the literal meaning of the words exactly. Images
in literature are usually visual, but the term
‘‘image’’canalsorefertotherepresentationof
any sensory experience.Imagery:The array of images in a literary work.
Also, figurative language.
Imagism:An English and American poetry move-
ment 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 begin-
ning 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 gen-
eral 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 liter-
ature. 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:SeeSonnet
J
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 Eliz-
abethan Age, but a darker, more cynical atti-
tude 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 medieval France. Early French
laiswere often based on the Celtic legends
and other tales sung by Breton minstrels—
thus the name of the ‘‘Breton lay.’’ In four-
teenth-century England, the term ‘‘lay’’ was
used to describe short narratives written in
imitation of the Breton lays.
Leitmotiv:SeeMotif
Literal Language:An author uses literal language
when he or she writes without exaggerating or
embellishing the subject matter and without
any tools of figurative language.
Literary Ballad:SeeBalladGlossary of Literary Terms