How are epithets used for characterization?
With the use of epithets, writers are able to describe their characters and settings more vividly, in order to give richer meanings to the text. Since they are used as a literary tool, epithets help in making the description of someone or something broader and hence easier to understand.
Can a name be a phrase?
The everyday sense is an expression (constituent) containing several words, and since the name of an individual person or thing can perfectly well have several words, then yes. A proper noun can be a phrase, with several words.
What is an epic epithet?
The repeated use of a word or phrase for the same person, place, or object. Also called the Homeric epithet, fixed epithets are commonly used in epic poetry.
What is an example of an epic simile?
Epic Simile. The following example of an epic simile comes from Homer’s The Odyssey, as translated by Robert Fitzgerald. The simile is an extended comparison between the way the sea pulls Odysseus out of the rocks and the way a fisherman pulls an octopus out of its lair.
What is epithet in English literature?
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.
What is the meaning of oxymoron?
An “oxymoron” is a figure of speech that has two contradictory or opposite words appearing side by side.
What is an allusion in literary terms?
Allusion, in literature, an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text. Most allusions are based on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge that is shared by the author and the reader and that therefore the reader will understand the author’s referent.
What is personification in literature?
Personification is a literary device that uses the non-literal use of language to convey concepts in a relatable way. Writers use personification to give human characteristics, such as emotions and behaviors, to non-human things, animals, and ideas.
What is diction in literature?
Last updated: Nov 8, 2020 • 4 min read. Diction refers to the linguistic choices a writer makes to effectively convey an idea, a point of view, or tell a story. In literature, the words used by an author can help establish a distinct voice and style.
What is the word idiom?
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiom’s figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning.
What is a hyperbole in figurative language?
Hyperbole is an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis, humor, or effect. This type of figurative speech is common in everyday conversations, often when people want to state their position without seeming too direct.