A literary style or movement, especially in baroque poetry, characterized by the excessive use of elaborate, fanciful, and intellectually complex conceits or concetti.
From concetto (Italian) plus -ism, indicating a school of thought or artistic movement. This term describes the aesthetic philosophy of using surprising and elaborate imagery.
Concettism was the 'flexing' of the poetry world—poets competed to create the most jaw-dropping, unexpected comparisons. It drove some readers wild and others crazy; critics complained concettists cared more about impressing than communicating.
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