Properly understood, a motif is a relatively simple, individual unit that does not resist repetition or even development, as in a musical composition. Beethoven was fond of simple motifs and would develop them into the most wonderful structures of sound and expression. The first movement of his Symphony No. 5, Opus 67 provides a familiar example in the four-note motif of its first two measures. [pg. 27] [Harlan, Calvin. Vision & Invention, An Introduction to Art Fundamentals. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986.]
R E F E R E N C E S
Motif n [F, motive, motif, fr. MF -more at Motive] [1848] 1: a usu . recurring salient thematic element [as in the arts]; esp: a dominant idea or central theme 2: a single or repeated design or color
[Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition. Springfield, MA, USA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1995.]
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