literary embellishment; rhetorical flourish; figure of speech
Refers to ornate or artistic expression in writing, including the use of rhetorical devices and figurative language. A somewhat formal, literary term.
His writing is rich in literary embellishment.
This poem employs skillful rhetorical flourishes.
beautiful coloring; vivid description
A less common, somewhat archaic sense referring to visually beautiful or colorful expression, often in a literary context. May overlap with sense 1 in practice.
The tale is known for its vividly colored landscape descriptions.
レトリック is a loanword for rhetoric, often used in broader contexts including speech and argumentation; 文彩 is limited to literary embellishment.
Standard kanji form for this literary term.
Variant kanji form; less common than 文彩.
Composed of 文 (writing, literature) and 彩 (coloring, embellishment). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally suggests 'literary coloring' or 'embellishment in writing'.