnproperly pronounced word, so that what comesout is another but incorrect word. Exarnples are odorous for otl.ious (Shakespeare),and pineapple for Ttinnncle (Sheridan). The incorrect word must be close enough tothe correct word so that the resernblance is immediately recognized, along withlltt'error, so that the malapropism will provoke immediate laughter. (151)l\4,rrrist critical approach See econontic tlatanninistf Mnrxist critical altproach.rrrcr'lr.rrrics of verse See prosody.rrrll.rlrlrrrr ("carrying out a change") f igurntitte languttge that ecluates a thing with''r )nr.llrirrs t'lse and then describes it as something else, thereby enhancing under-',t,rr( I r nl, .rrrtl insight. (3, 127-36)

\ (,/,, .r,' tl t4 I'ttl'tttlttttl I tlt'ttttll lr'tttt:'rilc1t,r. I lrt, rrrrrrr[rt,r 0t leet Withirl a lirtc ()i traclitionAl vt'rst', stttlt ]s ttttttlttt l't ttltttttt

It,r, rcfcrring to a line containing five ianrbs, ctr analtcst ic td rtuncl L'r, rcft:rring to 'r I t t t Iof four anaPests. (767)metrical foot See /ool.metrics See ProsodY.monometer A line consisting of one metrical foot' (167),"."*g" or editing The ecliiing or assembling of the various camera "takes," ()r se [r-arately filmed scenes, to malke a continuous film. Today much montage is t'itrrit'tlout ttuough the use of computcrs' (211)mood See atmosPhere.moral/intellectual critical approach An intcrpretive literary approach

that is tortcerned primarily with content nn6l v11111'5' (265)music of Poetry See ProsodY'-yin, -yif,otogy, rnyino, 'Amythis a story tlrat tlcals with the- relationships of gotlsto humanity , or with batties among heic,es. A nryt6 t'ay .rls. bea set of beliefs .rassumptions among societies. ltlyiholog,y rcfers collt't'tivt'ly to all the stories andbeliefs, either of a ingle g.o.rp o. .ndb". of gr()rps. A systt''r .f bt'liefs and rc-ligious or historical doctrine is amythos' (2).mythi; critical approach see archetqpnlIsymbolicInttlthic crit ittl rr|t|tnut lt.narration/ narrative fiction The relating or recounting of eve llts ()r' 'r( ti()rrs Whilt' anarrationmay bc rt'p.rtttrial and histoiical , narrqti,e t'ictiort is prinrarilv ( r('ir liv(' (rll(limaginative. (2)narrator See sPeakt'r.NewCritical/formalistcritic:rlaPproachAninterpretiveliteraryapproachbnsedon the French practict, ()l {,r/,/l(;rfi()rr ric texte, streising the form and details of lit-erary works. G,22'267)New Historicism The stuclv ol litt'r'irtttrt' hased on the proposition that literature isaninseparableaspecttlftltt'llisttlr.it..rlllt'rirltlirrwhichitiswritten.Theempha-sis in literary study is hetrct' [. ,rrr,rlyzt: w,rrks i. their 6istorical context' (266)nonfiction prose Ag.enre cotrsistin;,, ol t'ss,tvs, ,rttit lt's, antl btloks about real as op-- - for"atofi.tior'ralo.currencesut'ttl obir'tls; ottCol lltt'ttt'liorgt'trrt-'sof literature'(3)novel A long work of prose ficti()Il' (2)objective point of .riew See drnmntic lttittl ol i'it 't'octave Seesonnet-odeAstanzaicPoeticformwitlrvariablcst.lttz.ts,()ll('|l(l||.rI'lril.':,.'l'lri...rllrr1lit..(.})Omniscient pOint of view Athird-perstttt ttilrrttliitt'itt n'ltt' lt lltl r'lrr'rtlr't ttt ttttttttlttt 'with no apparent limitations, may descrilr(' iIlIt'rtlitrtt.', .tr ltrrIt.,, ll..l( llllll:,, ll}(.1tions,andspeechesof anyoralloithecharactt'rs,.rrrtl rrr,r1',rl:,t,rlt"'rrtlrt'llt.tt

tltnermost thoughts (when necessary)' (84' U7)open-formpoetry IroemsthatdonotLmploytracliti.rr.rltl.strl l,rrrr:,ltttrltttr':;r;tltllas rhyme or meter, but that instead use otier mctlr.ds .l .t1",tttiz,tlt.tr' srr"tl:;. ltit'uerse. (174-76)outline See analytical sentence outline'overstatement SeehYPerbole';";i" A short alleiory designed to illustrate a religi..s trtrtS, 'r.sl .[te rr associat-ed with Jesus as recorded in the Gospels' (2)parallelism A fig"u-;i;i*ch in which the same gra.rr.atit.l l.rr.s are repeated(169)pentameter A line of five metrical feet' (167)

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l'/ .t I (,/rr,.,r,l tl ttl lntlttttlrtttl I tlt ttttU lt ttjt

lr('fs()ll.f l,tllttlot llltl:,^;l,ltt:ttl,ttttln(;r(1'k llrlrr,rn,llor or.,l)(,tl.r.t ol ,r,.lrrr \ r'r l'('rrrrStr' ,t lso r'/)r'l/l{'/ . (71'i)I't'lr.rr.rch.rn sonnet Sccsrrlitrt,l.Phctrotnenology 'fhc philosophical Lrosition that knorvlt'(l1l(' (,)n l,r, l,,r:,r,rl orrll ,,',()urPercePtionsand onourinstrumentalobservatti()lt, lro[ 0rr olrit'fl iVr'rr',rlilt rl ., lrTlre criticai consequence of this analysis is heuce the rr'rrrlt'r.ri's/; or rst' t t il i rtl rr 1t1t1,a1, 1,in which readers must make "transactions" with literarv \v()rks. (')7())picture poetry Poems in which the line lengths are arranged to or.rIlinr'.r lirrrl, rrr ..rthouette, such as a bourlut't of flowers, a swan, an altar, and s() on. ( l7(r)plagiarism TItt' prt'st'ntatiotr as one's own of the words and ideas ol others u,itlr.rrrrecognition .rnti tlot rrrucntatiolq literary and professional theft. (2tl ,253\plausibility 5t'1, Itt olutbilitrt.plot 'l-ht' P1,111 or rlrou rtrl work for a story or a play, with the actions resulting f ror r r I ,, .lit'r',rlrlt',trrtl authentic human resporlses to aconflict.lt is causation, corrflitt, rr.slx)rls(',()l)P()sition,andinteractionthatmakeaplotoutofaseriesofactions.(9.1 (r,rlPo('rrr/ Poet, poetry A variable literary genre of imaginative literature that is chtrr,r.I.rizcc'l by the rhythmical qualities of ianguage. while poems may be shor[ (rrrcltrding cpi qrarns and haiku of just a few lines) or long (eplcs of thousands of lirrt.., rthe essence of poetry is ctrmpression, economy, and force, in contrast with tht' t'rpansiveness of prose. There is no bar to the topics tl'rat poets may consider, irrr(lpoems may range from the personal and lyric to the public and discursive. A yor'ntis one poetic work. A 1tLx,t is a person who writes poems. Poetry nay refer to tlr,.poems of one writer, to poems of a number of writers, kr all poems generally, or li rthe aesthetics of poetry considered as an art. (3)poetic form The organization and style of poetry, ranging from trad:ition a\ clLtscd lttrtt r:suclr as the sonncf, the cttuplet, and the bnllad, to new and experimental opcn fonn:,such as those of Whitman and e. e. cummings. (167-82)point of view The syteake r, actice, ttnrrator, or pLtrsono of a work; the position from whir'lrdetails are perceived and related; a centralizirlg mind or intelligence; not to be conftrsed with opinions or beliefs. (78-93)point-of-view character The central figure orprrrfagoiTist in alinritatl,poirttttt'-aicut nurnrlirttr; thc charactc'r abotti whom cvcnts turn; the focus of attention in the narra-tion. (li5)priv;rte syrnbols St't' rrlift'rlrrrrl s.tltttlnls.probability or plausibility -l'he standard that literature should be about what is like-ly, comuron, Irontt.tl, ancl usual-the theory being that such literature is relevantto the majority oi lrrrrnan beings. (71)problem A qucstion or issue about the interpretation or understanding of a work.(160-66)procatalepsis or anticipation A rhetorical strategy whereby the writer raises an ob-jection and then answers it, the idea being b strerrp;then an argument by ctealingwith possible objections beforc a clissenter can raise them. (16'l)Prose fiction Imaginative prose narratives (short stories and novels) that focus u1()rlc or a few characters who undergo a change or development as they interactrvillr other characters and deal with their problems. (2)f 'lr)s(' l)(rcnr Anoltt:rrJLtrm poem laid out not as separate lines but as a prose para-

1ir, r1,11, 1lt,' intention being to emphasize the poetic nature of tl-re subject through thettrl.tt"ill' .rntl the rhythm of expression, not through any traditional prosodic de-rrrr", (17,1)

\ L/r,. .,/, tt ttl liltlrtt lttttl I tlr'trrt tl It t tttprosotly Iltt'srttttttls,rrltl l'ltytlttrrs ol 1xr1'11'y. (:], l()7, l(),\)prohrgonist I'hc ccntralch.rracter and foct-ts of irrterest itr a rtat'rativt'ot tlt;rrtt,t. (l(l)psychological/psychoanalytic critical approach An interprctive litcrary aPPr'().r( ll

stressing how psychology may be used in the explanation of both authors antl lit-erary works. (272)pyrrhic A metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables' (167)quatrain A four-line stanza or pcletic unit united by content, rhythm, and /or t ltvtttt'.(3,177)reader-response critical approach An intcrpretive literary approach basctl irr llrtproposition that literary r,vorks,rrt'rrot lirllv crt'rrtccl until readers rnake lrtlttsrtr /r,rrt

witl.r tlrem Ltv tttttttrlizitr:l tlrt'nr in llrt'lililrt ol tltt'ir orvtr knowledge and exP('ri('rt( ('.Sce also ph t:n ot tt c t tol o'4r1. (27 6)realism or verisimilitude .l'ltt'ttst'ol llttt', lilr'lil'r', ol Ptrrlrilble situations allLl (ollcerns. AlSo, the theorV urrclcrlvirrg tltc ttst'ol l',rlil1' ltt lilt'rittttrc. (.71,11(Dreliable narrator An objective s1n'nl;L'r n,llost't lt,tt,tr ltt ,rtt(l itll('l'('sts are not susPcct,and who therefore is to be relierl on lor' ,lt ,rr ( ur,rl(' lr,rt t.tliott; t otllritstccl with anu r r rc li nb I c t L1 rrat o r. (83)representative character Aflttt chnrnctt't'r'r'itlr tlrc rltt,rltltr", ol ,tll ollrct tttctttlrt'rs of ;tgroup (i.e., clerks, cowboys, detectives, ett''); 'r :;lt'tt ttltlltt t "tll,eseaiCh,iit"rary TheSysternaticuseof primary.lll(l s('(t'tr,l,rt\"orrr(t"'li'r 'r""r"l'rr)(1'in studying literary backgrounds and problctrts (ll- l'r (' l)resolution Seedinttttunatt.t.revieworreviewessay AgeneralessayabolltasPecificworL,,tl"l()lrlrol tror [ '.,tlrrttlliterature generally, and about qualities of Performaltcc. A tt'r'it'rr trt,t\ I'r' tttlt'tttled for a general or a specific audience, and may be philosoplrit,tl, lrr't:,urr,rl, |rrlilical, sociological, or religious, depending on the audience ftlr w llt tt t t I ltt' t t't'tlrr t't'is writirrg. (197-206)rhetorical figure See figuratitte language.rhyme The repetition of identical or closely related sounds in the syllablt's ol tlillt'r'ent words, most often in concluding syllables at the ends 6f ling5. (l6fi)rhyme scheme The pattern of a poem's rhyme,:usually indicated by assigr.ring, a lcttt'r'of tl-re alphabet to each rhyming sound. (168)rhythm 'l'he varying speed, intensity, elevation, pitch, louduess, and expressivct]t'"of speech, especially poetry. (167)romanc; (1) Lengthy Spanish and French stories of the sixteenth and st'vt'ttlt't'ttllrcenturies.(2)Modernformulaicstoriesdescribingthegrowthof anenthtrsi,tslit krvr'relationship. (2)

round charactei A character who profits from experience and under!.()('s ,r ( ll, r rrll(' t )l'development; usually but not necessarily the protagonist ' (70)scan, scansion Tl're act of determining the prevailing rhythm of a pot'ttt. ( l t ', )second-person point of view A narration in which a second-persott lislt'tt,'t ("votr")

is the protagonist and the speaker is sorneone (e.g., doctor, Pirr('rrl, l'ilt ltrl Lrvt'r,etc.) with knowledge that the protagonist does not Possess or tt ttt lt't :rl, r t tt I ,rlrotr t hisor her own actions. (83,87, 88)

selective recollection See t'lashback.sestet See sortltcf.setting The natural, manufactured, and cultural envirolrnrclrI irt n'lri.ll characters livenr-rd *o,r", including all the artifacts they use in their livt's. ( lOfJ I l(r)

Shakespearean sonnet See sonrtcf.

|'i\

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lTltslr.rlrt.tl verst' Stt ltir'l trt r' ltor'1r11.sll()rtslory At'omperct,c()llccntrittedwork()ilrnrriltiv('littiorrllr,tl trt,r\',rl:','{otrl,rrrl

clcscription, dialogue, and commentary. Poc usecl tlre tt'rrrt "lrrit'l lrtrrsl l,rlr" l,'rthe short story, and emphasized that it should create a pow('rlttl .tlltl tttttltlrl rrrrPact. (2)simile Afigureof comparison,using"like"withnounsand "as" withclitttst's,,t:, tt'"the trees were bent by the wind like actors botuing after a perforrnllrl('('." ( l2li)situation The basic circumstaltces in a literary work out of which the actiott tt tttl . I ralopiue spring. (3)sittrational irony or irony of situation A type of irony emphasizing that humarr 1,,'ings are t'nntt'slrt'tl itt forces beyond their comprehension and control. (152)song St't'/r7r'i, .sonnct A lt rt r llt't'n-lirle poem, traditionally in iantbic pentameter, which may be dir.'itlt't I f rt't rvt't'n t hc first eight iines and the last six (an Italisn or Petrnrchan sonnet, conl.rirrirrrg livc ernd rhymes), or which may develop through three cluatrains autl ,rt r rrrr'lrrcling couplet (a Shakespe nre an sonnet, containing seven end rhyrnes). (3, 17 I )sourrd 'l-he spoken, musical, and special sound effects of film. (214)slrcaker The nsrrtttor of a story or poem, the poirrt of aieru, often an indepenclent character who is completely imagir-red and consistently maintained by the author. lrraddition t narrating the essential events of the work (justifying status as the rrl7rrotor), the speaker may also introduce other aspects of his or her knowledge, andmay interject judgments and opinions. Often the character of the speaker is of trsmuch interest as the actions or incidents. (78)speech See dialogue.stanza A group of distinct poetic lines, such as a quatrain, forming a separate unitwithin a longer poem. The meters and rhymes are usually repeating and system-atic. (167)static character A character who undergoes no change; contrasted with a dynamiccharacter. (70)stereotype A character who is so ordinary and unoriginal that he or she seems toIrave been cast in a mold; a representatitte cl-raracter. (71)stock clraracter A flnf chnrnctt'r in a standard role with standard traits, such as theiratt'polict' captirin, thc borcd hotel clerk, the sadistic criminal, and so on; astereo-tVpc. (7{t)stress The er.nplrasis givcn to a syllable, either strong or light. (167-69)structuralist critical approach An interpretive literary approach attempting to findrelationships and similarities among elements that appear to be separate and dis-crete. (269)structure The arrangement and placement of materials in a work. (99-107)symbol, symbolism A specific word, idea, or object that may stand for ideas, values,persons/ or ways of life. (137-47)tenor (figurative language) The sense, or meaning, oI a metaphor, symbol, or otherrhetorical figure. See also aehicle. (-1.3'1.)It'rcet or triplet A three-iine group united by content or rhyme. (3,770)It'rz:r rima A threeline stanzaic form with the pattern a b a,b c b, c d c, and so on. (170)lr'lr,rrncter A line consisting of four metrical feet. (167)llrt'rtrt' Sct'idea.

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thcsis se rrtclrcc or tltesis St.rternClrt Arr itttt'otlttt tot-y st'ltlt'ttt t' llt,tlto be developed in the body of an essay. (2E)third-person point of view A third-person rncthod oi It.rrratiott (i.c., s/rr', lrt', il, Ilt,'11 ,them, etc.),in which the speaker or narrator is not a part of the story, r"tnliLt' Llrt' irrvolvement of tl're narratr>r c'>f a first-pcrsort poirtt of tticztt. Because the thirtl-pt'r'sortspeaker may exhibit great knowledge and understanding, together witlr otlrt'r'qualities of character, l-re or sl're is often virtually identified with the author, lrttl llri:;identification is not easily clecided. See also authorial ztoice, omniscient ytitrl rtl ,'ir''r'(84,87, 88)third-person objective point of vit'w St't'drtrttrntit' yoitt of ttiazu.

tone The technitlues alrtl tllotlt's ol Ptt'st'ttlitliott tlt;rt reveal or create(1 48-5e)topicsentence Thescntenct'clcterrrrinirrl',or irrlrrrrlttt ittr'llrr'strbjectmatterof ;r p.1r,1graph. (30)topical/historicalcriticalapproach Alrirrlt'rIn'lir'''lilr'r'rr'\"rl)|r'()'{r(llthatstressestltt'relationship of literature to its hiskrrit irl 1't'r'io'l lit't"rl:'o Nr''r' l /ir;/or-it ls tn' (21,266)tracking The use of the camera to follow, tl)t' Ittovctncltl:, ()l .r( lot:' ,tll(l ( ()llv('yanccsin film. (213)trait, traits A typical rnode of behavior; thc sttltl-v ol rrr,riotthe description of character. (67)trimeter A line consisting of three metrical feet. ( 167)triplet See tercet.trochee, trochaic A two-syllable foot consisting of a hcavy strt'ss lollott I r I I't'stress,suchastherhythmsofwordsllketalent,presttIL'L',anr.l /trr|r'lrrl tlt','t ,r lrlilrlunderstatement Thedeliberateunderplayingorundervaluingof arr,rs:.ttltrtrtor r(lr\rto create emphasis. (152)universal symbol See culturnl symbol.unreliable narrator Anarratrlr who has something to gain or lose frottt lltl t"'.ttr"'brought out in a narration, and who may express antagonism or l,tvolili:'ttt lotother ctraracters. The account of events by sucl'r a narrator is thereforc stls[)('( [ ,r I )( Iunreliable, as contrasted wlth a relisble narratttr. (83)

unstressed syllable See /igllf sfress.value, values The attachment of wortl-r, significance, and desirability to an idea so tlr,rlthe idea is judged not only for its significance as thought but also for its irrtportance as a goal, ideal, or standard. (118,1'22)vehicle The image or reference of t'igures ttf spet'ch, such as a metaphor or sitttilr', rl r''the vehicle that carries or embodies the tcrror. (131)

verbal irony Language stressing the importance of an idea by statint llrt'o1r|1 r"111'of what is meant. (152)verisimilitude ("like truth") See renlisnt.versification SeeprosodY.villanelle Aclosed,t'orm poem of nineteen lines, composed of iivt' /t'ti r'/', ,ttttlcluding qtLatrnfu' The form requires that certain lines be reprer tttl irr ' r s1 r.r t I itand that only two final rhyming sounds occur throughout. ( 1, l7{))visual poetry Poetry tl'rat draws power from the appearance ot Iltt' r't'r'st'ort the page,often utilizing split words, short lines, capital letters, artrl so orr. ( l(r7)voice See spcnker.