1) Definition (CUET-ready)
Wit refers to intellectual quickness and verbal ingenuity—language that demonstrates:
- cleverness,
- sharp perception,
- surprising connections,
- and often humour or irony.
In literary history, “wit” is not just jokes; it is a mode of intelligence in style, especially visible in:
- Metaphysical poetry (conceptual wit),
- Restoration and 18th-century writing (social/satiric wit).
The “etc.” in your syllabus suggests related notions: humour, repartee, epigram, pun, irony.
2) Types of wit (high-yield distinctions)
A) Metaphysical wit
- surprising intellectual connections,
- conceits (far-fetched comparisons),
- paradox, argument in poetry.
Interlink: Paradox, dissociation of sensibility.
B) Social / conversational wit (Restoration–18th c.)
- repartee in dialogue,
- epigrammatic closure,
- satire of manners and hypocrisy.