Glossary of Terms 英语文学术语解释

1GlossaryofTerms|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|ZAAbstract:Usedasanoun,thetermreferstoashortsummaryoroutlineofalongerwork.Asanadjectiveappliedtowritingorliteraryworks,abstractreferstowordsorphrasesthatnamethingsnotknowablethroughthefivesenses.ExamplesofabstractsincludetheCliffsNotessummariesofmajorliteraryworks.Examplesofabstracttermsorconceptsincludeidea,guilthonesty,andloyalty.(ComparewithConcrete.)Absurd,Theaterofthe:SeeTheateroftheAbsurdAbsurdism:SeeTheateroftheAbsurdAccent:Theemphasisorstressplacedonasyllableinpoetry.Traditionalpoetrycommonlyusespatternsofaccentedandunaccentedsyllables(knownasfeet)thatcreatedistinctrhythms.Muchmodernpoetryuseslessformalarrangementsthatcreateasenseoffreedomandspontaneity.ThefollowinglinefromWilliamShakespeare'sHamlet:Tobeornottobe:thatisthequestionhasfiveaccents,onthewordsbe,not,be,andthat,andthefirstsyllableofquestion.(SeealsoCadence,Foot,Measure,Meter,poem,Poetics,Poetry,Scansion,SprungRhythm,Verse,andVersification.)Act:Amajorsectionofaplay.Actsaredividedintovaryingnumbersofshorterscenes.Fromancienttimestothenineteenthcenturyplaysweregenerallyconstructedoffiveacts,butmodernworkstypicallyconsistofone,two,orthreeacts.Examplesoffive-actplaysincludetheworksofSophoclesandShakespeare,whiletheplaysofArthurMillercommonlyhaveathree-actstructure.(ComparewithScene.)(Seealsodrama.)Acto:Aone-actChicanotheaterpiecedevelopedoutofcollectiveimprovisation.ActoswereperformedbymembersofLuisValdez'sTeatroCampesinoinCaliforniaduringthemid-1960s.Aestheticism:Aliteraryandartisticmovementofthenineteenthcentury.Followersof2themovementbelievedthatartshouldnotbemixedwithsocial,political,ormoralteaching.Thestatementartforart'ssakeisagoodsummaryofaestheticism.ThemovementhaditsrootsinFrance,butitgainedwidespreadimportanceinEnglandinthelasthalfofthenineteenthcentury,whereithelpedchangetheVictorianpracticeofincludingmorallessonsinliterature.OscarWildeisoneofthebest-knownaesthetesofthelatenineteenthcentury.(SeealsoDecadents.)AffectiveFallacy:(AlsoknownasSympatheticFallacy.)Anerrorinjudgingthemeritsorfaultsofaworkofliterature.Theerrorresultsfromstressingtheimportanceofthework'seffectuponthereader—thatis,howitmakesareaderfeelemotionally,whatitdoesasaliterarywork—insteadofstressingitsinnerqualitiesasacreatedobject,orwhatitis.TheaffectivefallacyisevidentinAristotle'spreceptfromhisPoeticsthatthepurposeoftragedyistoevokefearandpityinitsspectators.AgeofJohnson:(AlsoknownasAgeofSensibility).TheperiodinEnglishliteraturebetween1750and1798,namedafterthemostprominentliteraryfigureoftheage,SamuelJohnson.Workswrittenduringthistimearenotedfortheiremphasisonsensibility,oremotionalquality.TheseworksformedatransitionbetweentherationalworksoftheAgeofReason,orNeoclassicalperiod,andtheemphasisonindividualfeelingsandresponsesoftheRomanticperiod.SignificantwritersduringtheAgeofJohnsonincludedthenovelistsAnnRadcliffeandHenryMackenzie,dramatistsRichardSheridanandOliverGoldsmith,andpoetsWilliamCollinsandThomasGray.(ComparewithNeoclassicismandromanticism.)AgeofReason:SeeNeoclassicismAgeofSensibility:SeeAgeofJohnsonAgrarians:AgroupofSouthernAmericanwritersofthe1930sand1940swhofosteredaneconomicandculturalprogramfortheSouthbasedonagriculture,inoppositiontotheindustrialsocietyoftheNorth.Thetermcanrefertoanygroupthatpromotesthevalueoffarmlifeandagriculturalsociety.MembersoftheoriginalAgrariansincludedJohnCroweRansom,AllenTate,andRobertPennWarren.AlexandrineMeter:SeeMeterAllegory:Anarrativetechniqueinwhichcharactersrepresentingthingsorabstract3ideasareusedtoconveyamessageorteachalesson.Allegoryistypicallyusedtoteachmoral,ethical,orreligiouslessonsbutissometimesusedforsatiricorpoliticalpurposes.ExamplesofallegoricalworksincludeEdmundSpenser'sTheFaerieQueeneandJohnBunyan'sThePilgrim'sProgress.(SeealsoExemplumandFable.)Alliteration:Apoeticdevicewherethefirstconsonantsoundsoranyvowelsoundsinwordsorsyllablesarerepeated.ThefollowingdescriptionoftheGreenKnightfromtheanonymousSirGawainandtheGreenKnightgivesanexampleofalliteration:Andinguiseallofgreen,thegearandtheman:Acoatcutclose,thatclungtohissidesAnamantletomatch,madewithaliningOffurscutandfitted—thefabricwasnoble....(ComparewithAssonanceandrhyme.)(Seealsopoem,Poetics,Poetry,Verse,andVersification.)Allusion:Areferencetoafamiliarliteraryorhistoricalpersonorevent,usedtomakeanideamoreeasilyunderstood.Forexample,describingsomeoneasaRomeomakesanallusiontoWilliamShakespeare'sfamousyoungloverinRomeoandJuliet.AmerindLiterature:ThewritingandoraltraditionsofNativeAmericans.NativeAmericanliteraturewasoriginallypassedonbywordofmouth,soitconsistedlargelyofstoriesandeventsthatwereeasilymemorized.AmerindproseisoftenrhythmiclikePoetrybecauseitwasrecitedtothebeatofaceremonialdrum.ExamplesofAmerindliteratureincludetheautobiographicalBlackElkSpeaks,theworksofN.ScottMomaday,JamesWelch,andCraigLeeStrete,andthepoetryofLuciTapahonso.Analogy:Acomparisonoftwothingsmadetoexplainsomethingunfamiliarthroughitssimilaritiestosomethingfamiliar,ortoproveonepointbasedontheaccepted