closer to the human element of the story,
and is often used in personality profiles
and in-depth feature articles. It is not com-
patible with ‘‘straight’’ or ‘‘hard’’ newswrit-
ing, which is generally composed in a brief,
fact-based style.New Journalists:SeeNew Journalism
New Negro Movement:SeeHarlem Renaissance
Noble Savage:The idea that primitive man is
noble and good but becomes evil and cor-
rupted as he becomes civilized. The concept
of the noble savage originated in the Ren-
aissance period but is more closely identified
with such later writers as Jean-Jacques
Rousseau and Aphra Behn.
O
Objective Correlative:An outward set of objects,
a situation, or a chain of events correspond-
ing to an inward experience and evoking this
experience in the reader. The term fre-
quently appears in modern criticism in dis-
cussions of authors’ intended effects on the
emotional responses of readers.
Objectivity:A quality in writing characterized by
the absence of the author’s opinion or feel-
ing about the subject matter. Objectivity is
an important factor in criticism.
Occasional Verse:poetry written on the occasion
of a significant historical or personal event.
Vers de societeis sometimes called occa-
sional verse although it is of a less serious
nature.
Octave:A poem or stanza composed of eight
lines. The term octave most often represents
the first eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.
Ode:Name given to an extended lyric poem
characterized by exalted emotion and digni-
fied style. An ode usually concerns a single,
serious theme. Most odes, but not all, are
addressed to an object or individual. Odes
are distinguished from other lyric poetic
forms by their complex rhythmic and stan-
zaic patterns.
Oedipus Complex:A son’s amorous obsession
with his mother. The phrase is derived
from the story of the ancient Theban hero
Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father
and married his mother.
Omniscience:SeePoint of View
Onomatopoeia:The use of words whose sounds
express or suggest their meaning. In its sim-
plest sense, onomatopoeia may be repre-
sented by words that mimic the sounds
they denote such as ‘‘hiss’’ or ‘‘meow.’’ At
a more subtle level, the pattern and rhythm
of sounds and rhymes of a line or poem may
be onomatopoeic.
Oral Tradition:SeeOral Transmission
Oral Transmission:A process by which songs,
ballads, folklore, and other material are
transmitted by word of mouth. The tradi-
tion of oral transmission predates the writ-
ten record systems of literate society. Oral
transmission preserves material sometimes
over generations, although often with varia-
tions. Memory plays a large part in the rec-
itation and preservation of orally
transmitted material.
Ottava Rima:An eight-line stanza of poetry com-
posed in iambic pentameter (a five-foot line
in which each foot consists of an unaccented
syllable followed by an accented syllable),
following the abababcc rhyme scheme.
Oxymoron:A phrase combining two contradic-
tory terms. Oxymorons may be intentional
or unintentional.P
Pantheism:The idea that all things are both a
manifestation or revelation of God and a
part of God at the same time. Pantheism
was a common attitude in the early societies
of Egypt, India, and Greece—the term
derives from the Greekpanmeaning ‘‘all’’
andtheosmeaning ‘‘deity.’’ It later became a
significant part of the Christian faith.
Parable:A story intended to teach a moral lesson
or answer an ethical question.
Paradox:A statement that appears illogical or
contradictory at first, but may actually
point to an underlying truth.
Parallelism:A method of comparison of two
ideas in which each is developed in the
same grammatical structure.
Parnassianism:A mid nineteenth-century move-
ment in French literature. Followers of the
movement stressed adherence to well-defined
artistic forms as a reaction against the often
chaotic expression of the artist’s ego that
dominated the work of the Romantics. The
Parnassians also rejected the moral, ethical,Glossary of Literary Terms