concerned with a unity of impression or emo-
tional effect than with any of the classical
unities.Urban Realism:A branch of realist writing that
attempts to accurately reflect the often harsh
facts of modern urban existence.
Utopia:A fictional perfect place, such as ‘‘para-
dise’’ or ‘‘heaven.’’
Utopian:SeeUtopia
Utopianism:SeeUtopia
V
Verisimilitude:Literally, the appearance of truth.
In literary criticism, the term refers to aspects
of a work of literature that seem true to the
reader.
Vers de societe:SeeOccasional Verse
Vers libre:SeeFree Verse
Verse:A line of metered language, a line of a
poem, or any work written in verse.
Versification:The writing of verse. Versification
may also refer to the meter, rhyme, and
other mechanical components of a poem.
Victorian:Refers broadly to the reign of Queen
Victoria of England (1837-1901) and to any-
thing with qualities typical of that era. For exam-
ple, the qualities of smug narrowmindedness,
bourgeois materialism, faith in social progress,
and priggish morality are often considered Vic-
torian. This stereotype is contradicted by such
dramatic intellectual developments as the theo-
ries of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Sig-
mund Freud (which stirred strong debates in
England) and the critical attitudes of serious
Victorian writers like Charles Dickens and
George Eliot. In literature, the Victorian Period
was the great age of the English novel, and the
latter part of the era saw the rise of movements
such as decadence and symbolism.
Victorian Age:SeeVictorian
Victorian Period:SeeVictorianW
Weltanschauung:A German term referring to a
person’s worldview or philosophy.
Weltschmerz:A German term meaning ‘‘world
pain.’’ It describes a sense of anguish about
the nature of existence, usually associated
with a melancholy, pessimistic attitude.Z
Zarzuela:A type of Spanish operetta.
Zeitgeist:A German term meaning ‘‘spirit of the
time.’’ It refers to the moral and intellectual
trends of a given era.Glossary of Literary Terms