the seventeenth-century English metaphysi-
cal poets. This usage of the word conceit is
unrelated to the best-known definition of
conceit as an arrogant attitude or behavior.Concrete:Concrete is the opposite of abstract,
and refers to a thing that actually exists or a
description that allows the reader to experi-
ence an object or concept with the senses.
Concrete Poetry:Poetry in which visual elements
play a large part in the poetic effect. Punctu-
ation marks, letters, or words are arranged
on a page to form a visual design: a cross, for
example, or a bumblebee.
Confessional Poetry:A form of poetry in which
the poet reveals very personal, intimate,
sometimes shocking information about him-
self or herself.
Connotation:The impression that a word gives
beyond its defined meaning. Connotations
may be universally understood or may be
significant only to a certain group.
Consonance:Consonance occurs in poetry when
words appearing at the ends of two or more
verses have similar final consonant sounds
but have final vowel sounds that differ, as
with ‘‘stuff’’ and ‘‘off.’’
Convention:Any widely accepted literary device,
style, or form.
Corrido:A Mexican ballad.
Couplet: Two lines of poetry with the same
rhyme and meter, often expressing a com-
plete and self-contained thought.
Criticism:The systematic study and evaluation
of literary works, usually based on a specific
method or set of principles. An important
part of literary studies since ancient times,
the practice of criticism has given rise to
numerous theories, methods, and ‘‘schools,’’
sometimes producing conflicting, even con-
tradictory, interpretations of literature in
general as well as of individual works.
Even such basic issues as what constitutes a
poem or a novel have been the subject of
much criticism over the centuries.
D
Dactyl:SeeFoot
Dadaism:A protest movement in art and litera-
ture founded by Tristan Tzara in 1916. Fol-
lowers of the movement expressed their
outrage at the destruction brought about by
World War I by revolting against numerous
forms of social convention. The Dadaists pre-
sented works marked by calculated madness
and flamboyant nonsense.Theystressedtotal
freedom of expression, commonly through
primitive displays of emotion and illogical,
often senseless, poetry. The movement ended
shortly after the war, when it was replaced by
surrealism.
Decadent:SeeDecadents
Decadents: The followers of a nineteenth-
century literary movement that had its
beginnings in French aestheticism. Deca-
dent literature displays a fascination with
perverse and morbid states; a search for
novelty and sensation—the ‘‘new thrill’’; a
preoccupation with mysticism; and a belief
in the senselessness of human existence. The
movement is closely associated with the doc-
trine Art for Art’s Sake. The term ‘‘deca-
dence’’ is sometimes used to denote a
decline in the quality of art or literature
following a period of greatness.
Deconstruction:A method of literary criticism
developed by Jacques Derrida and charac-
terized by multiple conflicting interpreta-
tions of a given work. Deconstructionists
consider the impact of the language of a
work and suggest that the true meaning of
the work is not necessarily the meaning that
the author intended.
Deduction:The process of reaching a conclusion
through reasoning from general premises to
a specific premise.
Denotation:The definition of a word, apart from
the impressions or feelings it creates in the
reader.
Diction:The selection and arrangement of words
in a literary work. Either or both may vary
depending on the desired effect. There are
four general types of diction: ‘‘formal,’’ used
in scholarly or lofty writing; ‘‘informal,’’
used in relaxed but educated conversation;
‘‘colloquial,’’ used in everyday speech; and
‘‘slang,’’ containing newly coined words and
other terms not accepted in formal usage.
Didactic:A term used to describe works of liter-
ature that aim to teach some moral, religious,
political, or practical lesson. Although didac-
tic elements are often found in artistically
pleasing works, the term ‘‘didactic’’ usually
refers to literature in which the message isGlossary of Literary Terms