Okuzeka
Literature vocabulary · Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Conceit

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, conceit means: An elaborate and surprising comparison between very different things.

In Turkish: uzak benzetme, konseit

How it is used

Use for an extended inventive comparison, especially in metaphysical poetry; explain its logic.

Example sentences

  1. The poem develops a conceit comparing a marriage to a carefully repaired clock.

    The clock's working parts organize the poem's account of the relationship.

  2. Our seminar questioned where the conceit of grief as a locked library stops working.

    Testing the comparison's limits helps assess its explanatory force.

Common collocations

  • metaphysical conceit
  • an elaborate conceit
  • metaphorA figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were something else, without using 'like' or 'as', to show a hidden similarity.
  • epic simileA long, detailed simile in epic poetry or elevated narrative that develops a comparison across several lines for dramatic effect.

More terms: Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

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