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Terms for subject Literature (1061 entries)

cadence	The musical rhythm of language in prose or verse.
caesura	A natural pause in a line of verse, sometimes roughly midway and usually denoted by punctuation. Regularly used alongside enjambment to give variety in the pacing of verse, and to avoid monotonous regularity. Also sometimes referred to as rhythmical pause.
calque	A type of translation or borrowing from another language.
canon	The concept of an accepted list of great literature which constitutes the essential tradition of English
canticle	Hymn, poem or song of praise.
canto	A division in a longer poem.
canzone	A type of Italian lyric poem.
Cardinal Virtues	Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude.
caricature	A style of writing (or drawing) which intentionally amplifies particular features of its subject or character, usually for comic and/or satirical effect
carpe diem	A Latin term coined by the poet Horace, which means 'seize the day'. The phrase suggests that as life is short one must grasp present pleasures. This motif is used in literature, and was especially popular with the Elizabethan lyric poets.
catachresis	A word or phrase used in an inappropriate or strained way (such as a mixed metaphor)
catalectic	A line of poetry which is missing one part of the final beat or foot.
catastrophe	The final climax of a play or story after which the plot is resolved.
catchword	A slogan or memorable phrase.
catharsis	An emotional release felt by an audience or reader as they observe the fate of a tragic hero. It is often a welcome relief from tension and anxiety.
caudate rhyme	A type of rhyme scheme where the lines which rhyme, using a couplet or triplet, are followed by a shorter tail line with a different rhyme.
Celtic	Of or relating to the Celts and their language.
chapter	A division or segment found within any prose text.
character	A created person in a play or a narrative whose particular qualities are revealed by the action, description and conversation. Not to be mixed up with the "actor" in a play, who represents the character.
characterisation	The method by which characters are established in a story, using description, dialogue, dialect, and action.