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Terms for subject Literature (1061 entries)

stage	An area constructed where actors, dancers, musicians, or singers can perform, which allows an audience to obverse simultaneously.
stage direction	In drama the term refers to notes in the printed text of a play that are not actually spoken, but instead set out the scene and direct the actions or activities of the actors on stage. For example "exit / exuent direct the actor/actors to leave the stage."
Standard English	An esteemed brand of English, which is described in dictionaries and grammar rules. It is generally taught by instructors, and used for public affairs.
stanza	Sections of arranged lines within a poem. Sometimes this is in a pattern repeated throughout the poem. Generally, each stanza has a fixed number of lines, and a consistent rhyme scheme, however in modern poetry this is not always the case. Further, a stanza may be a subdivision of a poem, or it may amount to the entire poem.
stasimon (plural stasima)	From Greek "stationary song," in Greek tragedy a stasimon is an ode sung by the chorus once the chorus assumes its place in the orchestra. Sasima in addition serve as dividing segments.
static character	A character who doesn't develop or change throughout the text.
stereotype	A character who is so average or unoriginal that he or she seems like an oversimplified representation of gender, class, religious group, or occupation. This technique in creating a character can be intentionally employed.
stichomythia	Dialogue consisting of one-liners between characters, designed for rapid delivery and snappy exchanges. The effect is the creation of verbal tension and conflict, thus stichomythia is often used during arguments. The technique stems from Greek tragedy.
stock character	A type of characterthat emerges frequently in a specific literary genre. Stock characters in western films might include the noble sheriff, the whorehouse madam, the town drunkard. Another example: Stock characters in medieval romances include the damsel in distress, handsome young knight, and the senex amans (the ugly old man married to a younger girl)
story	A succession of events, which become a plot once the events are structured into a narrative.
story within a story	This is a narrative technique where there is a principal story, within which there is another major fictive narrative, generally told by the characters of the principal story.
stress	In linguistics, stress is the emphasis, length and loudness that characterise one syllable as more prominent than another. In poetry, see meter and sonnets.
stressed	A syllable that has a heavy distinction from other syllables when spoken aloud. See unstressed, foot and meter.
structuralism	This theory suggests that no text has any meaning independently, but only makes sense when thought of as part of a complete language system. Furthermore, it is argued that all writing is comprised of an arrangement of signs, codes and conventions. This turns away fromthe traditional view that literaturereflects reality, and thus creates a connection between the writer and reader. Structuralists reject both these ideas and argue the writer creates a persona, which is a literary construction, creating a barrier to the access of the actual writer. Roland Barthes (1915-80) was a key structuralist during the theory’s rise in the 1960s. The discourse has now been outdated by post-structuralism.
structure	The general organisation of writing.
style	The distinguishing way writers employ language and their words choice to accomplish certain effects. A significant ingredient of interpreting and understanding fiction is paying attention to the way the author uses words. Syntax, structure and narrative technique are also important.
sub-plot	a second plot in a play or narrative that adds to or parallels the main plot.
subject matter	The issue or topic that is the focus of a discussion or text.
Subject Occasion Audience Purpose Speaker	SOAPS
subversion	when a concept or text aims to undermine an established idea.