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.