Jeremie F.

Alejandro
BSED 3-1A

Define the following literary terms: 

Anagnorisis,
(Greek: “recognition”), in a literary work, the startling discovery that produces a change
from ignorance to knowledge. It is discussed by Aristotle in the Poetics as an essential
part of the plot of a tragedy, although anagnorisis occurs in comedy, epic, and, at a later
date, the novel as well. Anagnorisis usually involves revelation of the true identity of
persons previously unknown, as when a father recognizes a stranger as his son, or vice
versa. One of the finest occurs in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex when a messenger reveals to
Oedipus his true birth, and Oedipus recognizes his wife Jocasta as his mother, the man he
slew at the crossroads as his father, and himself as the unnatural sinner who brought
misfortune on Thebes.

Deus ex machine
In literary terms, deus ex machina is a plot device used when a seemingly unsolvable
conflict or impossible problem is solved by the sudden appearance of an unexpected
person, object, or event.

Tragedy
Is a branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible
events encountered or caused by a heroic individual. By extension the term may be
applied to other literary works, such as the novel.

Although the word tragedy is often used loosely to describe any sort of disaster or
misfortune, it more precisely refers to a work of art that probes with high seriousness
questions concerning the role of man in the universe.

Peripety
Peripeteia, (Greek: “reversal”) the turning point in a drama after which the plot moves
steadily to its denouement. It is discussed by Aristotle in the Poetics as the shift of the
tragic protagonist’s fortune from good to bad, which is essential to the plot of a tragedy.
It is often an ironic twist, as in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex when a messenger brings
Oedipus news about his parents that he thinks will cheer him, but the news instead slowly
brings about the awful recognition that leads to Oedipus’s catastrophe.
Epiphany
Epiphany in literature refers generally to a visionary moment when a character has a
sudden insight or realization that changes their understanding of themselves or their
comprehension of the world. The term has a more specialized sense as a literary device
distinct to modernist fiction.

Epithet
Epithet, adjective or phrase that is used to express a characteristic of a person or thing,
such as Ivan the Terrible. In literature, the term is considered an element of poetic
diction, something that distinguishes the language of poetry from ordinary language.

Homodiegetic narrator
 Describing the narrator of a dramatic work who is also the protagonist or other character
in the work.

Poetic truth
Poetic truth is a characteristic quality of the matter and substance of poetry. It means a
sound representation of life. In other words, it is a true depiction of life without any
attempt to falsify the facts.

Poetic justice
Poetic justice, in literature, an outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded,
usually in a manner peculiarly or ironically appropriate.

Dike
A barrier blocking a passage, especially for protection.