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Dictionary definition of “parergon”

parergon

n. a secondary, derivative, unnecessary, or supplemental occupation, ornament, or (creative) work. Also adj., attrib. Subjects: ,
Editorial Note: Plural parerga.
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Citations: 1996 Joseph A. Dupras Papers on Language and Literature (Winter) “Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’: Paragon and parergon” p. 3: When we apprehend the auditor’s mediating role, we have to reconnect the speaker’s main point (ergon) with what is beside the point (parergon), but the poem itself never confirms that our framing is accurate.
Posted 25 Apr 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

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