motif
20
5.9
- noun
- /moʊˈtiːf/
- Literature
- Here is where the motif of the museum as a bridge becomes meaningful.
- dominant motif
- central motif
- motif of escape
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Watch on YouTubeHenry clutching a book in each hand is the poem's motif and the book's destiny.
- Henry clutching a book in each hand is the poem's motif and the book's destiny.
- And so that is a Christian motif, right?
- Then he says if we integrate these two perspectives, we get a third motif.
- Bam, this thing has got the it's the serpent king motif.
- They ruin you because you can't get out of your own way, and that's the kind of recurring story motif amongst all of these.
- And as I've already said for the heart, motifs are one important way to do that.
- It does kind of have that sleek professionalism, I don't know, motif that's going on now.
- I said sloths were becoming a light motif for corrections, and I was told that light motif is only true for music.
Examples
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A recurrent motif in the movie, which is the revelation of the Roman collar.
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A common motif in Victorian literature is the conflict between social class and personal values.
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Characters coming in and out of darkness has been kind of a motif through the whole show.
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However, the idea of a Law being passed from God to a prophet, up on a mountain, is also a very old motif.
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In this essay, we discuss the pervasive motif of the birthday party, that of exact age.
Academic text (1991) -
Henry clutching a book in each hand is the poem's motif and the book's destiny.
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Thus, the coveted precious object, a typical fairytale motif, plays an important part in the narrative.
Academic text (1999) -
I would say Small Worlds by Caleb Azuma Nelson because firstly, music is a huge motif in this book.
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The artist often uses nature as a motif to explore themes of growth and renewal.
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In many fairy tales, the quest for a lost treasure serves as a central motif that drives the plot.
Synonyms
677
2.8
Main idea in a piece of writing, art, or talk
192
2.8
A repeated design like shapes or flowers on cloth
36
5.5
A separate part of a story or plan
6
7.4
A short musical idea that repeats or changes through a piece
1
9.1
A short musical idea that returns to show a person, place, or feeling
1
3.4
The main tune that represents a person or idea in a piece of music
1
9.9
A short tune that comes back in music to represent a person or idea
1
5.8
A main tune that returns and shapes a musical piece
How Prominent
Surface Forms
Etymology
Motif comes from the French word motive and the old Latin root movere, which means 'to move'. Think of a small idea that 'moves' through a story again and again, and that is why a motif is a repeating theme.