Definition of Allusion An allusion is a reference, typically brief, to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work with which the reader is presumably familiar. As a literary device, allusion allows a writer to compress a great deal…
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Cliché
Definition of Cliché A cliché is an expression that is trite, worn-out, and overused. As a result, clichés have lost their original vitality, freshness, and significance in expressing meaning. A cliché is a phrase or idea that has become a…
Couplet
Definition of Couplet A couplet is a literary device featuring two consecutive lines of poetry that typically rhyme and have the same meter. A couplet can be part of a poem or a poem on its own. Though the two…
Hyperbole
Definition of Hyperbole Hyperbole is a figure of speech and literary device that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration. Hyperbole is often a boldly overstated or exaggerated claim or statement that adds emphasis without the intention of being literally true.…
Denotation
Definition of Denotation A word’s denotation is its literal, dictionary definition. Denotation is the objective meaning of a word, with no associated emotion. Every word that has a dictionary definition has a denotation, no matter the language or part of…
Haiku
Definition of Haiku Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry that consists of short, unrhymed lines. These lines can take various forms of brief verses. However, the most common structure of haiku features three lines of five, seven, and five…
Cool Britannia
Meanings of “Cool Britannia” The phrase “cool Britannia” means to signify the perfection of the British culture during the 90s when the United Kingdom was witnessing the peak of its success. It also means the contemporary good British culture. Origin…
Your Name is Mud
Meanings of “Your Name is Mud” The phrase “your name is mud” means you are unpopular. This phrase is informal and also refers to someone who is in trouble due to their deeds or even a misunderstanding. Origin of “Your…
We are not Amused
Meanings of “We are not Amused” The phrase “we are not amused” means showing discontent. It also refers to the disapproval of something when a person shares a tall-tale or is often giving excuses. Origin of “We are not Amused”…
Turn a Blind Eye
Meanings of “Turn a Blind Eye” The phrase “turn a blind eye” means intentionally refuse to acknowledge something that you know can be real or ignore deliberately. The phrase is also used to ask people such as police to ignore…
Anne Frank
Early Life Anne Frank was born on the 12th of June 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. She belonged to a Jewish family and was a bright daughter of Otto Frank, a businessman, while her mother, Edith Hollander Frank, was a homemaker.…
Whistle Down the Wind
Meanings of “Whistle Down the Wind” The phrase “whistle down the wind” means to abandon or leave someone or something. The phrase is also used when you have to send someone away. Origin of, “Whistle Down the Wind” The phrase…
The Best Laid Schemes of Mice and Men
Meanings of “The Best Laid Schemes of Mice and Men” The phrase “the best laid schemes of mice and men” means no matter how carefully we make plans about something, misfortune or accidents might still happen to cause mild or…
The Ends of the Earth
Meanings of “The Ends of the Earth” The phrase “the ends of the earth” means to go to the utmost limit for someone, or something. It also refers to the most distant locations of the human world as opposed to…
Cook The Books
Meanings of “Cook The Books” The phrase “cook the books” means to make twists and turns in the accounts of a company to avoid excessive or additional taxes. Origin of “Cook The Books” The phrase “cook the books” is stated…
Oscar Wilde
Early Life Oscar Wilde is an Irish playwright and poet. He was born on the 16th of October in 1854, in Dublin, a bustling city of Ireland. He was the bright son of Sir William Wilde, one of leading Ireland’s…
Of Mice and Men
Introduction Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is a novelette, written by a popular author, John Steinbeck. John is known to have coined many popular phrases and neologisms. The novel was first published in 1937. The storyline takes…
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Introduction to A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the earliest and famous plays by Shakespeare written in 1595-96. The first stage performance was in 1605. It is a unique comedy combining a few elements of…
Pride and Prejudice
Introduction Pride and Prejudice The universally acclaimed tour de force of Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, a novel of manners, is also called a model of the Romantic Movement in literature. It was written and published around 1813 during the…
Hamartia
Definition of Hamartia Hamartia is a literary device that reflects a character’s tragic or fatal flaw, or mistake in judgment, that ultimately leads to their downfall. This term originated with Aristotle as a means of describing an error or frailty…