Literary term

Soriak · 03-01-2007, 08:40 PM

Annoying, I forgot the term for a construction like this:

Instead of fighting for a just cause,
they went to get drunk.

When that is only meant as an example to characterize the people...
ie instead of doing they did

Any ideas?

kegkilla · 03-01-2007, 09:00 PM

kenning? probably not but thats all that comes to mind... english isn't my thing.

edit: just looked up what a kenning is and thats definitely not what you're looking for.

Tea on tuesday · 03-01-2007, 10:11 PM

Yeah, I'm nearly positive we don't have a term for that.

I can't think of any language where that syntax has a specific term actually.

Soriak · 03-01-2007, 10:31 PM

Hmm... odd

Could Juxtaposition be it?

Tea on tuesday · 03-01-2007, 10:36 PM

Nope. In literature juxtaposition is pairing words that don't go together like...I heard a quiet bang...or something less retarded, and English doesn't have a juxtaposition grammar operator.

Rune · 03-02-2007, 05:18 AM

Sorry if this is a little obvious but wouldn't that be a stereotype?

Probably not what you were looking for : ( Sorry.

Soriak · 03-02-2007, 06:49 AM

Nope. It's more regarding the sentence structure:

when they were supposed to do this,
they did that.

when they were supposed to do this,
they did that instead.

The contrast of it, I suppose... Maybe there's no term and I'm just imagining things, in which case I have to get treatment asap

Imagining things about literary terms, wtf.

Faltigoth · 03-02-2007, 06:59 AM

This might be it - a characterization:

Characterization
The method a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character in a literary work: Methods may include (1) by what the character says about himself or herself; (2) by what others reveal about the character; and (3) by the character's own actions

That's the closest thing I could pull out of a dictionary of literary terms, heh.

*edit* I see you already used characterize in your original post, it is a definite literary construct!

Soriak · 03-02-2007, 08:32 AM

Cool, thanks for the effort!

Tea on tuesday · 03-02-2007, 11:39 AM

That's not really characterization at all....and if you're being that broad with the term then really it's meaningless.

03-01-2007, 08:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
Soriak Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,071 +38 Internets	Literary term Annoying, I forgot the term for a construction like this: Instead of fighting for a just cause, they went to get drunk. When that is only meant as an example to characterize the people... ie instead of doing they did Any ideas?

03-01-2007, 09:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
kegkilla back in the limelight Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,952 -189 Internets	kenning? probably not but thats all that comes to mind... english isn't my thing. edit: just looked up what a kenning is and thats definitely not what you're looking for. Last edited by kegkilla : 03-01-2007 at 09:04 PM.

03-01-2007, 10:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
Tea on tuesday Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,754 +31 Internets	Yeah, I'm nearly positive we don't have a term for that. I can't think of any language where that syntax has a specific term actually. Last edited by Tea on tuesday : 03-01-2007 at 10:24 PM.

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03-01-2007, 10:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
Soriak Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,071 +38 Internets	Hmm... odd Could Juxtaposition be it?

03-01-2007, 10:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tea on tuesday Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,754 +31 Internets	Nope. In literature juxtaposition is pairing words that don't go together like...I heard a quiet bang...or something less retarded, and English doesn't have a juxtaposition grammar operator.

03-02-2007, 05:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
Rune Bonafied Misanthrope Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 948 -1 Internets	Sorry if this is a little obvious but wouldn't that be a stereotype? Probably not what you were looking for : ( Sorry.

03-02-2007, 06:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
Soriak Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,071 +38 Internets	Nope. It's more regarding the sentence structure: when they were supposed to do this, they did that. when they were supposed to do this, they did that instead. The contrast of it, I suppose... Maybe there's no term and I'm just imagining things, in which case I have to get treatment asap Imagining things about literary terms, wtf.

03-02-2007, 06:59 AM	#8 (permalink)
Faltigoth Army Football forever!! Who needs wins, anyway?!? Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 781 +0 Internets	This might be it - a characterization: Characterization The method a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character in a literary work: Methods may include (1) by what the character says about himself or herself; (2) by what others reveal about the character; and (3) by the character's own actions That's the closest thing I could pull out of a dictionary of literary terms, heh. edit I see you already used characterize in your original post, it is a definite literary construct!

03-02-2007, 08:32 AM	#9 (permalink)
Soriak Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,071 +38 Internets	Cool, thanks for the effort!

03-02-2007, 11:39 AM	#10 (permalink)
Tea on tuesday Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,754 +31 Internets	That's not really characterization at all....and if you're being that broad with the term then really it's meaningless.