the word Motif!?

Question

what is an the definition of Motif which i can understand easily?

Answer 1

Briefly speaking, motif means as under;

1...A motif is a theme or idea that is frequently repeated throughout a piece of literature or music.

ex...The motif of these volumes is that 'solitude' is the richness of the soul, loneliness is its poverty.



2...A motif is a design which is used as a decoration or as part of an artistic pattern.

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Answer 2

Dictionary: motif



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1. A recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work.

2. A dominant theme or central idea.



# Music. A short rhythmic or melodic passage that is repeated or evoked in various parts of a composition.

# A repeated figure or design in architecture or decoration.



Music Encyclopedia: Motif



. A short musical idea, melodic, harmonic or rhythmic, or all three. It may be of any size but is generally regarded as the shortest subdivision of a theme or phrase that maintains its identity.



Literary Dictionary: motif



motif [moh‐teef], a situation, incident, idea, image, or character‐type that is found in many different literary works, folktales, or myths; or any element of a work that is elaborated into a more general theme. The fever that purges away a character's false identity is a recurrent motif in Victorian fiction; and in European lyric poetry the ubi sunt motif and the carpe diem motif are commonly found. Where an image, incident, or other element is repeated significantly within a single work, it is more commonly referred to as a leitmotif.



Architecture: motif



A principal repeated element in an ornamental design.



Archaeology Dictionary: motif



In rock art studies, a recurrent visual image which has a particular arrangement of components; an element in a (usually) complex design. It may be non-representational or pictorial.



Columbia Encyclopedia: motif



(mōtēf') , in literature, term that denotes the recurrent presence of certain character types, objects, settings, or situations in diverse genres and periods of folklore and literature. Examples of motifs include swords, money, food, jewels, forests, oceans, castles, dungeons, tests of skill or wisdom, journeys, separations and reunions, chaos brought to order. Motifs are not restricted to literature. Hans von Wolzogen coined the term leitmotiv [Ger.,=guiding motive] to describe Richard Wagner's use of a recurring musical phrase to reinforce the emotional impact of characters, situations, and themes in his operas.



Grammar Dictionary: motif



In literature, art, or music, a recurring set of words, shapes, colors, or notes. In the poem “The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe, for example, the word nevermore is a motif appearing at the end of each stanza. Likewise, the first four notes of the Fifth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven are a motif that is developed and reshaped throughout the work.



http://www.answers.com/motif

Answer 3

Motifs are reoccuring themes that take place either in a novel a movie or a story. For example (and I'm making this super easy for you) in the novel "The Color Purple" purple is mentioned quite often. Purple appears and reappears throughout the entire plot. The novel is fair in the sense that the main character Celie even tells you why the color purple is so important to her. Motifs can be objects or colors or shapes. In the "Great Gatsby" a billboard with all seeing eyes pops up frequently. They are symbols of God's eyes. Yea I hope this helps you any.

Answer 4

A design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration.



A theme that is repeated in a piece of music