English Literary Terms বিসিএস ইংরেজি সাহিত্য প্রস্তুতি

বিসিএস প্রস্ততিতে Literary Terms অত্যন্তগুরুত্বপুর্ন, Literary Terms এ ভাল প্রস্ততি থাকলে বিসিএস এ ভালো করা সম্ভব। এখানে Literary Terms এর শর্ট ফর্ম নিচে দেয়া হল।

Literary terms refer to the technique, style, and formatting used by writers and speakers to masterfully emphasize, embellish, or strengthen their compositions. They can also include the tools of persuasion that writers use to convince and drive audiences to action.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- A

 

Alliteration (পরস্পর সম্পর্কযুক্ত বা পাশাপাশি স্থাপিত শব্দের শুরুতে একই বর্ণ বা একই উচ্চারন ভঙ্গি) is—

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or within words. For example; the following line of Kubla Khan is the example of an alliteration: Five miles meandering with mazy motion (m is repeated).

 

Allusion (পরোক্ষভাবে উল্লেখিত বিষয়) is ——-

A passing reference to historical or fictional characters, place or events. Allusion may refer to mythology, religion, literature, history or art. It refers to historical or fictional characters.

 

Ambiguity (একাধিক অর্থ হতে পারে এমন বাক্য) means——

Double or even multiple meaning.

 

Anachronism (কালের অসঙ্গতি) is———

An event, object, custom, person or thing that is out of its natural order in time. Anachronism is found in Julius Caesar.

 

Analogy (অনুরুপতা) means —–

A comparison of similar things

 

Anapest (ত্রিমাত্রিক ছন্দ বিশেষ) means ——

A metrical FOOT consisting of three syllables.

 

Anticlimax (গুরুতর কোন কিছু থেকে আকস্মিক পতন; পূর্ববর্তী উত্থানের সঙ্গে বৈপরীত্যসূচক পতন) is—–

An effect that spoils a climax. A sudden fall from the serious to the trivial (The Rape of the Lock). Actually, anti-climax is one kind of throwing water to the burning fire.

 

Aphorism (প্রবাদ বা স্মরনীয় বানী) is—-

A brief expression of a universal truth. A terse statement of a principle or truth. A brief statement of a principle or truth, usually an observation about life. For example, Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

 

Apologue (নীতি কাহিনী) is ———

Any story, short or long, designed to illustrate the truth of a statement.

 

Archetype (আদিরুপ) refers——

Universal symbols. Such as the sea symbolizes the mystery of the world.

 

Anecdote—

A short story about a famous person.

 

Aside (আপনমনে/ স্বগত উক্তি) ——

Aside provides information to the audience about a character’s thoughts, inner feelings, and private interpretations of ongoing action.

 

Autobiography (কোন লেখকের আত্নজীবনী) is——

A part of a person’s life written by that person, usually with publication in mind.

 

Aesthetics (নন্দনতত্ব) means —

The philosophy of art; the study of the nature of beauty in literature and the art.

 

Antagonist (বিরোধব্যাক্তি) means —

Usually, the character in fiction or drama who stands in direct opposition to or in conflict with the central character.

 

Antihero means —

A central character or protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities and virtues. An antihero may be comic, antisocial or pathetic.

 

Allegory (রুপক) is —

A story with a double meaning: a primary or surface meaning, and a secondary or under-the surface meaning.

 

Absurdity (উদ্ভটত্ব) —-

Spiritual loneliness is the chief trait of absurdity. It develops basing on the Existentialism. It flourishes in Europe and America in the 1950s and 1960s. The vital aspect of absurdity is that life is meaningless. Albert Camu, Franz Kafka, and Samuel Becket are famous absurd writers.

 

Aestheticism (সৌন্দর্য তত্ব)—

Worshipping of beauty; for ‘art for art’s sake. Aestheticism is found in John Keats lines from Ode on a Grecian Urn: Beauty is truth, truth beauty.

 

Assonance (স্বরসাদৃশ্য)—-

It is usually used within a line of poetry for unity or rhythmic effect. The close repetition of middle vowel sounds between different consonant sounds. In Keats To Autumn we see the existence of assonance. Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook.

 

Apostrophe (সম্বোধন-অলংকারবিশেষ; (‘) উল্টা কমা)——

Apostrophe is the device by which an actor turns from the audience, or a writer from readers, to address a person who usually is either absent or dead or an abstract idea. In apostrophe, when a non-human object is addressed, it implies personification.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- B

 

Ballad (পল্লিগিতি) means ——-

A form of narrative poetry that presents a single dramatic episode, which is often tragic or violent. Ballads typically tell stories of unhappy love affairs; domestic tragedies etc.

 

Ballad stanza (stanza -কবিতার স্তবক) means —–

The stanza form of the ballad, usually four lines rhyming abcb.

 

Bathos (রচনার কোন গভীর বিষয় থেকে হঠাৎ লঘু বিষয়ে চলে আসা) is—–

An excessive sentimentality. Bathos is produced by an unsuccessful attempt to bring out pity or sorrow from the reader.

 

Biography (জীবনী) is—-

An accurate life history of a particular person written by another person.

 

Bibliography (লেখকের প্রমানিকতা) is—-

The science of description of books, a list of authorities any subject.

 

Blank verse (অমিত্রাক্ষর ছন্দ) means——

Poetry written in unrhymed lambic Pentameter. Blank verse is the poetry without rhyme. It is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Blank verse means rhymeless poem. Actually a poem is written in blank verse as the style of prose. It is a composition without rhyme. Prose-poems are written in blank verse. Milton’s Paradise Lost and Browning’s My Last Duchess are written in blank verse.

 

Burlesque ( বালেসক) —(কোন কৌতুক বিষয়ক রচনা)—–

It is a kind of satirical play in which the spirit of true comedy is presented in a satirical manner.

 

Blend—–

A word formed by combining two or more words. For example, brunch (breakfast ও lunch এর মিলিত রুপ, প্রাতরাশ বা মধ্যাহ্নভোজনের পরিবর্তে শেষ সকালের আহার) (breakfast + lunch).

 

Black comedy or Dark comedy——

A kind of drama which represents the meaninglessness of human existence. It reflects that life is controlled by fate or fortune. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is a black comedy.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- V

 

Canto (বহু খন্ডে বিভক্ত উপন্যাস বা কাব্য) is ——

A part of a poem of considerable length. A subdivision of an epic or other long narrative poem. The canto is used as a subdivision in Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Alexander Pope’s Rape of the Lock.

 

Caricature (রম্য রচনা) means-

Descriptive writing that exaggerates specific features of appearance or personality. It is usually used for comical sense.

 

Catastrophe (দুঃখময় পরিনতি)——

Denotes the last stage of a tragedy. The final action of a tragic play where a hero faces the climatic situation as the hero Hamlet faces the catastrophe in his life. Actually, catastrophe means the climatic situation or the turning point of the tragedies.

 

Catharsis (ট্র্যাজেডিতে বা নাটকে গভীর অনুভূতির কথা অন্যকে জানাবার ফলে যে আবেগ মুক্তি ঘটে)——-

According to Aristotle, the power of tragedy to purge / wash out / cleanse the emotions of pity and fear that incidents have aroused.

 

Characterization is—

The method by which an author creates the appearance and personality. It also means the presentation of the character in action. It is the representation of the character’s inner self.

 

Chronicle (উপখ্যান/ সময়ানুক্রমে সংঘটিত ধারাবাহিক ঘটনার বিবরন) play——-

Generally, a play having a historical theme. William Shakespeare’s Henry IV is the example of this play.

 

Classic (সর্বোত্তম মানসম্পন্ন) is—–

A work of literature that is universally acknowledged to be superior to other works. In this sense, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a classic of English literature. The literature of ancient Greece and Rome is classical.

 

Classicism (in criticism) (প্রাচীন গ্রীক ও রোমীয় গ্রন্থকার ইত্যদির রচনাশৈলী)—–

Discussing and ultimately judging a literary work in terms of principles derived from admired qualities in classics of Greek and Roman literature. It is often contrasted with, even pitted against, romanticism. Classicism basically refers to the literary works of Greeks and Roman writers. It is just the opposite of Romanticism.

 

Climax (কাহিনী ও নাটকের শেষ ধাপ/ কোন ঘটনার চরম পরিনতি ) is ——–

The climax is usually also the crisis or turning point of the fortunes of the protagonists.

 

Closed couplet (দুই লাইনের শ্লোক/ দ্বিপদী)—–

A pair of rhymed lines of poetry in which thought and grammatical structure are complete; called a heroic couplet.

 

Coherence (সংলগ্লতা) is—-

Often linked with unity and emphasis as the basic requirements of composition.

 

Colloquialism (চলিত ভাষা বা কথ্য ভাষার রুপ) is ———-

A word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing. Actually it is local or rural language of the common people. Wordsworth believes in colloquial language.

 

Comedy—

A form of drama that is intended to amuse and ends happily. A kind of drama that entertains us and makes us laugh. In particular, a play written mainly to amuse or entertain and usually having a happy ending.

 

Classic—

A work of the highest class or rank in literature or art

 

Connotation is—

The indirect meaning of a word. Mother means a female parent but it usually connotes love, sympathy, security and nature.

 

Comedy of intrigue—

The comedy of intrigue is a play in which plot treatment is more important than characterization.

 

Comedy of manners ——

It presents the manners and social code of a sophisticated society. For example, Congreve’s The Way of the World is a comedy of manners.

 

Comedy of humors—

A form of comedy in which each character’s actions are dictated by some exaggerated trait, or humor. It presents humorous characters whose actions are governed by a particular passion. It is a psychological interpretation of character and personality. Ben Jonson has written comedy of humor named Every Man in his Humour.

 

Comedy of Ideas —–

A form of comedy that presents certain ideas or theories through debate George Bernard Show’s Man and Superman is an example of it.

 

Comic relief In—-

a tragedy or other serious work, a humorous incident, action, or remark that relieves emotional tension. Comic relief in seen in Dr. Faustus.

 

Comparative literature—–

A field of literary study that explores the relationships between the literatures of different national cultures or languages. For example, Kazi Nazrul’s poem Bidrahi can be compared with Whitman’s Song of Myself.

 

Conceit (বুদ্ধিদীপ্ত মন্তব্য)——

An elaborate figure of speech comparing two very dissimilar things. There are two types of conceits, The Petrarchan conceit and the metaphysical conceit. The following lines of John Donne are the example of conceit.

 

Conflict——

The struggle between opposing forces that determines the action in drama and in most narrative fiction.

 

Context ( রচনার কোন অংশের বর্ণনা প্রসঙ্গে) ——–

The part of a work of literature that proceeds or follows a given word, phrase, or passage.

 

Couplet (দুই লাইনের ছন্দ যুক্ত কবিতা) ——

Two lines of verse rhyming together. Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme and that are written to the same meter or pattern of accent stressed

and unaccented unstressed syllables.

 

Crisis (কাহিনী ও নাটকের শেষ ধাপ/ কোন ঘটনার চরম পরিণতি)—–

The point at which the action turns and the fortune of the protagonist changes for better or worse. It is a structural element of plot.

 

Criticism—

The classification, interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of works of literature.

 

Chivalry —-

The code of conduct of the feudal court in the Medieval Knights.

 

Chorus —

In Greek drama, a group of people who comment on the action of each Episode. Chorus played a vital role in Greek tragedies.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- D

 

Dramatic unities—-

According to Aristotle, every drama must follow three unities. They are unity of action, unity of time and unity of place. The action of tragedy says Aristotle, must be a ‘complete whole’ and it must have organic unity-a beginning, a middle and an end. There must be one action from beginning to the end of drama. The incidents of the plot must be connected with each other and will create a single action that will lead to the catastrophe effect of the play. As regards the unity of time, Aristotle says that tragic action should be limited to 24 hours. The unity of place signifies the fact that the action should take place in one place.

Dialect (আঞ্চলিক ভাষা) ——-

 

The version of a language spoken by the people of a particular region or social group.

Dialogue——

The conversation of two or more people as represented in writing, especially in plays, novels, short stories and narrative poems.

 

Diction (শব্দ চয়ন/ লিখার সময় শব্দ নির্বাচন)——-

Diction is the word of choice. The selection of words is called diction. A word may have denotation or literal meaning; it may also have connotative or associative / usual meaning. For example, the word ‘professional’ literally means a person in a particular profession but its connotation is ‘skilled’. S.T. Coleridge would like to use poetic diction in his poetry.

 

Didactic literature (নির্দেশনা মূলক সাহিত্য)—-

Poetry, plays, novels, and stories whose primary purpose is to guide, instruct or teach. If an author intends to instruct, then the work is didactic.

 

Dimeter——

A line of poetry consisting of two metrical feet.

 

Direct satire——

Another term for formal satire, in which the author or narrator speaks directly to the reader.

 

Discourse (বক্তৃতা/ ভাষন)—–

Spoken or written language, including literary works.

 

Domestic tragedy—-

A tragedy of domestic life where wife is killed by husband or husband is killed by wife. Othello is a domestic tragedy.

 

Double rhyme (মিত্রাক্ষর কবিতা: পদ্য/ কবিতার অন্তমিল) ——–

A rhyme consisting of two syllables.

 

Drama—

An art of representation of life in action on the stage. Generally, a literary work written in dialogue to be performed before an audience by the actors on a stage.

 

Denotation is—-

The direct meaning of a word.

 

Dramatic irony——-

A situation in a play or in a fiction in which a character without knowing makes a remark. Indeed it is a dialogue in a play which conveys one meaning to the character on the stage and different meaning to the audience. It is used both in tragedy and comedy. For example, when Oedipus says, “I Oedipus, whom all men call great” he knows that he is really great but the audience knows that he is the most ignoble.

 

Dramatic monologue (একক অভিনেতার জন্য রচিত নাটক)——-

A poem in which a single character speaks to a silent listener.

 

Dramatic poem—-

A kind of play which in intended, by the author, to be read rather than performed. Milton’s Samson Agonistes is a dramatic poem.

 

Decadence —-

It indicates the decline of quality of art and literature.

 

Digression—

It explains the development of the theme or plot.

 

Dirge—

A funeral song of lamentation.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- E

 

Elegiac stanza ——-

A stanza of four lines in lambic pentameter rhyming abab.

 

Elegy——

A poem of sorrow or mourning for the unexpected and shocking death of the nearest persons.. It is a song of lamentation/mourning.

 

Epic—-

A narrative poem in lofty style deals with heroic deeds. An epic hero like Achilles fights for national interest. Folk epic and literal epic are two types of epic. Iliad is a folk or primary epic. Paradise Lost is literary or secondary epic.

 

Epic simile (উপমা)—–

An open comparison between two dissimilar objects. A lengthy, extensively elaborated simile. It is also called Homeric simile. It is called epic simile because the epic poets introduced the tradition of such similes. In Iliad Hector has been compared to a boar and a lion. In Aeneid, Dido has been compared to a wounded deer.

 

Epigram (বিচিত্র অলঙ্কারপূর্ণ কবিতা/ তীক্ষ্ণ ব্যঞ্জনাপূর্ণ উক্তি)—-

A brief and witty statement. In poetry and prose, any brief, witty, pointed saying is called epigram. A brief and witty statement which is apparently self contradictory. For example Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought (To Skylark, Shelley).

Epithalamion——

A poem or song written to celebrate a wedding. It is a kind of lyric.

 

Epilogue (নাটকের শেষের শিক্ষামূলক বক্তৃতা বা উক্তি; বইয়ের শেষে লিখা মন্তব্য)—-

A concluding speech or comment added to a vel, play or long poem.

 

Episode (প্রাসঙ্গিক উপখ্যান/ ঘটনা মালা)—-

An incident or event that is presented as a single, unified action but that is also part of a longer narrative.

 

Epistolary novel —-

A novel in the form of letters. Pamela by Richardson is an example of it.

 

Essay—–

A composition on a particular theme or topic. Essays are nearly always written in prose. It differs from a short story; a short story is fictitious while an essay is a graphic presentation of something real. Francis Bacon (Of Studies), Joseph Addison (Sir Roger at Church), George Orwell (Shooting an Elephant), E.M Forster (My Wood), Aldous Huxley (Selected Snobberies) are famous essayists.

 

Exaggeration (অতিরঞ্জন) (Hyperbole)—-

Overstatement or tall tale or fish story. Ten thousands I saw at a glance is the example of exaggeration.

 

Euphemism (কোমল ভাষার ব্যবহার)—-

An affected, excessive, artificial style of writing and speech in vogue during the sixteenth century in England.

 

Exclamation—-

Exclamation is interjection of expression violent emotion, such as grief, or hatred. It’s generally begins with how, what or such interjections. Through this figure, a writer can draw a greater attention that is not possible through ordinary statement. fright,

 

Existentialism (অস্তিত্ববাদ, যে মতবাদে মানুষকে সত্তাসারের পূর্বগামী ভাবা হয়) —-

A philosophy that focuses on the individual priority. Human existence can not be meaningless. This philosophy declares individual freedom. Soren Kierkegaard, Sartre, Franz Kafka are Existentialists.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- F

 

Fable (নীতিগল্প/ রূপকথা/ পৌরানিক কাহিনী)————

Usually a short and simple story designed to exemplify a moral lesson. The characters are often animals who exhibit human weakness. A very short, allegorical story of animal characters which teaches a moral for human beings. Aesop’s fables are best examples. A short, allegorical story contains animal characters and has a specific moral lesson. Its characters are often animals who speaks and act like human beings. Aesop’s Fables is example of it.

 

Fantasy (উদ্ভট কল্পনা) —

Fantasy may be written for pure enjoyment or as serious or satirical remarks on human affairs and institutions. It is one kind of hyperbolic and exotic imagination.

 

Farce (প্রহসন / হাসির নাটক/ ভাঁড়ামি)—-

A type of comedy. Actually it is often just an element in a comedy. It is a type of low comedy. Fielding, the novelist, produced a few farces which achieved remarkable success during his time.

 

Fiction (গল্প কাহিনী রুপকথা ইত্যাদি সাহিত্যের শাখা/ বানানো বা মিথ্যা গল্প) —

Narrative writing that is the product of the author’s imagination, an invention rather than actual history or fact. Sometimes it is based on facts but narrated with the colour of imagination. All novels and short stories are included fiction. Fables, parables, fairy tales and folklore are not called fiction.

 

Figurative language (কল্পনা করা যায় এমন ভাষা)—–

Language that contains figures of speech, such as metaphor, simile, personification and hyperbole. Actually figurative language means ornamental language.

 

Figure of speech—–

The ornaments of language. The most useful figures are simile, metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, personification, hyperbole etc. Expressions, such as metaphor, simile, personifications, that make comparisons meant to be taken imaginatively rather than literally.

 

First person point of view—-

There are two general narrative points of view, first person I and third person (he, she, they)

 

Flashback (চলচিত্রে অতীত ঘটনার দৃশ্য)—-

In fiction and film, a way of presenting scenes or incidents that took place before the opening scene. The hero and the heroine express their deep feeling of the sweet memory or the memory of depression through the flashback.

 

Foil (যে ব্যক্তি বা বস্তু বৈপরীত্যের মাধ্যমে অন্য ব্যক্তি বা বস্তুর গুনাবলীকে প্রকট করে তোলে)—–

A character who points up the qualities of another character. In William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, part I, Hotspur, with his fiery determination, serves as a foil to Prince Hal.

 

Folk ballad—-

Narrative poetry that tells a story of common people, often through the use of dialogue.

 

Folk epic—

An epic of communal, unknown, or uncertain origin. It is also called primary epic. Iliad is a folk epic.

 

Folklore (লোককাহিনী)—-

The traditional songs, legends, beliefs, techniques, and customs of a people that are passed from one generation to the next.

 

Foot (চরন)—–

The basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry. A foot consists most often of at least one accented ( stressed) syllable and one or more unaccented (unstressed) syllable.

 

Form ( আকার)—–

The organizing principle that shapes a work of literature.

 

Free verse ( মুক্ত ছন্দ)—–

A type of poetry that differs from traditional verse forms in that it is free of the regular beat of meter. Free verse usually lacks rhyme and has irregular line lengths and fragmentary syntax. The modern free-verse movement began in the 19th century with Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass and the poetry of French symbolists Charles Baudelaire.

 

Fancy—-

It is an aspect of imagination. Fancy and imagination are used interchangeably. Coleridge and Wordsworth consider Fancy a limited form of imagination.

 

Feminism—-

A movement that took place in 1970. The aim of this movement is to recover and re-assess the works of women authors. It is a relatively modern term that denotes the belief that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. Its also aim is to evaluate the female image as portrayed by male authors. The main goal of this movement is to establish a tradition of literature and literary criticism by women to counterbalance the male tradition. Adrienne Rich is one of the pioneer figures of this movement.

 

Formalism—-

A school of literary criticism in Russia. This school appeared in 1920. According to Formalism, art is style and technique and the chief function of it to criticize the objective and tific analysis of literary style.

 

খুব গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ইংরেজি Literary Terms – চাকরির প্রস্তুতি

 

Genre (সাহিত্যের বিভাগ বা শাখা)—-

A type of literary work. The novel, the short story, drama, epic, tragedy, comedy, essay, poetry and the lyric poems are all genres.

 

Gothic (পথ বা যাযাবর জাতির ভাষা)—-

Barbaric from the middle ages. Originally referring to the Goths, barbarian tribes who sacked Rome in A.D 410. gothic elements are seen in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

 

Gothic novel————-

A type of novel, characterized by mystery, horror, and the supernatural elements.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- H

 

Hamartia—

The error, mistake, frailty / weakness, or flaw that causes the downfall of a tragic hero. It is also called tragic flaw. Dr. Faustus’ greed for power, King Lear’s error of judgment, Hamlet’s confusion, Macbeth’s sky kissing ambition are the causes of their tragic flaw or doom. In a proverbial language “what is lotted cannot be blotted”.

 

Hedonism / utilitarianism (সুখবাদ)—–

The pursuit of pleasure for all. The main aim of it is to ensure happiness for all. John Stuart Mill and Bentham are the preacher of hedonism.

 

Heroic couplet——

A pair of rhyming iambic pentameter lines; the favored verse form of 18th century neoclassical poets. Although it was introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer, this couplet takes its name from its use in the heroic drama of JohnDryden and the mock epic of Alexander Pope.

 

High comedy———–

Comedy characterized by polish, elegance, and wit. Witty, fine and polished comedy that appeals to the intellect is called high comedy.

 

Historical novel———–

A novel that attempts to re-create an historically significant personage or series of events.

 

Historical play——–

A play centered on historical events. Shakespeare’s Henry IV is a historical play.

 

Historical fiction—–

A type of fiction that tries to re-create past events that took place the writer’s time.

 

Hubris (আত্মাভিমান)——-

The Greek word for pride or insolence. In the Poetics, Aristotle identifies hubris as the defect of character that leads the tragic hero to a distressed condition. It is an important term in all discussions of tragedy. It means excessive pride which leads to disastrous consequences.

 

Humor (রসবোধ/ মেজাজ)—–

Anything that causes laughter or amusement. Falstaff is the best humorous character in all Shakespeare’s plays.

 

Hyperbole (অতিরঞ্জন)———-

Exaggeration / overstatement of anything. Ten thousands I saw at a glance is a fine example of hyperbole. In Donne’s poems, we find hyperbolic expression.

 

High comedy——

In contrast, witty, fine, polished comedy that appeals to the intellect is called high comedy.

 

Hero / heroine —-

Generally the central character in a literary work, a personality involved in the main action. The classical hero was a mythological and legendary figures. In modern times, the hero is a personality of noble qualities and actions.

Heroic stanza / heroic quatrain—–

A four-line stanza in lambic Pentameter, rhyming abab.

 

Heptameter—

A line of poetry consisting of seven metrical feet.

 

Hexameter—-

A line of poetry consisting of six metrical feet.

 

Homeric simile—-

Homer used this type of simile. This type of simile is also called epic simile. It is very lengthy and elaborate simile.

 

Hymn——

A lyric poem or song in praise of God. It is sung by Chorus to express religious emotion. Keats’ Hymn to Apollo is an example of it.

 

Humanism—-

Action for human interest; the proper assessment of human values and dignity. In historical sense, humanism identifies the re-birth of classical literature. Renaissance is considered as a movement for humanism.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- L

 

Iamb——

A metrical FOOT (চরন) consisting of two syllables. (Shall 1) (com pare) /(thee tó).

 

Iambic (কবিতার দুই অক্ষরের চরন) meter—

Meter composed of iambic feet or IAMBS. Shall I’/ com pare / thee to a súm /měr’s day?

 

Iambic pentameter: (পঞ্চ স্বরাঘাতবিশিষ্ট দশমাত্রিক কাব্যিক চরন। দশমাত্রিক বলতে ১০ টি accented and unaccented মাত্রাকে বুঝায়)—

A poetic line of five iambic feet. Iambic pentameter is a common meter in English poetry. It is the meter of blank verse, the sonnet, and the heroic couplet.

Shall í / com pare / thee tó / a súm/mer’s day? (Shall 1)/(com apare (thee to/a sum/mer’s day?s day)

 

Or

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

(Couplet)

 

A poetic line of five iambic feet. Tambic pentameter is a common meter in English poetry. It is the meter of blank verse, the sonnet, and the heroic couplet.

 

Imagination—–

The image-making and synthesizing power of the human mind.; the source of creating thinking.

 

Image —–

An image may simply name something. It is likeness’ of something. It is basically a picture of a particular thing. In literature pictures are drawn with words. So an image is a ‘picture in words’.

 

Imagery —-

Imagery is the total picture produced by the images. It is a collective form of images. For example, all the literal and figurative images in To Autumn produce a total picture of autumn. Tennyson uses several images in his famous poem Ulysses to produce a complete picture of Ulysses.

 

Imitation—–

In general, a copy, facsimile, or representation.

 

Indirect satire——-

A type of satire in which the author does not address the reader directly.

 

Informal essay———-

A prose composition, usually brief and without formal structure, written to amuse or to entertain.

 

Irony (বক্তব্যকে জোরালো করার জন্য নিজ চিন্তার সম্পূর্ণ বিপরীত কিছু বলে মনোভাব ব্যক্তকরন, বক্রাঘাত) ————

In its broadest sense, the acknowledgment of the incongruity, or difference, between reality (what is) and appearance (what seems to be).

 

Interlude—–

Interlude is a short amusing play of the middle ages.

 

Italian sonnet——

This sonnet is known as Petrachan sonnet. This type of sonnet has two parts–octave and sestet. First eight lines are called octave and its rhyme abba, abba. The remaining six lines are called sestet. Its rhyme is cde, cde. Octave contains problem and sestet resolve this problem.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- L

 

Legend—-(লোককাহিনী)—

A story about the life and deeds of a saint, folk hero, or historical figure, that is handed down from generation to generation and is popularly accepted as true. A legend differs from a myth in concerning itself less with he supernatural. Beowulf, King Arthur, Hamlet are notable example of legendary figures. Legend is a story about a semi-heroic human figure. Beowulf is one of the greatest legendary figures..

 

Literary ballad—-

Literary ballad is known as art ballad or folk ballad. It is a narrative poetry written by well-known authors containing more important language and poetic diction.

 

Light verse—–

Verse written to amuse.

 

Linguistics—-

The scientific study of a language. Phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics are the branches of linguistics.

 

Literature——

Writings in poetry and prose of recognized excellence, valued for their powerful, personal, and imaginative expression of life.

 

Lyric–(গীতিকবিতা)—–

A usually short, personal poem expressing the poet’s emotions and thoughts rather than telling a story. It may have different forms like elegy, ode, ballad, and sonnet.

 

Low comedy—-

Crude, lively comedy filled with buffoonery and rough jokes is called low comedy.

 

Litotes (অর্থালঙ্কারবিশেষ)—

Litotes is a special type of irony that declares a strong confirmation by negating its contrary.

 

Literary criticism—-

Proper assessment of literature. It teaches how to study literature. It also teaches how to find out literary excellence and principals. Literary criticism is of many types: Theoretical criticism, Practical criticism, analytical criticism, judicial criticism, objective criticism, rhetorical criticism, Marxist criticism, Archetypal criticism, mythic criticism, New criticism, Feminist criticism and so on.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- M

 

Morality play——

Abstract virtue and moral conflict in the soul. A medieval dramatic shape, which symbolically presents a perfect Christian life on the stage. Christopher Marlow’s Doctor Faustus is an example of morality play.

 

Miracle (অলৌকিক ঘটনা) play—-

A medieval religious drama based on a incredible event in a saint’s life on a story from Bible. A type of medieval play which deals with the incredible events of the life of saints.

 

Mystery play—-

A medieval form of play which is based on the Biblical stories. A medieval religious drama based on an event in the Bible.

 

Marxist criticism—-

The basic assumption of Marxist criticism is that those who control a society’s economics also control or largely influence the society’s cultural and intellectual products.

 

Melodrama (আবেগধর্মী মিলনান্তক নাটক; রম্য-নাটক)—-

A type of drama, popular since 19th centaury that pits unbelievably good characters (the hero and heroine) against a wickedly, hopelessly evil characters (the villain)

 

Metaphor (শব্দের রুপক উপমার অলঙ্কার বিশেষ; রুপক)—-

Referring to different things with similar effect. An implicit comparison between two dissimilar things. A figure of speech in which one thing is imaginatively compared to or identified with another, dissimilar thing. For example, in Song of Myself, Walt Whitman’s outstanding metaphor for grass is “the beautiful uncut hair of graves.“

 

Metaphysical conceit—

A conceit is basically a simile or a comparison between two dissimilar things. There are two types of conceits: The Petrarchan and Metaphysical conceit. John Donne has used metaphysical conceit. A conceit used in metaphysical poetry is called metaphysical conceit. John Donne’s comparison between two lover’s souls is a famous example of metaphysical conceit.

 

Metaphyscical poetry—–

John Donne is the pioneer of metaphysical poetry. It is a type of poetry, which deals with abstract, thoughtful and philosophical subjects. Use of conceit and wit is a major trait of metaphysical poetry.

 

Metre (কবিতার ছন্দ বা তাল)—-

The arrangement of “feet” in a verse line. The fixed pattern of pronounced (tone of voice) or unpronounced syllables in the lines of a poem. The fixed

pattern of accented and unaccented syllables in the lines of a poem. The metre of a line of poetry having five iambic feet is called iambic pentameter.

If all / would lead / their lives/ in love / like me.

 

Metonymy (কোন স্থান বা বস্তুর সাথে সম্পর্কযুক্ত শব্দ, যেমন বাংলাদেশ বুঝাঙে ঢাকা)–

A figure of speech that substitutes the name of a related object, person, or idea for the subject at hand. Crown is often substituted for monarchy.

 

Mimesis—–

Mimesis is used in literary criticism to refer to Aristotle’s theory of imitation.

 

Minstrel (কবি বা সুরকার)—–

A professional musician of medieval times.

 

Mock epic—–

A literary work that comically or satirically imitates the Form and Style of the Epic, treating a trivial subject in a lofty manner. Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock is a mock epic.

 

Monody—–

A lament in which the mourner expresses grief for the death of a loved one usually in a soliloquy.

 

Mood (মেজাজ / মনের ভাব)—-

The existing emotional attitude in a literary work or in part of a work, for example, regret, hopefulness, bitterness. Mood is often used interchangeably with tone.

 

Morphology (রুপতত্ব/ শব্দ কিভাবে গঠিত হয়)—

The study of the forms of words and word parts, such as prefixes and suffixes; a branch of linguistics.

 

Motif (সাহিত্য সঙ্গীত প্রভৃতির মূল উপাদান)—–

The symbol is used repeatedly in literature is called motif. In literature, frequent image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation that appears in various works or throughout the same work.

 

Muses ——-

In Greek mythology, the nine daughters of Zeus are considered as Muses.

 

Myth (রুপকথা)—-

Like legends and fables, myths are fictitious tales preserved largely through oral transmission. Myths lack the historical framework of legends and the moral teaching of fables. Myth is an ancient tale about Gods, Goddesses, and their mysterious forces. Supernatural elements are seen in myths.

 

Mythology—

Myths are collectively called mythology.

 

Modernism—-

New type of tendencies in literature. It breaks the established and traditional values by using new form and style. Modernism is found in symbolist movement, Existentialism, and post-impressionism. The principal modernist writers are Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Franz Kafka, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Bertolt Brecht, William Butler Yeats, and T.S. Eliot.

Monologue—-

It is somewhat synonym for Soliloquy. The monologue is much longer than the soliloquy. The soliloquy is a sort of private debate, a dialogue of the mind with itself, a speech of a person to himself when he is all alone. On the other hand in the monologue there is always the presence of a second person to whom the thoughts of the speaker are presented, though the second person cannot interrupt the main speaker. There are listeners and the presence of the listeners affects / influences the talk. In My Last Duchess the listener is the messenger who has come to the Duke from another state to negotiate about the second marriage.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- N

 

Narrative poem (কাহিনী/ উপখ্যান) —

A that tells a story. Epic and ballads are two of the many types of narrative poetry.

 

Neoclassicism-

The dominant literary movement in England during the late 17th and 18th century, which sought to revive the artistic ideals of classical Greece and Rome. Important neoclassic writers of the period include John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Joseph Addison, and Samuel Johnson.

 

Novel-

A lengthy fictional narrative in prose dealing with characters, incidents, and settings that imitate those found in real life. Usually the novel is concerned with the depiction of middle-class and working class characters. It contains usually love story. The progress of the story follows a time sequence. It focuses the realistic picture of a particular society. It may be tragic or comic. It may be general or regional. It may be psychological or social.

 

Novella—

A short prose narrative or tale, about the length of a long short story, that usually presents a single major incident, rather than a series of events as in the novel. Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis is an example of novella.

 

Novelette—–

A short novel usually of thirty to thousand words. It is shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is an example of novelette.

 

Non-fiction novel—–

A kind of recent novel which is based on real characters and events.

 

Nemesis—-

Nemesis or poetic justice is the goodness of justice. It also signifies the ways of God to man-man must suffer for his sins and he learns through sufferings.

 

Naturalism is—

A literary movement that emerged in France, America and England. In recent times the term Naturalism has replaced the term Materialism. Materialism lays stress on the concept of matter, and regards life as complex physical and chemical force. It denies the existence of God, freedom of the will, immortality of the soul, and supernatural entities. It regards nature as the whole reality, which is composed of energy. Naturalism believes in the principle of evolution. According to this, everything comes from matter. Matter is absolute. There is no supernatural power or God, There is no supernatural intervention in the natural causation of events.

 

Negative capability——

An ability that enables a writer to keep himself allof from his writings. It is synonymous of objectivity. According to T. S. Eliot, this kind of writing is called impersonal writing.

 

New criticism—–

Richard I. A. Dr. Ac. Bradly, F.R. Leives, T.S Eliot were famous figures of new movement of literary criticism. This movement started in 1920. According to new critics, “we should read the text closely.” We have to look deeply the qualities of the poem. According to Marx, to know the writings, we have to know the writers. For the assessment, we should know the writers. The biography of the writers should have known by the readers. According to new critics, a writer should be judged through his/ her writings. To them, the writers’ name should be veiled and then the readers should be given to judge the writings of a writer. If a reader knows that Tagore has written this poem, he will not be able to judge the poem because he knows that Tagore is a famous poet. So, the quality of a poet should be judged through his writings.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- O

 

Objectivity (বিষয়গত/ যে লেখক নিজের সম্পর্কে তার লেখায় বলে না)—-

The author does not personally interrupt to comment on the characters. Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue My Last Duchess is an objective poem in which a character is the speaker. It is opposite to subjectivity. It does not expresses the writer’s feelings and personal opinions. It is not a characteristic of autobiography.

 

Ode (গীতিকাব্য) —

A long and elaborate lyric poem that begins with sorrow and ends with consolation. It is often written to praise someone or something or to mark an important occasion.

 

One act play—-

A play in one act, presenting a simple incident involving two or three characters and running for fifteen to forty minutes.

 

Onomatopoeia (কোন । হতে বাক্য গঠন পদ্ধতি যেমন: কুক, কাকা/ ধনাত্মক শব্দ) ——

The use of words whose sound imitates the sound of the thing being named. For example, the pronunciation of words like hum, buzz, clang, boom, hiss suggests their meaning.

 

Oxymoron (যে বাক্যলংকারে বিপরীত অর্থের দুটি ভাব থাকে/ বিরোধালংকার)—-

Oxymoron is the combination of two seemingly contradictory words.

 

Octameter—

A line containing eight metrical feet.

 

Octave—–

The first eight lines of Italian Sonnet. It is also a stanza of eight lines. It contains theme. This stanza pattern has been used by Edmund Spenser, Milton, Keats and Byron.

 

Oral literature—-

The Ballads or folktales that are sung or recited to audiences and are passed with changes from generation to generation through memory rather than by being written down. Iliad and Odyssey are fine example of oral literature.

 

Oxymoron—–

A figure of speech in which two contradictory words are combined in a single expression. Two contradictory words are put together. An actually self-contradictory statement, but it is essentially true. It is synonym of paradox. Wise fool, living death are example of it.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- P

 

Parable (নীতিগর্ভ রুপক কাহিনী)—-

A short tale demonstrating a moral lesson. It is an allegorical story of human characters which teaches a religious moral. There are several famous parables in the Bible,

 

Paradox ( যে উক্তি আপাতত মিথ্যা মনে হলেও আসলে সত্য) ——

An actually self-contradictory statement, but it is essentially true. is counted sweetest, by those who ne’er succeed written by American poet Emily Dickinson is an example of paradox.

Paraphrase (কোন কিছুর অর্থ ভালোভাবে প্রকাশ করার জন্য অন্য শব্দের ব্যবহার) ——-

The paraphrase of a poem is a prose restatement that explains difficult passage, obscure allusion, and poetic diction.

 

Parody —–

A composition that ridicules another composition.

 

Pastoral (পল্লী জীবন সম্পর্কীয়) —–

A poem about shepherds and rural life. A musical composition deals with a pastoral subject. It is such a poem describing the life and manners of shepherds. It deals with the country life.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- P

Pastoral elegy—-

An elegy is a poem of sorrow or mourning for the dead. It is a song of lamentation / mourning. Pastoral elegy has a pastoral setting. A pastoral elegy begins with a prayer to the Muses followed by a procession of shepherds who mourn for the misfortune of a fellow shepherd in a pastoral atmosphere. It usually ends in consolation.

 

Pathos (দুঃখ জাগিয়ে তোলে এমন করুন অবস্থা/ করুন রস)—–

The quality in a work of art or literature that arouses feelings of sympathy, pity, or sorrow in the minds of the readers.

 

Pen name —–

A fictitious name unspecified by an author to conceal his or her true identity.

 

Pentameter (পঞ্চ স্বরাঘাতবিশিষ্ট দশমাত্রিক কাব্যিক চরন)—-

A five-foot line verse.

 

Persona (চেতনার বহি প্রকাশ) ——–

A term used in literary criticism to refer to the voice created by the author. The persona is not the author, the person who sits down to write. The persona may be the narrator.

 

Poetic justice means —–

Rewarding the good and punishing the bad. It also indicates the sense that the sinners must be punished and the good doers must be rewarded. It also indicates the sense that the sinners must be punished and the good doers must be rewarded. It is seen in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- P

Poetry is—-

An imaginative or fictitious composition in verse. The word poetry has come from the Geek word poieein or poiesis which means “to make.” In Republic Plato defines poetry as merely inspired madness.’ To Aristotle, poetry is ‘the art of imitation. According to William Wordsworth, poetry is “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings–recollected in tranquility.” To Shelley, “poetry is the expression of the imagination.” To Matthew Arnold, poetry is “a criticism of life.” Poetry is a metrical composition that gives pleasure or delight. It deals with truth. It is suggestive.

 

Points of view——-

There are two general narrative points of view, first person (I) and third person (he, she, they).

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- P

Primitivism is ——–

The principle that primitive people noble savages’ living simple, pure lives close to nature-are better to modern humankind, who have been corrupted by civilization. According to Rousseau, human beings were essentially good but gradually they have been corrupted by a society. Primitivism has two parts: chronological primitivism and cultural primitivism. Chronological primitivism shows past life’s superiority than the present. Cultural primitivism shows that the natural phenomenon is better than the artificial phenomenon. The childlike human nature of the past is better than the modern artificial intellectuals.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- P

Problem novel———-

A type of realistic novel that presents a social problem as its central conflict.

 

Picaresque novel ——-

A novel that tells the story of a fugative or vagabond who moves from place to place for adventures and fights his evil antagonists. Tom Jones by Henry. Fielding is an example of it.

 

Prologue is ——-

An introduction or preface, especially to a play. Prologue of Canterbury Tales is the best example.

 

Prose is —-

The language of essays, short stories and novels. In the broadest sense, all forms of ordinary writing and speech lacking the regular rhythmic patterns. Prose is characterized by the sort of plain, straightforward statement.

 

Prose poem—-

A short composition printed in prose paragraphs. T. S. Eliot has written prose poem.

 

Pun (শব্দ কৌতুক / কথার মারপ্যাচ)—-

A form of wit, not necessarily funny, involving a play on a word with two or more meanings. Happy ye leaues when as those lilly hands part of sonnet I by Edmund Spenser is a fine example of pun.

 

Personification (ব্যক্তিরুপে প্রকাশ)—–

A figure in which lifeless objects are given life. A figure of speech in which human characteristics are attributed/qualified to animals, plants, inanimate objects, natural forces, or abstract ideas. Keats’s Ode to Autumn is a fine example of personification. Autumn is the personification of woman.

 

Petrachan sonnet—-

A sonnet arranged into two parts-an octave, consisting of the first eight lines and rhyming abba, abba,, and a sestet, the remaining six lines, which usually rhyme cde, cde. Petrachan sonnets are eleven syllabic..

 

Petrarchan conceit—–

The conceit used by Petrarch is called Petrarchan conceit. It contains elaborate and exaggerated comparisons, analogies and oxymora.

Play—-

A literary work written in dialogue and intended for performance before an audience by actors on a stage.

 

Plot (নাটকের ঘটনা সমাবেশ)—

A plot is the logical arrangement of events. It is the structure of a literary work. The careful arrangement by an author of incidents in a narrative. Aristotle considered plot the most important element of drama epic. He defined plot as the arrangement of incidents.” A play should have a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

 

Poetics (কাব্য সমালোচনা বিদ্যা)—-

Traditionally, the technique, art, and theory of poetic composition; the study of the nature of poetry.

 

Poetry—–

Literature in its most intense, most imaginative, and most rhythmic forms Poetry differs from prose. According to Wordsworth, poetry is “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility. According to Arnold, poetry is “a criticism of life.”

 

Point of view ——-

It is the way in which the story is told. There two general narrative points of view, first person (1) and third person (he, she, they).

 

Problem novel ——–

A type of realistic novel that presents a social problem as its central concept.

 

Problem play—–

A problem play is one which leaves several questions unanswered, which contains some painful elements. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is a problem play.

 

Prologue (কাব্যের প্রস্তাবনামূলক অংশ) —

An introduction or preface, especially to a play.

 

Propaganda literature—–

Literature planned to affect public opinion on a social or political matters.

 

Prose (গদ্য) —

In the broadest sense, all forms of ordinary writing and speech lacking the continued and regular rhythmic patterns found in poetry. Prose is characterized by the sort of simple, straightforward statement in everyday. speech. It is the language of essays, short stories and novels.

 

Prose poem—-

A short composition printed in prose paragraph.

 

Pamphlet—-

Pamphlet is an argumentative writing in prose on a political or religious debate of a particular time. Milton’s “Areopagitica” is an example of it.

 

Protagonist is ——-

The main character of the story, novel or drama. The theme and the incidents grow and develop round the protagonist. Actually, in a word the protagonist means the hero.

 

Phenomenology (অবভাসবিদ্যা)—–

A philosophical term that influences modern literary criticism. It sees the reality of any object only in a person’s awareness of the object.

 

Phonology—-

It is the scientific study of speech sounds.

 

Picaresque—–

The Picaresque novel usually takes form of a series of loosely connected episodes. Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones is an example of it.

 

Positivism—–

A philosophical term that refers the scientific empirical knowledge.

 

Post-structuralism—–

Psychoanalytic criticism, feminist criticism, literary criticism, structuralism are the parts of post-structuralism.

 

Puritanism (পিউরিটানদের মতবাদ)——

Puritans are conservative who strictly follow the traditional rules of the Church. They are strict moralist. They are dead against of amusement John Milton was a puritan. Puritanism is obviously seen in Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne comments ironically on the puritanical ideas of the time to which the story relates. Hester Prynne is treated by puritanical society. The puritan community is unforgivable towards Hester. The outlook of this community is narrow and limited.

 

Psychological novel —–

In a psychological novel the dark side of human soul is explored. The main theme of psychological novel is the inner life of the characters. Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway are two psychological novels.

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- Q

 

Quantitative (পরিমানগত/ মাত্রিক) verse—-

Verse based on the duration of the sound of a syllable (quantity) rather than on a pattern of accented and unaccented syllables. Some English poets-Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Coleridge, Tennyson have tried writing quantitative verse.

 

Quatrain (চতুষ্পদী শ্লোক/ চার লাইনের পদ্য)——-

A stanza of four lines rhymed or unrhymed; also a poem consisting of four lines only. The quatrain is the most common stanza form in English. Shakespeare’s Sonnet XVIII is an example of quatrain stanza.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- R

 

Renaissance (১৪-১৬ শতাব্দি পর্যন্ত ইউরোপে শিল্প ও সাহিত্যের নবজাগরন)—

The rediscovery of classic literature, particularly that of Greece. The Renaissance saw many notable authors (Dante, Petrarch, Edmund Spenser, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and John Donne.

 

Restoration (পুনপ্রতিষ্ঠা/ পুনরুদ্ধার)—-

In English literature, the period from 1661 to 1700, following the Puritan Interregnum (1649-1700) (কোন রাষ্ট্রের বৈধ শাসক নেই এমন অবস্থা/ অরাজক কাল). This period saw the return of Charles II to the throne and with him the of the Stuart monarchy. The literature of the age-urbane, witty, and immoral-reflected a reaction against the repressive seriousness of Puritanism (পিউরিটানদের মতবাদ) (১৬ এবং ১৭ শতব্দীতে ইংল্যান্ডের প্রটেস্ট্যান্ট গির্জার সমর্থকদের একাংশ যারা গির্জার প্রর্থনাসভার আচার বিধি সহজীকরনের পক্ষপাতী). The greatest poet of the time was John Dryden.

 

Restoration comedy—-

Restoration comedy refers to the comedy of Restoration period. A form of comedy that flourished in England during Restoration (1661-1700). It deals with the doubt, cunningness, infidelity, plot etc of upper class society of Restoration period. William Congreve’s The Way of the World and Love for Love are examples of Restoration comedy.

 

Revenge tragedy ——

A sensational kind of tragedy, popular during Elizabethan times, that shows murder and revenge. John Webster’ The Duchess of Malfi and Shakespeare’s Hamlet are revenge tragedies. The elements of revenge tragedy are a quest for revenge, ghosts, graveyards, madness, disloyalty, rape, suicide, killing, horror, fire-raising, play within a play (Hamlet), horrible murders on the stage, blood shed on the stage. Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy is a fine example of revenge tragedy.

 

Reversal (উলটপালট)—-

A sudden change of fortune for the protagonist in a play or other work of fiction.

 

Rhetoric (ভাষার অলংকার বিদ্যা)—–

The art of arguments, in speaking or writing. Rhetoric is concerned with the techniques of presenting arguments clearly. It is the theory and practice of eloquence, whether spoken or written. Francis Bacon is famous for his rhetoricism.

 

Rhetorical question —–

Rhetorical question is the asking of questions not to gain information but to declare more definitely the obvious answer to what is asked.

 

Rhyme ( ছন্দ)—–

The similarity of sound between two words (old/cold/ dusky / husky). The similarity of sound between two words.

 

Rhyme scheme (ছন্দ তালিকা)—–

The pattern of rhymes in a stanza or poem, usually indicated by letters of the alphabet. For instance, the most common rhyme scheme for the quatrain

(a four-line stanza), in which the first line rhymes with the third and the second line rhymes with the fourth, is abab.

I was, being human, born alone;

I am, being woman, hard beset;

I live by squeezing from a stone

The little nourishment I get.

 

Rhythm (ছন্দ)—-

The patterned flow of sound in poetry and prose. In traditional English poetry, rhythm is based on the combination of accent and numbers of syllables known as meter. Meter is only the basic pulse of rhythm. Other sound devices, such as rhyme, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, contribute greatly to rhythm.

 

Romance ( অস্বাভাবিক প্রেমের কাহিনী)—-

In the broadest sense, any extended work of fiction that deals with adventure, extravagant characters, strange or exotic places, mysterious or supernatural incidents, heroic or marvelous achievement, or passionate love Romance is seen in Faerie Queene. So to say, Romance does not only mean love rather Romance indicates so many things.

 

Romanticism (মনের ভাব বা আবেগের পূর্ণবিকাশ)—-

A movement in art and literature in the 18 and 19th centuries in revolt against the Neoclassicism of the previous centuries. Imagination, emotion, freedom, revolutionary zeal, supernaturalism, fascination to art and beauty, devotion to nature are certainly the focal points of romanticism.

 

Romantic (ভাববিলাসী)—-

novel A type of novel, emphasizing action rather than character, often in the form of a series of episodes involving adventure, love, and combat.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- S

 

Saga (রোমাঞ্চকর কাহিনীবিশেষ) ——–

Specifically, a Medieval Icelandic or Scandinavian prose narrative. Beowulf is an example of mythical saga.

 

Satire——–

A term used to describe any form of literature that blends ironic humor and wit. A form of literature that blends ironic humor and wit with criticism. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver Travel’s is the best example of satire. It may be direct and indirect.

 

Stanza (কবিতার স্তবক/ শ্লোক)—-

A section or division of a poem. It is the unit of structure in a poem. Spenserian stanza consists of nine-verse line. Ballad stanza consists of four lines. It is a group of lines of verse.

 

Style is—

A writer’s characteristic way of saying things. It includes arrangement of idea, choice of vocabulary, imagery, sentence structure etc..

 

Seansion (ছন্দ বিশ্লেষন) ——

Analyzing the meter in lines of poetry by counting and marking the accented and unaccented syllables.

 

Scene—-

In drama, a subdivision of an act.

 

Socratic irony—-

Named after Socrates, who used the device to bring out the ignorance of others refuting his or her arguments.

 

Situational irony—-

It refers to the contrast between what is intended or expected and what actually occurs.

 

Scop ——-

A court poet during Anglo-Saxon times.

 

Semantics (ভাষার অর্থ ঘটিত) —-

The study of meanings in language.

 

Setting–(যাতে কোন কিছু বিন্যস্ত করা হয়)—-

The general environment, time in history, or social setting in which the action of a work of literature takes place. Setting is often important in establishing the mood or atmosphere of a work. The location, the physical and mental environment of the characters, cultural attitudes and historical time-all are included in the setting. In easy sense, setting means the particular place of any drama or novel where the action takes place.

 

Seven deadly sins —–

According to Medieval theology, those sins that lead to spiritual death, namely pride, envy, wrath (anger), sloth (laziness), avarice (greed), gluttony (hunger), and lust (temptation). Seven deadly sins are seen in Faerie Queene and in Dr. Faustus.

 

Shakespearean sonnet ——-

A sonnet that is arranged into three quatrains, rhyming abab, cdcd, efef. followed by concluding couplet, rhyming gg.

 

Senecan Tragedy —–

A form of tragedy named after Seneca, a Roman dramatist. In this tragedy the existence of Chorus is noticeable. The main theme is revenge. Revenge, disloyalty, off-stage murder, existence of ghost, philosophical soliloquies are the main elements of Senecan tragedy. This type of tragedy is followed by Shakespeare.

 

Short story——

A short story is character based story. It is a fictional narrative in prose, ranging in length from 500 words to about 15,000 words, often, though certainly not always, limited to a very few characters, a single setting, and a single incident. Katherine Mansfield (Miss Brill), William Somerset Maugham (The Ant and the Grasshopper), O’ Henry (Hearts and Habds Anita Desai (Games at Twilight), Edgar Allan Poe (The Tell-Tale Heart), Shirley Jackson (The Lottery) are famous short story writers.

 

Simile (উপমা)—

A figure of speech that uses like, as, or as if to compare two essentially different objects. A simile expresses a comparison directly. An explicit comparison between two different things. For example, human life has been compared to the summer’s rain in Robert Herrick’s To Daffodils. Her words are as sweet as honey.

 

Situational irony (বক্রাঘাত / বক্তব্যকে জোরালো করার জন্য নিজ চিন্তার সম্পূর্ন বিপরীত কিছু বলে মনোভাব ব্যক্তকরন)—-

The contrast that exists between what is intended and what actually takes place.

 

Socratic irony-

The device of pretending ignorance in order to draw out another’s opinions or arguments.

 

Soliloquy (স্বগতোক্তি)–

A dramatic rule in which a character in a play, alone on stage, speaks his or her thoughts loudly. Dramatists employ the soliloquy as a device to provide the audience with information about the character’s motives, plans, and state of mind. Undoubtedly the most famous soliloquy in all drama is Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be”.

 

Sonnet (চতুর্দশপদী কবিতা)—-

A fourteen line lyric poem in iambic pentameter. The sonnet originated in the 13th century Italy, was developed by the Italian poet Petrarch and was brought to England by Sir Thomas Wyatt. The sonnet was modified greatly by Shakespeare. Among the greatest sonnet writers in English are Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Shakespeare, John Donne, John Milton, Wordsworth, Keats and W. H. Auden.

 

Spenserian stanza—-

A stanza pattern, created by Edmund Spenser, that consists of nine lines in iambic meter rhyming ababbebce. Spenserian stanza has also been used by Shelley and Keats.

 

Stressed (উচ্চারনের সময় ধ্বনি প্রধান্য/ জোর দেয়া) —

In poetry, the emphasis placed on a word or syllable; also called accent. In the word Christmas, for example, the stress falls on the first syllable Christ. At the pronouncing Christ a pressure is needed. Stress is commonly indicated by the mark (-) and lack of stress by the mark ().

 

Structure (অবয়ব/ কাঠামো)—

The design or arrangement of the parts of a work of literature. In narrative. fiction, the arrangement of events from first to last -beginning, middle, ending is a matter of structure. Structure involves both mechanical and logical arrangement.

 

Style (লেখা বা বলার পদ্ধতি ভঙ্গি)—-

A writer’s characteristic way of saying things. Style includes arrangement of ideas, word choice, imagery, sentence structure, rhythm, repetition, coherence, unity and tone.

 

Stylistics (শৈলী সক্রান্ত/ সাহিত্যের ধরণগত) —-

A term currently used to identify any of several analytical studies of literature that applies the techniques and concepts of modern linguistics.by Shakespeare. Among the greatest sonnet writers in English are Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Shakespeare, John Donne, John Milton, Wordsworth, Keats and W. H. Auden.

 

Spenserian stanza—-

A stanza pattern, created by Edmund Spenser, that consists of nine lines in iambic meter rhyming ababbebce. Spenserian stanza has also been used by Shelley and Keats.

 

Stressed (উচ্চারনের সময় ধ্বনি প্রধান্য/ জোর দেয়া) –

In poetry, the emphasis placed on a word or syllable; also called accent. In the word Christmas, for example, the stress falls on the first syllable Christ. At the pronouncing Christ a pressure is needed. Stress is commonly indicated by the mark (-) and lack of stress by the mark ().

 

Structure (অবয়ব/ কাঠামো)–

The design or arrangement of the parts of a work of literature. In narrative. fiction, the arrangement of events from first to last -beginning, middle, ending is a matter of structure. Structure involves both mechanical and logical arrangement.

 

Style (লেখা বা বলার পদ্ধতি ভঙ্গি)–

A writer’s characteristic way of saying things. Style includes arrangement of ideas, word choice, imagery, sentence structure, rhythm, repetition, coherence, unity and tone.

 

Stylistics (শৈলী সক্রান্ত/ সাহিত্যের ধরণগত) —

A term currently used to identify any of several analytical studies of literature that applies the techniques and concepts of modern linguistics.

 

Subject (বিষয়) —

The topic or thing described in a work of literature. The subject differs from the theme of a work in that theme is a comment, observation, or insight about the subject.

 

Subjectivity (বিষীয়কেন্দ্রিক/ আত্মগত)–

Emphasis in writing on the expression of the writer’s feelings and personal opinions. Subjectivity is a characteristic of autobiography. James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is are two novels of subjectivity.

 

Subplot (নাটক বা উপন্যাসের উপ ঘটনা সমাবেশ)–

A secondary series of events, subordinate to the main story in a play. A subplot may complement the main plot. Subplots are common in many of William shakespears play such as As You Like It, King Lear, Hemlet, Mechbetha etc.

 

Subjectivity (বিষীয়কেন্দ্রিক/ আত্মগত)–

Emphasis in writing on the expression of the writer’s feelings and personal opinions. Subjectivity is a characteristic of autobiography. James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is are two novels of subjectivity.

 

Symbol—–

Symbols combine an abstract concept and their literal meaning. In Maugham’s The Ant and the Grasshopper George is the ant and his brother, Tom, is the grasshopper. Broadly, anything that signifies something else. In literature, a symbol is usually something concrete an object, a place, a character, an action that stands for or suggests something abstract. A symbol may be universal or private. Darkness and light are universal symbols of evil and good. In contrast, the great white whale in Herman Melville’s Novel Moby-Dick is a private symbol. Forest of Arden becomes richly symbolic. It is a place of escape from and banishment from civilization.

 

Symbolism (প্রতিকের সাহায্যে ভাবের রুপায়ন)—-

The conscious and artful use of symbols, objects, actions, or characters. For example, symbolism is at work when the word rose is used not only to signify the flower itself but also to suggest beauty, love, or purity. abstractions that rose represents symbolically.

 

Symbolist movement-

A movement in French poetry and art in the late 19th century rebels against realism. William Butler Yeats, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce are among the British And American writers who have been profoundly influenced by the symbolists.

 

Synecdoche (বাক্যলংকারবিশেষ, যাতে অংশ সমগ্রকে নির্দেশ করে)–

A figure of speech in which a part of something stands for the whole thing. In the expression “I have got wheels”, wheels stands for the whole vehicle, usually an automobile.

 

Syntax (বাক্যরীতি)–

The arrangement and grammatical relation of words, phrases, and clauses in sentence. In this sense, syntax is an important element of an author’s style. In a more technical sense, syntax refers to the study of the rules for forming the grammatical sentences of languages.

 

Sensuousness——

Sensuousness is a way of perception through five senses. The term sensuousness is used to refer to the poet’s sensitive response to the sensations. thoughts and emotions of experience. John Keats is a poet of sensuousness. He believes in concrete beauty. He would like to enjoy beauty through his five sensations like eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin. Beauty comes from experience. Keats’s love for beauty is organic, concrete and pure.

Sestet—-

A six-line stanza of Italian Sonnet. Sestet solves question or problem.

 

Socialist realism—-

A doctrine emerged in the Soviet Union by the National Union of Soviet Writers. Socialist realism is the reflection of Marxist socialism. Maxim Gorky’s Mother is the best example of socialist realism. Socialist realism is the mingle of socialism and realism. According to realism, literature is the true focus of the portrayal of life or reality. Socialism equalizes the social classes. So socialist realism was a movement for stabling the rights of the poor class.

 

Suggestions—-

Suggestions are conveyed by the use of diction, figures of speech, images, symbols, allusions, references, myths, sound effects, stanza patterns, repetitions etc.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- T

 

Theme-

In literature, the central or dominating idea. It is an abstract concept indirectly expressed through recurrent image, actions, characters and symbols. Theme differs from subject in that theme is a comment, observation, or insight about the subject. For example, the subject of a poem. may be flower; its theme, a comment on the short-lived nature of flower.

 

Tragi-comedy ——

Tragi-Comedy means the mixture of tragic and comic elements. It is a type of drama in which tragic and comic incidents are blended. It violates the classical rules of writing pure tragedy or comedy. Shakespeare’s The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice are example of tragi-comedies.

 

Third person point of view-

A method of telling a story in which a person standing outside the action of the story acts as the narrative of events.

 

Tone (স্বর/ চরিত্র বা চারিত্রিক বৈশিষ্ট) —

The reflection in a work of the author’s attitude toward his or her subject, characters, and readers.

 

Tragedy—–

A kind of drama in which the protagonist meets his doom. It deals with the downfall of its protagonist. Broadly, a serious work of fiction, especially a drama that presents the downfall of its protagonist. According to Aristotle, the tragic heroes should be presented as a person neither entirely good nor entirely evil, who is led by some tragic flaw, or Hamartia.

 

Three dramatic unities refer to—

The unity of time, the unity of place, and the unity of action.

 

Tragic flaw—-

The error, mistake, weakness, or flaw that causes the downfall of the hero of a tragedy. Tragic flaw is a synonym for Hamartia, which means the defect in the tragic hero that brings about his downfall.

 

Tragic irony—

An incident that the audience knows to be truth; but the performer remains unaware about it. For example, In Oedipus, Oedipus murders his father but he does not know but the audience knows. In Othello, Othello remains unaware that Iago has falsely accused Desdemona.

 

Transcendentalism (অতিন্দ্রিয় মতবাদ)–

A philosophical and literary movement flourishing between 1835 and 1860 in New England. According to this method, every object has its background and this background is transcendental.

 

Turning point-

Turning point is also called crisis or climax. In this stage the protagonist’s situations change. The rising action peaks and turns to falling action.

 

Type (নমুনা/আদর্শ)–

A literary character who represents a typical class of persons or type of behavior, rather than being a fully realized individual. Type is one kind of model or symbol.

 

Trope contains—-

Metaphor, simile and irony

 

Tercet—-

A group, often a stanza, of three lines usually having the same rhyme; also called a triplet. Here is the final tercet of Robert Frost’s poem “Provide, Provide”.

Better to go down dignified

With boughten friendship at your side

Than none at all, provide, provide!

 

Tradition—-

Anything that passes from generation to generation and age to age. transfer inheritably. It transfer inheritably.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- U

 

Unities (ঐক্য /সঙ্গতি) ——

According to Aristotle, every drama must follow three unities. They are unity of action, unity of time and unity of place. The action of tragedy says Aristotle, must be a ‘complete whole’ and it must have organic unity-a beginning, a middle and an end. There must be one action from beginning to the end of drama. The incidents of the plot must be connected with each other and will create a single action that will lead to the catastrophe effect of the play. As regards the unity of time, Aristotle says that tragic action should be limited to 24 hours. The unity of place signifies the fact that the action should take place in one place.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- V

Verbal (শব্দঘঠিত) irony—-

A figure of speech in which there is a contrast between what is said and what is actually meant. For example, when in Julius Caesar Antony repeatedly insists that “Brutus is an honorable man,” he is being ironic.

 

Verse (পদ্য)–

Metrical and rhymed compositions. It is often used more specifically to denote metrical and rhymed compositions. It is a synonym for poetry. However, verse is often used more specifically to denote metrical and rhymed compositions. The term is also sometimes used to refer to a single line of poetry, or as a synonym for stanza.

 

বিসিএস প্রস্ততি Literary Terms- W

 

Wit (বুদ্ধি) —–

The brilliant expression. It differs from humor in being intellectual and verbal. Wit finds expression in puns, metaphors, paradoxes, and epigrams, while humor pleasantly presents incongruities of character and situations.