Literary Terms
Wit | Definition
September 23, 2026
Wit is derived from the Old English witan, meaning ‘to know,’ a term whose meaning has changed several times over the centuries. In the late Middle Ages, wit referred to intellect and intelligence as opposed...
Scansion | Definition
September 23, 2026
Scansion is an analysis of verse to show its meter. A stanza of a verse contains some lines and each line contains different metrical patterns. Some lines may have iambic or some have a Napes-tic...
Refrain | Definition
September 23, 2026
A refrain is a line or part of a line or a group of lines which is repeated in the poem, usually at the end of each stanza. The refrain may sometimes appear with slight...
Nonsense Rhyme | Definition
September 23, 2026
Nonsense rhyme is a type of light verse which is entertaining because of its rhythmic appeal and absurd or far fetched ideas. It particularly emphasizes rhythmic and sound effects over meaning. It also frequently makes...
Epic Simile | Definition
September 23, 2026
The epic simile is a figurative device first popularized by Homer in his epics. It is a comparison that may be as long as a dozen lines. An epic simile is used typically in epic...
Conceit | Definition
September 22, 2026
The conceit is a kind of metaphor in which an unusual comparison is extended by using witty and forced argument. This is a device that was made popular by a group of poets called the...
Lyrical Ballads | Definition
August 23, 2026
A long step forward in the history of romanticism was taken with the publication of the Lyrical Ballads in 1798 jointly by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was not a conscious movement at...
Pastoral Elegy | Definition
August 23, 2026
An elegy is a poem on the death of someone. And pastoral suggest that the elegy is related to ‘shepherd’, and rustic life. Pastoral elegies are poems in which the poet speaks in the guise...
Elegy | Definition
August 22, 2026
An elegy is an expression of grief. It is a song of mourning. It was originally the form of poetry on the subject of sadness, especially ‘complaints about love’. But now the word normally refers...
Ballad | Definition
August 22, 2026
The ballad is probably the simplest form of narrative poem which tells a story in simple and colloquial language. The principal function of a narrative poem is to narrate what has actually happened, that is...
