Absurdism is a philosophy, usually translated into different art forms, that holds that any attempt to understand the universe will fail. Aestheticism: Art for art’s sake, rather than for any exterior motive, such as utilitarianism. Allegory: A work that has a literal meaning and a subtext that is symbolic, used particularly as a way of commenting about political or moral ideas or people. Allusion: Reference to something else, such as another work of literature. Antagonist: The protagonist’s or hero’s principal enemy. Anthropomorphism: Giving human-like thinking and talking abilities to non-humans. Bathos: Going beyond pathos so that the result is ludicrous. Burlesque: Using a manner which jars with the matter in a work to satirize a subject or literature. It can come in a variety of styles – parody, mock epic, travesty. Canon of literature: The essential list of authors in a particular culture, such as English, that critics, teachers and scholars recognize as major and whose works have been deemed classics. The term stems from the Greek word ‘kanon‘ – measuring rod – and it was applied to the books that religious leaders deemed to be genuine in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Celtic Revival: Irish literature’s very productive period from the late 19th century to the 1939…
