Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > English Language Skills
Literary Terms
Binoy:
Cliffhanger
অসমাপ্ত সমাপ্তি
A cliffhanger is when a story or plotline ends suddenly or a large plot twist occurs and is left unresolved. It is a device that is used to cause suspense, but most importantly, it leaves unanswered questions that make the reader or viewer want to come back to learn what will happen. The phrase comes from the idea of “hanging off a cliff”—whatever happens will determine the character’s future and the story’s plot, leaving audiences “on the edge” of knowing. Cliffhangers are a particularly popular and widely used device in television, whose success relies heavily on audiences returning to watch week after week with episodes that are “to be continued.”
Binoy:
Comic Relief
চকিত হাস্যরস
Even in an intense, dramatic movie, you can find moments of humor. Maybe a character is facing an impossible epic quest, but makes witty comments to lighten the mood. Or maybe two characters are suffering through a difficult divorce, but one of them cracks a joke to cut the tension. It’s just like in real life – we often make jokes to ease the burden of difficult circumstances. In storytelling, this is called comic relief.
It’s important to remember the relief part of comic relief. In a funny movie, for example, there’s no need for comic relief – there’s just regular comedy. Comic relief is when the comedy takes place in a story that’s dramatic, tragic, or serious overall, not comedies.
Binoy:
Diacope
বাগাবর্ত
Diacope is when a writer repeats a word or phrase with one or more words in between. A common and persistent example of diacope is Hamlet’s:
To be, or not to be!
Here, the phrase “to be” is repeated, but separated by the phrase “or not.” The phrase diacope is derived from the Greek word diakopē, meaning “to cut into two.”
Binoy:
Dramatic irony
নাটকীয় বক্রাঘাত
Irony is when you get the opposite of what you expect, especially if the result is humorous or striking in some way. Dramatic irony, however, is slightly different: it’s when the audience knows something the characters don’t — so the characters might get an unexpected outcome, but for the audience it’s not unexpected at all.
Binoy:
Elegy
শোকগাথা
An elegy (pronounced ELL-eh-jee) is a poem of mourning. Written in a somber style, it reflects seriously on death and on the person who has passed. Elegies are written for a specific person, usually someone the author knew well, although sometimes people write elegies for long-dead heroes. The emotional effect is usually greatest, however, when the elegy is written from a personal experience of loss.
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