Entertainment / Literature / Motif: A conspicuous recurring element, such as a type of incident, a device, a reference, or verbal formula, which appears frequently in works of literature. For instance, the 'loathly lady' who turns out to be a beautiful princess is a common motif in folklore, and the man fatally bewitched by a fairy lady is a common folkloric motif appearing in Keats' 'La Belle Dame sans Merci.' In medieval Latin lyrics, the 'Ubi sunt?' [where are . . .?] Motif is common, in which a speaker mourns the lost past by repeatedly asking, what happened to the good-old days? (Where are the snows of yesteryear?' asks Francois Villon.) The motif of the 'beheading game' is common in Celtic myth, and so on. Frequently, critics use the word motif interchangeably with theme and leit-motif. See also folkloric motif.
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Motif Verb Synonyms: theme, idea, topic, subject, concept, leitmotif, pattern, figure, refrain, device, ornament, decoration, element, convention
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Entertainment / Literature / Leit-Motif: From the German term for 'lead motif,' a leit-motif originally was coined by Hans von Wolzuegen to designate a musical theme associated with a particular object, character, or emotion. For instance, t MORE
Entertainment / Literature / Folkloric Motifs: Recurring patterns of imagery or narrative that appear in folklore and folktales. Common folkloric motifs include the wise old man mentoring the young warrior, the handsome prince rescuing the damsel MORE
Entertainment / Literature / Temptation Motif: A motif in which one of the protagonist's primary struggles is the conflict between his or her sense of (1) personal honor and ethics and (2) his or her personal desires, ambitions, or wickedness. Bib MORE