Bookended Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations
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bookended
[หbสkหษndษd ]
Definition
literary usage
To bookend something means to enclose it or define its limits with specific elements at both ends, often providing symmetry or contrast. This term is commonly used in literature, music, and art to describe structures or themes that are mirrored or repeated at the beginning and end of a piece.
Synonyms
border, encapsulate, enclose, frame.
Examples of usage
- The poem is bookended by the same refrain.
- Her speech was bookended with quotes from famous leaders.
- The film is bookended by scenes set in a rainy city.
- The novel is bookended with a prologue and an epilogue.
Translations
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Interesting Facts
Literature
- Authors often use a bookending technique in storytelling, starting with an idea that returns at the end for closure.
- In poetry, bookending can create symmetry, allowing the first and last lines to echo each other, enhancing the overall message.
Film and Media
- Films sometimes start and end in the same location to create a circular narrative, helping audiences feel a sense of completion.
- Popular movies like 'The Shawshank Redemption' use bookending to reinforce character development and plot themes.
Psychology
- Research in psychology suggests that people better remember events that are framed by a clear beginning and end.
- The 'Zeigarnik Effect' shows that unfinished tasks tend to leave a psychological impact, highlighting the importance of providing closure.
Art
- In visual art, bookending can refer to the use of frame elements at both ends of a piece to guide a viewer's attention.
- Artists might create diptychs (two-panel works) that bookend themes or emotions, telling a story across the two images.
Origin of 'bookended'
Main points about word origin
- The term 'bookend' originally referred to objects used to hold books upright on a shelf, first appearing in the late 19th century.
- The combination of 'book' and 'end' literally implies that something is flanked or supported on both sides.
The term 'bookend' originated from the physical objects used to support books on a shelf, which visually 'bookend' the collection of books. The word 'book' dates back to the Old English 'bลc,' meaning a written document or record. The element '-end' refers to a limit or boundary. The figurative use of 'bookend' emerged in the 20th century, primarily used in literary and artistic contexts to describe a structure or thematic element that starts and finishes a narrative or composition. The concept implies a sense of completeness and reflection, inviting audiences to draw connections between the beginning and end of the work. As a verb, 'to bookend' became popular in various fields such as theater and film, where creators strategically frame their pieces to enhance emotional impact or thematic coherence.