Definition of Satire Satire is a genre of literature that uses wit for the purpose of social criticism. Satire ridicules problems in society, government, businesses, and individuals in order to bring attention to certain follies, vices, and abuses, as well as to lead to improvements. Irony and sarcasm are often an important aspect of satire. Satirists also often use juxtaposition,
Read moreSearch Results for: satire
Evidence
Definition of Evidence Evidence is any sort of information that supports a certain assertion. The evidence can be weak or strong, can lead to only one or multiple conclusions, and can come in many forms. For example, in the field of law, evidence can take the form of testimony, physical evidence, or documentary evidence. In science, the definition of evidence
Read morePastiche
Definition of Pastiche A pastiche is any work of art that imitates the style of another artist or artists. Pastiches are not meant to ridicule the original style in the way that a parody does; instead, a pastiche respects the original style and often pays some homage to it. In literature, a pastiche usually is a light-hearted imitation that is
Read moreFarce
Definition of Farce A farce is a lighthearted comedy that centers around a ridiculous plot that usually involves exaggerated and improbable events. Farces usually do not have much character development, but instead rely on absurdity, physical humor, and a skillful exploitation of a situation. Farce examples also often occur in just one place where all the events occur. This can
Read moreComedy
Definition of Comedy Comedy is a form of entertainment meant to be humorous, whether in literature, television, film, or stand-up. The goal of most comedy examples is to induce laughter in the audience. There are many different forms of comedy, such as screwball comedy, black comedy, innuendo, parody, satire, pun, comedy of manners, romantic comedy, farce, burlesque, sarcasm, dramatic irony,
Read moreEpistolary
Definition of Epistolary An epistolary work of literature is one written through a series of documents. Most often, these documents are letters, though they can also be diary entries, newspaper clippings, and, more recently, blog posts and emails. The definition of epistolary novels can be further classified into monologic (the letters or diary entries of only one person), dialogic (letters
Read moreMyth
Definition of Myth A myth is a story that comes from an ancient culture and often includes supernatural elements. These elements may be anything from talking animals to people with superhuman powers to the interference of gods and goddesses in human affairs. Myths traditionally were created to explain the origins of the world or of belief systems, practices, or natural
Read moreDystopia
Definition of Dystopia Dystopia is a genre in literature that depicts a frightening society or community. The society can be frightening for many reasons, and generally has one or more of the following problems: a corrupt and/or totalitarian government, dehumanization due to technological advances, environmental disasters, eradication of the family, cultish religions, limited resources, and unchecked violence. Dystopias therefore usually
Read moreInvective
Definition of Invective Invective is insulting or abusive language used to express blame or severe disapproval. Invective often occurs due to deeply seated ill will, and can also be called vituperation or vitriol. Invective can take the form of a single word or expression, or be an entire discourse aimed at offending or hurting someone else. The word invective comes
Read moreGenre
Definition of Genre A genre is any stylistic category in literature that follows specific conventions. Examples of genre in literature include historical fiction, satire, zombie romantic comedies (zom-rom-com), and so on. Many stories fit into more than one genre. The conventions that works follow to be a part of a certain genre change over time, and many genres appear and
Read moreCaricature
Definition of Caricature In literature, a caricature is a character who is given a combination of oversimplified and exaggerated characteristics and features. While the type of caricatures that are popular as street art or political cartoons only highlight physical features, caricature examples in literature can often include personality features that are oversimplified or exaggerated. Caricatures can often be used for
Read moreParody
Definition of Parody A parody is an imitation of a writer, artist, subject, or genre in such a way as to make fun of or comment on the original work. Parodies are often exaggerated in the way they imitate the original in order to produce a humorous effect. While parodies are generally intended to amuse, they are not always comedic
Read moreRhetoric
Definition of Rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of using language to persuade, motivate, or inform an audience via writing or speech. This is also known as the art of discourse. The goal of rhetoric is to move the audience to action through effective arguments. While rhetoric was originally seen as most important for political discourse, scholars who study it find
Read moreLitotes
Definition of Litotes Litotes is a figure of speech in which a negative statement is used to affirm a positive sentiment. For example, when asked how someone is doing, that person might respond, “I’m not bad.” In fact, this means that the person is doing fine or even quite well. The extent to which the litotes means the opposite is
Read moreOxymoron
Definition of Oxymoron An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two seemingly opposing and contradictory elements are juxtaposed. In literature, oxymora, also known as oxymorons, often reveal a paradox. The word oxymoron is in itself an oxymoron. It comes from the Ancient Greek word oxumoron, a compound of the words oxus, meaning “sharp” or “keen” and moros, meaning
Read moreElegy
Definition of Elegy An elegy is a mournful poem, usually written in remembrance of a lost one for a funeral or as a lament. An elegy tells the traffic story of an individual, or an individual’s loss, rather than the collective story of a people, which can be found in epic poetry. An elegy generally combines three stages of loss:
Read more