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Terms for subject Literature (1061 entries)

period	A term that categorises the time in which literature, or any art, was produced. A period could be a span of time, such Renaissance period, it could refer to the reign of a monarch, for example the Elizabethan Period, or it could be a movement, for instance the Romantic Period.
periodical	A regularly published, for example weekly or monthly, magazine or journal.
peripetea	An unexpected reversal in fortune or a sudden change commonly used when describing the situation of a tragic hero.
persona	Either a narrator, or an external portrayal of oneself which might or might not accurately reveal one's self.
Personal Communications Workshop	PCW
personification	A literary device where abstractions, animals, ideas, and inanimate objects are given human character traits, abilities, or reactions. Personification is common in poetry, but also appears in other writing.
petrarchan sonnet	A sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd.
Petro-Canada Central Toastmasters Club	PCC
phallic	A phallic symbol, or phallus, is a sexualized representation of male potency, power, or domination - particularly through some object vaguely reminiscent of the penis. Customary phallic symbols include sticks, staves, swords, clubs, towers, trees, missiles, and rockets.
phatic communication	Speech used in social discourse or chit-chat, in order to harmonize relations with others.
phoneme	A linguistic term used to describe a unit in speech which carries meaning.
phonetic transcription	A method by which sounds are recorded or written down in order to represent their distinctiveness.
phonetics	A study of the production of speech sounds.
phonology	A study of language which considers the distribution of speech patterns and their rules.
phrase	In grammar, a phrase is a group of words functioning as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence.
picaresque	A narrative which recounts the escapades of a rogue, whose character does not develop throughout the plot, but who is nevertheless likeable.
picturesque	A preoccupation in 18th century literature where many poets, such as Addison and Pope, sought out the beauty in nature to incorporate it in their writing. Picturesque is related to romanticism, however some critics imply that the picturesque – because of the absence of a deeper engagement with nature - is a superficial sibling of romanticism.
Pidgin	A type of language, developed by the simplification of two or more languages. Pidgins are created to enable communication between groups who do not share a language. A pidgin language therefore usually exists as a means of interaction between people, and is made up of words, gestures and signs from each language. Pidgin languages are generally held in low regard next to other languages.
plagiarism	Accidental or intentional intellectual theft in which someone appropriates an original idea, phrase, or section of writing from another person’s work and presents this matter as his or her own work, without indicating proper citation.
play	A specific piece of drama, usually performed on a stage by actors who often wear makeup or costumes to help them resemble the character they represent.