Literary Terms, THE-YID
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Literary Terms Encyclopedia Articles By Title
The 40th Anniversary of Star Wars
Star Wars, first released on May 25, 1977, was one of the defining motion pictures in cinema history, and, for......
The Afterlife of Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes died in Madrid on April 22, 1616. He was buried the next day in a convent. When the convent......
The Death of Shakespeare
On April 23, 1616, English poet and playwright William Shakespeare died in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon......
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 Was Sci-Fi Passed Off as News
On August 25, 1835, the New York Sun published the first of six articles that would become known as the Great Moon......
The Last Book of the Harlem Renaissance
God Sends Sunday was the last book of the Harlem Renaissance. It was published in 1931 by one of New York’s major......
The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe
Among his many literary achievements, Edgar Allan Poe is credited with creating the genre of detective fiction......
The Science Behind Project Hail Mary
When an alien microbe begins feasting on starlight, a frantic, galactic scramble to save humanity ensues in Project......
The Shakespeare Authorship Question: Much Ado About Who Wrote the Plays
“I am not what I am,” wrote William Shakespeare (1564–1616) in not one but two plays. These words are spoken by......
The Time a Law Clerk Successfully Forged a New Shakespeare Play to Impress His Dad
The trove of documents was astonishing. A deed was the first to emerge—a dull legal agreement made nearly 200 years......
theatres, war of the
war of the theatres, in English literary history, conflict involving the Elizabethan playwrights Ben Jonson, John......
Tibetan literature
Tibetan literature, body of largely religious and occult writings that has developed since the 7th century, when......
Today in History—August 25: The Great Moon Hoax Takes Off
For centuries the Moon has fascinated people—and inspired some rather far-out ideas. It was worshipped as a goddess,......
Today in History—August 9: Betty’s First Boop
On this day in 1930, Betty Boop made her first appearance in the Fleischer Studios cartoon Dizzy Dishes. She wasn’t......
Today in History—December 19: Bah, Humbug!
Charles Dickens’s parable A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843. Firmly entrenched in the......
Today in History—December 20: “Hansel and Gretel” and the Gingerbread Boom
On this day in 1812 brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published the first volume of stories that would make them......
Today in History—February 15: The Headline That Led America to War
On a pitch-black night in 1898, as the 324-foot American battleship USS Maine lay at anchor in Havana Harbor, Cuba,......
Today in History—February 7: The Most Unlikely Leading Man
On this day in 1914 Charlie Chaplin debuted his “Tramp” character in Kid Auto Races at Venice. The Tramp would......
Today in History—January 27: Dante’s Divine Justice
On this day in 1302, Italian poet Dante Alighieri was exiled from Florence. Sentenced by a court of his political......
Today in History—January 29: “Once upon a midnight dreary…”
On this day in 1845, “The Raven” appeared in print for the first time—though who published what first gets a bit......
Today in History—January 4: When the State of the Union Went Prime Time
“The Great Society asks not how much, but how good; not only how to create wealth but how to use it; not only how......
Today in History—July 10: Lady Godiva’s Legendary (Emphasis on Legend) Ride
If “Godiva” rings a bell, you’re probably thinking of the famous Belgian chocolate brand. But almost a thousand......
Today in History—July 12: The Day Wild Bill’s Legend Started
On this day in 1861, in a postal station in Rock Creek, Nebraska, a legend was born. This was the day that the......
Today in History—June 11: E.T.’s Otherworldly Success
On this day in 1982, American movie fans were introduced to the lovable, long-fingered star of Steven Spielberg’s......
Today in History—June 13: The Pentagon Papers Reach the Public
On this day in 1971, The New York Times began publishing parts of a leaked government report about decades of U.S.......
Today in History—June 14: The Day Anne Frank Started Her Diary
Two days after turning 13, Anne Frank wrote her first full entry in “Kitty,” the name she called the diary she......
Today in History—June 17: The Day “Watergate” Became Synonymous with Scandal
On June 18, 1972, The Washington Post published its first story about a break-in at the Democratic National Committee......
Today in History—June 2: Elizabeth II Is Crowned—and Jackie Kennedy Covers It
On June 2, 1953, a 27-year-old Elizabeth II rode to Westminster Abbey in a gilded coach for her coronation, passing......
Today in History—March 11: A Raisin in the Sun Makes Theatrical History
When the lights dimmed and the curtain rose at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre on this day in 1959, history......
Today in History—March 20: Uncle Tom’s Cabin Published As a Novel
Uncle Tom’s Cabin played a crucial role in shifting white American sentiment against slavery, even as it propagated......
Today in History—May 15: Mickey and Minnie Make Their Debut in Plane Crazy
Walt Disney’s most famous creation debuted as, well, kind of a menace. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, two of the......
Today in History—May 28: Publication of the Federalist Papers
New Yorkers were a skeptical bunch. The U.S. Constitution had been drafted over the summer of 1787 at the convention......
Today in History—May 29: The Speech’s Name Is a Misnomer
On this day in 1851, abolitionist and women’s right activist Sojourner Truth gave her most famous speech, one that......
Today in History—November 14: Nellie Bly Begins Her Race Around the World
At 9:40 am on this day in 1889, American journalist Nellie Bly set off from New York Harbor aboard a luxury ocean......
Today in History—October 12: Nikita Khrushchev’s Shoe Speech
On this day in 1960, one of the most shocking and iconic Cold War moments unfolded when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev......
Today in History—October 27: A Newspaper Brings Down Boss Tweed
The arrest of Tammany Hall leader William Magear “Boss” Tweed on this day in 1871 marked a turning point in one......
Today in History—September 14: The Writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”
It was 1814, and the U.S. and the British were still fighting the increasingly pointless War of 1812. Well-regarded......
Today in History—September 30: Robinson Crusoe Is Shipwrecked
“September 30, 1659. I poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being shipwreck’d, during a dreadful Storm, in the offing,......
tongue twister
tongue twister, word or group of words made difficult to articulate by a close sequence of similar consonantal......
topographical poetry
topographical poetry, verse genre of poetry characterized by the description of a particular landscape. A subgenre,......
tradición
tradición, in Spanish-American literature, short prose sketch in which a historical incident is related in an imaginative......
tragedy
tragedy, branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered......
- Introduction
- Aeschylus, Ancient Greece, Drama
- Sophocles, Greek, Drama
- Euripides, Dark, Greek
- Long Hiatus, Greek Origins, Renaissance Revival
- Marlowe, Christian, Literature
- Shakespeare, Poetry, Drama
- Neoclassical, Drama, Catharsis
- Novel, Drama, Catharsis
- American Novel, Loss, Grief
- Greek, Drama, Catharsis
- Asian Drama, Absence, Elements
- Theory, Catharsis, Aristotle
- Elizabethan, Drama, Catharsis
- Romanticism, Catharsis, Aristotle
- Hegel, Catharsis, Aristotle
- Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Philosophy
- Critical Theory, 20th Century, Beyond
tragicomedy
tragicomedy, dramatic work incorporating both tragic and comic elements. When coined by the Roman dramatist Plautus......
travel journalism
travel journalism, a field of journalism encompassing communication about journeys beyond one’s immediate surroundings.......
travesty
travesty, in literature, the treatment of a noble and dignified subject in an inappropriately trivial manner. Travesty......
Trickster tale
Trickster tale, in oral traditions worldwide, a story featuring a protagonist (often an anthropomorphized animal)......
trilogy
trilogy, a series of three dramas or literary or musical compositions that, although each is in one sense complete,......
triolet
triolet, medieval French verse form that consists of eight short lines rhyming ABaAabAB (the capital letters indicate......
trochee
trochee, metrical foot consisting of one long syllable (as in classical verse) or stressed syllable (as in English......
troll
troll, in early Scandinavian folklore, giant, monstrous being, sometimes possessing magic powers. Hostile to men,......
troubadour
troubadour, lyric poet of southern France, northern Spain, and northern Italy, writing in the langue d’oc of Provence;......
trouvère
trouvère, any of a school of poets that flourished in northern France from the 11th to the 14th century. The trouvère......
Turkish literature
Turkish literature, the body of written works in the Turkish language. The Orhon inscriptions represent some of......
Turkmen literature
Turkmen literature, the body of written works produced by the Turkmen people of Central Asia. Reconstructing a......
type name
type name, in dramatic practice, name given to a character to ensure that the personality may be instantly ascertained.......
ubi sunt
ubi sunt, a verse form in which the poem or its stanzas begin with the Latin words ubi sunt (“where are …”) or......
Ukrainian literature
Ukrainian literature, the body of writings in the Ukrainian language. The earliest writings of the Ukrainians,......
Ulster cycle
Ulster cycle, in ancient Irish literature, a group of legends and tales dealing with the heroic age of the Ulaids,......
unities
unities, in drama, the three principles derived by French classicists from Aristotle’s Poetics; they require a......
urban legend
urban legend, in folklore, a story about an unusual or humorous event that many people believe to be true but that......
Urdu literature
Urdu literature, writings in the Urdu language of the Muslims of Pakistan and northern India. It is written in......
utopian poetry
utopian poetry, poetry that describes a utopia or any sort of utopian ideal. Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1516)—the......
Uzbek literature
Uzbek literature, the body of written works produced by the Uzbek people of Central Asia, most of whom live in......
vampire
vampire, in popular legend, a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood.......
Venus and Adonis stanza
Venus and Adonis stanza, a stanza consisting of an iambic pentameter quatrain and couplet with the rhyme scheme......
verisimilitude
verisimilitude, the semblance of reality in dramatic or nondramatic fiction. The concept implies that either the......
verismo
verismo, (Italian: “realism”), literary realism as it developed in Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.......
vers de société
vers de société, (French: “society verse”), light poetry written with particular wit and polish and intended for......
vers libre
vers libre, (French: “free verse”), 19th-century poetic innovation that liberated French poetry from its traditional......
verset
verset, a short verse, especially from a sacred book, such as those found in the Song of Solomon and the Psalms,......
Vietnamese literature
Vietnamese literature, body of literature produced by Vietnamese-speaking people, primarily in Vietnam. Like the......
villanelle
villanelle, rustic song in Italy, where the term originated (Italian villanella from villano: “peasant”); the term......
virelai
virelai, one of several formes fixes (“fixed forms”) in French lyric poetry and song of the 14th and 15th centuries......
volta
volta, the turn in thought in a sonnet that is often indicated by such initial words as But, Yet, or And yet. The......
vox pop
vox pop, in broadcast journalism, a term referring to both a type of interview and a structuring element. In Latin,......
waka
waka, Japanese poetry, specifically the court poetry of the 6th to the 14th century, including such forms as the......
Walloon literature
Walloon literature, the body of written works produced by Belgians in the local dialects of French and Latin origin......
Walt Disney’s First Cartoon Critter Was Not Mickey Mouse
The entertainment empire built by Walt Disney is sometimes called the “House of Mouse” in acknowledgment of the......
war correspondents
War correspondents provide accurate, reliable, and firsthand reports of armed conflicts, military operations and......
Wars of Ink and Paper: 9 Feuds That Rocked the Literary World
Life is often stranger and wilder than fiction. These nine literary feuds, which involve physical altercations,......
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
For many children living in the United States, especially those who have behaved well all year, the most exciting......
Was there a feud between William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway?
In April 1947 William Faulkner was invited to visit the University of Mississippi. While conducting a question-and-answer......
well-made play
well-made play, a type of play, constructed according to certain strict technical principles, that dominated the......
Welsh literary renaissance
Welsh literary renaissance, literary activity centring in Wales and England in the mid-18th century that attempted......
Welsh literature
Welsh literature, body of writings in the Welsh language with a rich and unbroken history stretching from the 6th......
Weltschmerz
Weltschmerz, the prevailing mood of melancholy and pessimism associated with the poets of the Romantic era that......
werewolf
werewolf, in popular legend, a human who can shape-shift into a wolf or a hybrid wolf-human form. In many werewolf......
Western literature
Western literature, history of literatures in the languages of the Indo-European family, along with a small number......
What did Sir Walter Scott write?
Sir Walter Scott’s early work consisted of poetic romances such as The Lady of the Lake (1810). He later wrote......
What jobs did Sir Walter Scott have?
In addition to the time he spent writing, Sir Walter Scott had a variety of occupations during his lifetime. He......
What Was the First Book Ever Written?
The earliest surviving written literature is from ancient Mesopotamia. The Epic of Gilgamesh is often cited as......
What was the importance of literacy and learning to Alfred’s rule?
Alfred’s avid dedication to learning defined the years of his reign as king of Wessex following his victory at......
What were Sir Walter Scott’s influences?
Throughout his childhood Sir Walter Scott read extensively in a variety of genres, including poetry, history, drama,......
Who Is Hanukkah Harry?
Some Americans might be quick to say that Hanukkah Harry is the patron figure of Hanukkah, comparable to Santa......
Why is Romeo and Juliet so popular?Romeo and Juliet So Popular?
The popularity of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet can be attributed to its exploration of young romance......
Woman, Life, Freedom
Woman, Life, Freedom, protest slogan that affirms that the rights of women are at the centre of life and liberty.......
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Women’s Prize for Fiction, English literary prize for women that was conceptualized in 1992 and instituted in 1996......
World Poetry Day
Poetry is a form of literature that often celebrates abstraction and the beauty of words. Written poetry is thought......
yangbanxi
yangbanxi, form of Chinese entertainment that flourished during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76). The works combined......
yellow journalism
Yellow journalism is a term coined in the 1890s to describe sensational coverage of events in newspapers to attract......
Yiddish literature
Yiddish literature, the body of written works produced in the Yiddish language of Ashkenazic Jewry (central and......