RBSE Solutions Class 10 English Poem Chapter 5 Literary Terms

Simile

A simile is a direct comparison between two objects, identified by the use of words like 'like' and 'as'. In a simile, the objects compared should be of different types. The dissimilarity of objects is important for a simile. For example:

• As idle as a painted ship.
• Her lips are as tender as petals of a rose.

Using a simile helps the poet express an idea clearly and effectively.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses sense devices in English literature. It is similar to a simile, but the comparison is not direct; instead, it is implied. The words 'like' and 'as' are not used to identify it. For example, "He is as cruel as a tiger" is a simile, but "He is the tiger of this town" is an example of a metaphor.

Sonnet

A sonnet is a lyric poem made up of fourteen iambic pentameter lines, connected by a specific rhyme scheme. In English literature, sonnets are divided into two types:

• 'Italian' or 'Petrarchan'
• The English sonnet or the Shakespearean sonnet.

The Petrarchan sonnet has two parts: an octave (eight lines) rhyming abba abba, and a sestet (six lines) rhyming cde cde or a similar pattern, like cdc cdc. Later, in the sixteenth century, a new form called the English or Shakespearean sonnet was developed. This sonnet has three quatrains and a concluding couplet, with a rhyme scheme such as a b a b, c d c d, e f e f, g g.

Rhyme

Rhyme is a figure of speech related to sound devices in English literature. It happens at the end of lines in poetry. It involves words that sound the same, but the letter before the vowels must have a different sound. For example, 'night' and 'sight' are true rhymes. If rhymes are used too much, the poem can become dull. Blank verse uses rhyme in a balanced way. In heroic couplets, rhymed verse is not used excessively.

Alliteration

In English literature, alliteration is a figure of speech belonging to sound devices. It involves repeating the same sound often in the same line. For example, in S.T. Coleridge's lines from 'The Ancient Mariner', "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew", the repeated 'bs' and 'fs' sounds make the lines flow quickly and give the feeling of a ship moving fast. This also creates a pleasant musical effect and soothes the listener's ears.

Elegy

In Greek and Roman literature, an elegy was any poem. In England, the term was often used for any poem of serious thought. In today's literary use, an elegy is a formal and heartfelt poem of sadness for the death of a friend, like Tennyson's 'In Memoriam'. Sometimes, the term is also used more broadly for thoughtful poems, such as Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'. The pastoral elegy represents both the person mourning and the poet. Nature also joins in the sadness. In the end, the poet understands that death is a reunion with God. Important English pastoral elegies include Milton's 'Lycidas', Shelley's 'Adonais', and Arnold's 'Thyrsis'. Goldsmith's 'An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog' is an example of a changed version of the usual elegy concept.

Dramatic Irony

Irony is a difference between how things seem and how they truly are. Playwrights often use this device to give their dramas a universal appeal. It also shows a contrast between two parts of the same situation or comment. It can be seen when some characters in a play or dialogue do not know certain facts that other characters and the audience already know. The character says words but does not understand their deeper meaning. Other characters and the audience know the real meaning and importance of these words. Shakespeare often used this device in 'Macbeth'.

Comedy

Comedy is a type of drama meant to entertain and that finishes happily. Since comedy aims to amuse, it uses both cleverness and humor. In medieval times, the word comedy was used for non-dramatic literary works that had a happy ending, for example, Dante's 'Divine Comedy'.

Tragedy

Tragedy, as a dramatic form, refers to a serious play. In a tragedy, the hero gets involved in a conflict, experiences great suffering, and eventually is defeated and dies. The classical definition of tragedy, given by Aristotle in his 'Poetics', involves a hero of high status whose good fortune changes due to a weakness in their otherwise noble character. In the Middle Ages, tragedy was simply a story of an important person moving from happiness to sadness, shown as a victim of fate. In England, tragedy began during Elizabethan times. The main influences were classical sources like Aristotle's 'Poetics' and the tragedies of the Roman philosopher Seneca. Later in the sixteenth century, playwrights created dramas that varied a lot in form and structure. These plays reached their peak in Shakespeare's tragedies. 'King Lear', 'Hamlet', and 'Macbeth' are usually seen as the greatest achievements of the English stage.

Plot

A plot can be defined as the plan or outline of the events in a story or drama. It forms the main structure of the play. The plot of a drama should only include events that can be shown by characters on stage. It is limited by what can be done on stage. A good plot is more than just a series of events. Events are chosen and arranged to create a dramatic effect, removing anything that is not important. For Aristotle, the plot is the lifeblood and soul of tragedy. The plot must serve the purpose of tragedy, which is to create feelings of pity and fear, and then to cleanse them. So, the plot must have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Drama

Drama is a work written to be performed by actors on a stage. Most dramatic works can be categorized as either tragedy or comedy. The great classical writers of tragedy were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in Greece, and the Roman philosopher Seneca. Well-known ancient comic writers included the Greek Aristophanes, and the Romans Plautus and Menander.

A short story is a type of prose fiction. It is different from an anecdote. It has a beginning and develops through the middle to some kind of ending. The plot can be comic, tragic, romantic, or satirical. It can be written as fantasy, realism, or naturalism. However, a short story differs from a novel in its length.

Problem Play

A problem play is a fairly new type of drama, made popular by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. This type of play shows a specific social problem, such as women's rights, slavery, or drug abuse. It mainly tries to make people interested in the problem so they can explore it. One subtype of the problem play is the discussion play, where the social issue is not part of a plot but is explored through debates between characters, for example, Shaw's 'Man and Superman'. Other terms like 'thesis play' and 'propaganda play' are often linked to the problem play. Interestingly, all these types are essentially plays that teach something.

Essay

An essay is any short piece of writing in prose used to express a viewpoint or to convince us to accept a certain idea on any topic. An essay is written for a general audience, not just specialists. It discusses its topic in a non-technical way, often using stories, examples, and humor to make it more appealing. A common difference is made between formal and informal essays. A formal essay is usually impersonal. The author writes as an expert on the topic and explores it in an organized and thorough way. Examples can be found in serious articles about current topics and issues in magazines, meant for a thoughtful audience. In an informal essay, the author has a close tone with the audience and tends to write about everyday things rather than public matters or specialized topics, doing so in a relaxed, personal, and often whimsical style.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves greatly exaggerating ideas to emphasize a point. For example:

• She is as heavy as an elephant!
• My grandmother is as old as the hills
• I am dying of shame
• Your suitcase weighs a ton!

It's important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor. While it does make a comparison, hyperbole creates a funny effect through an overstatement, unlike similes and metaphors.