The Black Arts Movement
The term “Black Arts Movement” refers to a group of African-American writers whose works were influenced by the political and social turmoil of the 1960s. This included massive anti-Vietnam War protests and Black American rights struggles that resulted in violent disputes. The spiritual and artistic sibling of the Black Power Movement is the Black Art […]
Baroque
Baroque is a term used by art historians to refer to a certain style of painting, sculpture, and architecture at the start of the seventeenth century in Italy. The style employs the classical forms of the Renaissance to accomplish extravagant, grandeur, and extremely dramatic effects. Bernini’s sculptures and the architecture of St. Peter’s Cathedral are […]
Ballad
A ballad, sometimes referred to as a folk ballad or traditional ballad, is essentially an oral song that tells a story. Ballads are essentially folk songs with a narrative, usually communicated orally among illiterate or only partially educated people. A ballad’s original version was probably written by a single author; however, the author is unknown. […]
Archaism
Archaism refers to the literary usage of words and phrases that have become out of date in a given era’s standard language. For instance, Spenser purposefully used archaisms in The ‘Faerie Queene‘ to create a poetic voice fit for his revival of medieval chivalric romance. He employs archaic words from Chaucer, Wiclif, and Langland, such […]
Antihero
An antihero is the main character of a contemporary play or novel whose persona differs greatly from the traditional protagonist, or hero. The anti hero is small-minded, humiliating, submissive, clownish, or dishonest, as opposed to showing power, dignity, authority. For example, Beckett protagonist Malone in his work ‘Malone Dies’ can be considered as an anti hero as […]