Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > English Language Skills
Literary Terms
Binoy:
Consonance
ব্যঞ্জনসাম্য
Definition:
Consonance refers to repetition of sounds in quick succession produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. The repetitive sound is often found at the end of a word. Consonance is the opposite of assonance, which implies repetitive usage of vowel sounds.
Example:
He struck a streak of bad luck.
Binoy:
Denotation
বাহ্যার্থ, বহিরার্থ; আভিধানিক অর্থ
Definition:
Denotation refers to the use of the dictionary definition or literal meaning of a word.
Example:
They built a house.
In the above sentence, house is meant literally as in a building where a family lives. If the word “home” was used instead in the above sentence in place of “house”, the meaning would not be so literal as there are many emotions associated with the word “home” beyond simply the structure where people live.
Binoy:
Deus ex Machina
দৈব সমাধান
Definition:
Deus ex Machina is a rather debatable and often criticized form of literary device. It refers to the incidence where an implausible concept or character is brought into the story in order to make the conflict in the story resolve and to bring about a pleasing solution. The use of Deus ex Machina is not recommended as it is seen to be the mark of a poor plot that the writer needs to resort to random, insupportable and unbelievable twists and turns to reach the end of the story.
Example:
If in a suspense novel the protagonist suddenly finds a solution to his dilemmas because of divine intervention.
Binoy:
Diction
শব্দচয়ন
Definition:
Diction is the distinctive tone or tenor of an author’s writings. Diction is not just a writer’s choice of words it can include the mood, attitude, dialect and style of writing. Diction is usually judged with reference to the prevailing standards of proper writing and speech and is seen as the mark of quality of the writing. It is also understood as the selection of certain words or phrases that become peculiar to a writer.
Example:
Certain writers in the modern day and age use archaic terms such as ‘thy’, ‘thee’ and ‘wherefore’ to imbue a Shakespearean mood to their work.
Binoy:
Doppelganger
দ্বিচরিত্র
Definition:
The term is derived from the German language and literally translates into ‘double walker’. It refers to a character in the story that is actually a counterfeit or a copy of a genuine character. Doppelgangers of the main characters usually bear the ability to impersonate the original but have vastly different spirits and intentions. The doppelganger usually has a different appearance but an earthly soul and supernatural hoodwinking abilities that allow it to fool other unsuspecting characters.
Example:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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