Epiphany

This is a specific type of defamiliaration (see last post) by which the ordinary is shown in an unfamiliar and radiant light as a sudden, almost spiritual, manifestation. It is common in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: "The green square of paper pinned round the lamp cast down a tender shade. On the dresser was a plate of sausages and white pudding and on the shelf there were eggs .... White pudding and eggs and sausages and cups of tea. How simple and beautiful was life after all!"

Defamiliarisation

This is a function of some literature, particularly poetry, as a general mode but more specifically when the mundane is suddenly made to seem strange or magical and no longer familiar. It makes us see the everyday with new eyes. It may be connected to an epiphany (see next post).

ANALOGUE

This refers to a story similar to the one under analysis. Such variants were common in oral literature and, if it has been proved that an author was familiar with the analogue, any changes could be considered a clue to the creator's intention. In the Middle Ages originality was not deemed as important as it is today and so borrowing a plot was normal.

Prescribe and proscribe

To prescribe is to recommend a medicine: to proscribe means to forbid.

FABLIAU

A fabliau (plural fabliaux) is a coarse short tale related bluntly for humour. Well known examples are Chaucer's Miller's and Reeve's Tales.

Paraphrase and Precis

If you are asked to paraphrase a passage you rewrite it, at a similar length, in your own words. A précis of a passage, is a summary of its main points which reduces it in length, usually to one third of the original. To remember the difference, think of the word precise.

Summary and Summery

Summary means a brief  statement of the main points and summery refers to anything typical of summer.
Perhaps one way of remembering is that main begins with ma which recurs in the word summary.

To rationalise

This verb is used of a psychological process whereby a person justifies with false reasoning an action which he or she wishes to take irrationally. In Jane Austen's Emma, the eponymous heroine wants to prevent Harriet Smith from marrying Robert Martin for selfish and meddling motives but rationalises her interference by telling herself that it is for Harriet's own good.

Trouthe

When reading Chaucer it is vital to realise that some words, which appear like modern English terms, have important differences in meaning. Trouthe does not mean truth but is a solemn promise on which a person's entire integrity resides and which must not be broken under any circumstances. The Franklin's Tale in The Canterbury Tales has its narrative base in two such conflicting promises.

MOOD and TONE

In literary analysis it is helpful to acknowledge or create a distinction between these terms:
mood represents the writer's feelings towards his/her subject matter; tone results from her/his attitude to the topic.
The mood might be sad or joyful or any other emotional state whilst the tone could be ironic, adulatory etc and is more a mental state.

DIMINUTIO

This is a rhetorical device used by speakers and by Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales whereby a character disparages his own skills, often claiming to be a blunt person, incapable of elevated discourse. This allows him to be crude or, alternatively, impressive with poetic language which comes as a surprise. The Franklin says he is a "burel" [plain, homely] man and yet tries to win admiration with a Tale about aristocrats with some rhetorical flourishes.  The device may still be heard when someone starts a speech: "Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking."

Consonant suffixes

Suffixes beginning with consonants do not often cause spelling problems: usually you tack them on to the end of a word without altering it: sincere + ly = sincerely
Exception: words ending in le change the le to ly: able/ably, subtle/subtly
Other exceptions: fully, truly, duly, wholly, argument
Common consonant suffixes are: ful, ness, ment, some, tion, sion, ly

Compliment and Complement

Both these can be used as nouns or verbs.
Compliment is the more common. It means to praise someone: He complimented her on her writing.
Complement means to add on and improve: The belt complemented her outfit. To remember the spelling, think of the word complete.

Prefixes

Prefixes are syllables which add on to the start of a word to change its meaning.
Usually you tack them on without any alteration: dis + appear = disappear 
Keep any double letters that result: dis + satisfaction = dissatisfaction

Common prefixes are: dis, un, mis, re, al (not all), pre, bi, semi, tri, ex, inter, post, trans

Some prefixes change their first letter to make the words easier to pronounce:
in + legal + illegal   in + mature = immature   sub + fix = suffix

Oral narration in The Canterbury Tales

We encounter this in literary study of The Canterbury Tales and it is important to recall that the frame narrative (the pilgrimage) implies that the stories are heard by listeners. Also the Tales would be taken in by ear if someone read aloud to an audience from one of the expensive texts available. This affects the composition as more blatant effects are needed, such as the narrator stating clearly when he or she is about to change the topic.
For detailed analysis of many of the Tales, visit my website Classics of English Literature also hyperlinked from this page.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality occurs when one text refers to another either openly or by suggestion. John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman is the richer if the reader thinks of Jane Austen's Persuasion as a forerunner.

OCCUPATIO

Occupatio is a rhetorical device in classical and medieval literature whereby the narrator states that he/she will not tell the reader/listener something. This has the effect of shortening the story but there is a false yet skilful usage when the teller says the detail will not be related and then proceeds to give it as in: "I will not describe what they ate at the feast, the plump fowl, the succulent venison, the steaming puddings ...." Whilst the listener is reassured he will not be bored, he is absorbing the full account and the device is important in oral narrative.

METER and METRE

Both these words are concerned with measuring.
A meter is the object that counts how much gas or electricity etc you have used.
Metre is the method of making sure that each line of a formal poem is the right length and rhythm. To help you to remember the spelling, think of the term metrical poetry.

ANALYSING A POEM

You may be asked to analyse ("appreciate" or "criticise" mean the same) an unseen poem out of context.
Here are some aspects you could comment on:
1) Topic and theme: the topic is the obvious subject (a vase of flowers) and the theme is the more abstract idea conveyed by it (the transience of life).
2) Speaker and audience: is there an evident personality or persona writing the poem and/or a specific audience?
3) Imagery: use of metaphor, simile and symbol
4) Verse form: sonnet and blank verse are the main types you should recognise. If not, note the rhyme scheme and rhythm.
5) Diction/lexis/vocabulary: notice any contrasts such as colour, the prevalence of a part of speech such as verbs, repetition, conversation, clusters of words with similar references, use of several monosyllables and overall register, whether formal or colloquial.
6) Sound effects: alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia
7) Tone (irony etc) and mood (emotional atmosphere).
Always relate your findings to the local or total effect
A useful book defining technical terms is: The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms by Chris Baldick
Many are explained elsewhere on this blog.

FLOUT AND FLAUNT

These two words are often confused, possibly because both have a sense of impudence about them.
Flout is used when rules or the law are broken in an obvious fashion: She flouted the dress code of her office by wearing jeans.
Flaunt means to show off as in: "If you've got it, flaunt it."

LEXIS

This is a variant for "vocabulary" but with a more literary reference. It has come to replace the older term "diction" to indicate the range of words used in a particular text or passage.

POINT OF VIEW NARRATION

First person narration occurs when the author of a novel apparently becomes one of the characters and uses the pronoun "I". All the events and other people are seen from this perspective and are limited to that viewpoint: the narrator cannot look into the future or to scenes where he or she is not present (unless by report.) There is also a problem with giving personal appearance unless the narrator looks in a mirror or someone else provides a portrait. The main strength of the method is when an unreliable narrator is used, such as a child, to show the confusion, hypocrisy or corruption in adult society by describing it in all innocence, leaving the reader to fill in the full picture.
Third person narration is similar except that the pronouns "he", "she" and "they" are used for the point of view and this can sometimes be combined with omniscient narration (see below.)

OMNISCIENT NARRATION

This term is used of the method of a novelist who remains the author and does not take the point of view of a character. He or she is all-knowing and can describe everything and everyone in the story using the third-person pronouns: he, she, it and they. The advantage is the freedom to relate all events without restriction although the effect can sometimes be to distance the figures so that the reader does not relate closely to them. The narrator may slide into the mind of a character without this being very obvious and this brings the person nearer. A good example is Jane Austen's Emma.