Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > English Language Skills

Literary Terms

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Binoy:
Literary terms are important for those who want to get an accurate taste of literature or make an assessment of literature. Each literary term is essentially a literary device. That is why these two phrases are often used interchangeably.

Literary terms refer to the technique, style, and formatting used by writers and speakers to masterfully emphasize, embellish, or strengthen their compositions. Literary terms can refer to playful techniques employed by comedians to make us laugh or witty tricks wordsmiths use to coin new words or phrases. They can also include the tools of persuasion that writers use to convince and drive audiences to action. With their carefully crafted speeches geared towards both logical and emotional thinking, they challenge our everyday modes of thinking.

Literary terms also include powerful figurative language that writers use to summon emotion ranging from guilt to anger to bliss, and to allow us to see the world in new and magical ways. Words can be arranged to give poems, songs, and prose alike, rhythm and musicality. They can animate a story with such wealth of detail, character development, and action that as readers, we are taken by a story, and feel as if the people on the page are real. Literary terms have a wide range of application, from the poet’s beauty, to the speaker’s persuasion, to the novelist’s story development.

Sources:
https://literary-devices.com/
https://literaryterms.net/

Binoy:
Allegory 
রূপকবর্ণনা; প্রতীকাশ্রয়ী কাহিনি

Definition:
An allegory suggests a hidden meaning via the use of metaphoric examples. An allegory is a device where the meaning of a greater, often abstract moral or political concept is conveyed with the aid of more material objects or ideas being used as an example.

Example:
Faith is like a stony uphill climb: a single stumble might send you sprawling but belief and steadfastness will see you to the very top.

Binoy:
Alliteration 
ধ্বনিসাম্য

Definition:
Alliteration is a literary device where words are used in quick succession and begin with letters belonging to the same sound group. Whether it is the consonant sound or a specific vowel group, the alliteration involves creating a repetition of similar sounds in the sentence. Alliterations are also created when the words all begin with the same letter. Alliterations are used to add character to the writing and often add an element of ‘fun’ to the piece.

Example:
The Wicked Witch of the West went her own way. The ‘W’ sound is highlighted and repeated throughout the sentence.

Binoy:
Allusion 
দূরোল্লেখ

Definition:
An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned.

Example:
It’s no wonder everyone refers to Mary as another Mother Teresa in the making; she loves to help and care after people everywhere, from the streets to her own friends.

In the example the author uses the mention of Mother Teresa to indicate the sort of qualities that Mary has.

Binoy:
Amplification 
তীব্রতাবর্ধন

Definition:
Amplification refers to a literary practice wherein the writer embellishes the sentence by adding more information to it in order to increase its worth and understandability. When a plain sentence is too abrupt and fails to convey the full implications desired, amplification comes into play when the writer adds more to the structure to give it more meaning.

Example:
Original sentence: “The thesis paper was difficult.” After amplification: “The thesis paper was difficult: it required extensive research, data collection, sample surveys, interviews and a lot of fieldwork.”

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