Glossary of Literary Terms and Movements
A
Allegory
A literary figure that represents an abstract idea using human forms, animals, and everyday objects. It creates an extensive metaphorical image representing a complex thought or human experience and may constitute entire works.
C
Comedy
A dramatic subgenre where protagonists face everyday difficulties, often driven by their flaws, leading to happy endings that mock human weakness. Comedy originated in ancient Greece and developed through medieval and modern times.
D
Dramatic Units
Derived from Aristotle’s Poetics, the three units pertain to tragedy: unity of action (one central conflict), unity of time (events occur within a day), and unity of place (a single setting).
I
Interior Monologue or Stream of Consciousness
A literary technique that reveals the flow of a character’s conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. Writers use it to express hidden desires and repressed emotions, showcasing the “different worlds inside people.”
L
Locus Amoenus (“Pleasant Place”)
An idealized place of safety or comfort, often depicted as a beautiful, shaded woodland, sometimes with Edenic connotations. Used in Western literature since Homer.
M
Metaphor
A figure of speech that establishes a direct comparison between two unlike things, equating one with the other without using connecting words.
Metatextuality
The critical relationship between one text and another, such as Don Quixote‘s commentary on chivalric romances.
Metrics – Italian Renaissance
The hendecasyllable verse was key in Italian metrics. Rhyme prevailed, and common poetic forms included sonnets, tercets, liras, ottava rima, and Petrarchan canzone.
Mimesis
From Aristotle, the imitation of nature in classical art, considered essential. Derived from the Greek word for “imitation.”
Myth
A traditional tale of miraculous events featuring extraordinary beings like gods, demigods, heroes, and monsters.
N
Novel of Manners
Depicts the social customs and daily life of a particular group, focusing on their characteristic behaviors and personalities. This genre influenced the development of realism and naturalism.
Novel-River
A series of novels with interconnected storylines, often revolving around a central character or community. Each volume functions as a standalone novel, but together they form a unified narrative. A famous example is Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time.
Psychological Novel
A prose fiction work that emphasizes internal characterization, exploring motives, circumstances, and inner conflicts that arise from external events. It delves into the characters’ moods, passions, and psychological struggles.
O
Oriental Literatures
Among the oldest literatures, characterized by oral transmission, religious and wisdom components, and symbolic storytelling (fables, parables). Notable examples include Persian, Chinese, and Indian literature.
P
Parable
A figurative tale that conveys a moral lesson through analogy or resemblance. It’s a symbolic story with a didactic purpose, often found in the Christian Gospels.
Petrarchism
An aesthetic movement imitating the style, themes, and imagery of the Italian poet Petrarch. It influenced European lyric poetry during the Renaissance and beyond, incorporating Platonic philosophy into love poetry.
Prolepsis or Anticipation
A narrative technique that reveals future plot elements, allowing the reader to know or anticipate the outcome. Gabriel García Márquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold exemplifies this.
R
Realism
A literary movement that aimed to portray society and its environments realistically, often focusing on the middle class. The European realist novel became the epic of the 19th-century bourgeoisie.
Romanticism
A cultural and political movement in early 19th-century Europe, reacting against Enlightenment rationalism and Classicism. It prioritized emotions and individual freedom, with a revolutionary spirit.
S
Sentimental Novel
A subgenre that flourished between the 15th and 16th centuries, often featuring love themes within the conventions of courtly love. It typically employed prose interspersed with verse and sometimes took epistolary form.
Symbol
A representation of an idea with socially accepted conventions. It’s a sign without resemblance or contiguity, relying on a conventional link between its signifier and signified.
Symbolism
A late 19th-century art movement reacting against Naturalism and Realism. It emphasized spirituality, imagination, and dreams, with origins in Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal.
T
Tempus Fugit
A Latin expression meaning “Time flies,” urging us not to waste it. It first appeared in Virgil’s Georgics.
Topos (or Topic)
A common theme or motif in literature, often used repeatedly throughout history. These recurring themes often originate from classical or biblical traditions.
T
Tragedy
A dramatic form where characters face unavoidable conflicts with fate or the gods, often leading to a tragic outcome predetermined by fate or prophecy.
V
Victorian Literature
A literary movement in 19th-century England, reacting against Romanticism. It emphasized progress, didacticism, moralism, religious themes, exploration, adventure, and a practical, utilitarian outlook.
Vanguards
Early 20th-century artistic movements that sought innovation in form and content. They challenged established artistic norms and explored the relationship between art and life.