Questions tagged [motif]
Questions about a motif, i.e. a recurring element, such as a specific phrase or formulation, a character type, a type of incident or a device, which, through repetition, may contribute to a specific literary aspect, such as theme or mood. Motif should not be confused with "theme" (see the tag [theme]), which is a central idea or message that unifies a work of literature. However, the repetition of a motif can contribute to the identification of a theme.
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The motif of Tom O' Bedlam
The 17th-century motif of Tom O' Bedlam has always been one that I hold much affection and wonder for (as can be assumed by the choice of username on my part.)
The motif most famously makes an ...
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What is the purpose of the motif of the Chinaman in Fontane's novel Effi Briest?
One of the recurring elements or motifs in Theodor Fontane's novel Effi Briest is that of the Chinaman. The Chinaman is a source of fear for Effi, something like a phantom. References to him are ...
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Earliest work of English literature featuring “human hunting”
George R. R. Martin's first novel, Dying of the Light (1977) contains a manhunt. This is not a manhunt in the context of law enforcement or a military operation, but refers to a “hunting party” in ...
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Are birds a theme of Enrique Villasis's poetry, and why?
Enrique Villasis is a Filipino poet, and every poem of his that I've found is something to do with birds:
Birds in Flight, 1965
Birds of Paradise, 1965
Birdman, 1973, and White Bird Dark Shadow, 1962
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What is the literary origin of the ability to sense somebody else's powers or "force"?
"The force is strong with this one" is apparently a trope and its meaning has already been discussed in Science Fiction & Fantasy SE. The Star Wars franchise started in 1977, but the ability to ...
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Repeated mentions of eggs in poems by Allen Ginsberg
I've been listening to Allen Ginsberg reading his own poetry, and I've noticed a repeated mention of eggs in them. For examples:
who plunged themselves under meat trucks looking for an egg
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