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 literature
founded by Tristan Tzara in 1916. Followers
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 presented works
marked by calculated madness and flamboy-
ant nonsense. They stressed total freedom of
expression, commonly through primitive dis-
plays 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. Decadent literature dis-
plays 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 exis-
tence. The movement is closely associated with
the doctrine Art for Art’s Sake. The term ‘‘dec-
adence’’ 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 litera-
ture that aim to teach some moral, religious,
political, or practical lesson. Although didactic
elements are often found in artistically pleasing
works, the term ‘‘didactic’’ usually refers to
literature in which the message is more impor-
tant than the form. The term may also be used
to criticize a work that the critic finds ‘‘overly
didactic,’’ that is, heavy-handed in its delivery
of a lesson.
Dimeter:SeeMeter
Dionysian:SeeApollonian and DionysianGlossary of Literary Terms