Image:A concrete representation of an object or
sensory experience. Typically, such a repre-
sentation helps evoke the feelings associated
with the object or experience itself. Images
are either ‘‘literal’’ or ‘‘figurative.’’ Literal
images are especially concrete and involve
little or no extension of the obvious meaning
of the words used to express them. Figura-
tive images do not follow the literal meaning
of the words exactly. Images in literature are
usually visual, but the term ‘‘image’’ can also
refer to the representation of any sensory
experience.
Imagery:The array of images in a literary work.
Also, figurative language.
Imagism: An English and American poetry
movement that flourished between 1908
and 1917. The Imagists used precise, clearly
presented images in their works. They also
used common, everyday speech and aimed
for conciseness, concrete imagery, and the
creation of new rhythms.
In medias res:A Latin term meaning ‘‘in the
middle of things.’’ It refers to the technique
of beginning a story at its midpoint and then
using various flashback devices to reveal
previous action.
Induction:The process of reaching a conclusion
by reasoning from specific premises to form
a general premise. Also, an introductory
portion of a work of literature, especially a
play.
Intentional Fallacy:The belief that judgments of
a literary work based solely on an author’s
stated or implied intentions are false and
misleading. Critics who believe in the con-
cept of the intentional fallacy typically argue
that the work itself is sufficient matter for
interpretation, even though they may con-
cede that an author’s statement of purpose
can be useful.
Interior Monologue: A narrative technique in
which characters’ thoughts are revealed in a
way that appears to be uncontrolled by the
author. The interior monologue typically
aims to reveal the inner self of a character. It
portrays emotional experiences as they occur
at both a conscious and unconscious level.
Images are often used to represent sensations
or emotions.
Internal Rhyme:Rhyme that occurs within a
single line of verse.
Irish Literary Renaissance:A late nineteenth- and
early twentieth-century movement in Irish
literature. Members of the movement aimed
to reduce the influence of British culture in
Ireland and create an Irish national literature.
Irony:In literary criticism, the effect of language
in which the intended meaning is the oppo-
site of what is stated.
Italian Sonnet:SeeSonnetJ
Jacobean Age:The period of the reign of James I
of England (1603-1625). The early literature
of this period reflected the worldview of the
Elizabethan Age, but a darker, more cynical
attitude steadily grew in the art and literature
of the Jacobean Age. This was an important
time for English drama and poetry.
Jargon:Language that is used or understood
only by a select group of people. Jargon
may refer to terminology used in a certain
profession, such as computer jargon, or it
may refer to any nonsensical language that
is not understood by most people.
Journalism:Writing intended for publication in
a newspaper or magazine, or for broadcast
on a radio or television program featuring
news, sports, entertainment, or other timely
material.K
Knickerbocker Group: A somewhat indistinct
group of New York writers of the first half
of the nineteenth century. Members of the
group were linked only by location and a
common theme: New York life.
Kunstlerroman:SeeBildungsromanL
Lais:SeeLay
Lake Poets:SeeLake School
Lake School:These poets all lived in the Lake
District of England at the turn of the nine-
teenth century. As a group, they followed no
single ‘‘school’’ of thought or literary prac-
tice, although their works were uniformly
disparaged by theEdinburgh Review.
Lay:A song or simple narrative poem. The form
originated in medievalFrance. Early French
laiswere often based on the Celtic legends and
other tales sung by Breton minstrels—thusGlossary of Literary Terms