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5 Steps AP English Literature Glossary Words Flashcards

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6363515327AllegoryA work that functions on a symbolic level0
6363515328AlliterationThe repetition of initial consonant sounds1
6363515329AllusionA reference contained in a work2
6363515330AnapestA metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable3
6363515331AntagonistThe force or character that opposes the main character, the protagonist.4
6363515332ApostropheDirect address in poetry (ex: "Be with me Beauty, for the fire is dying")5
6363515333AsideWords spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage6
6363515334AubadeA love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved7
6363515335BalladA simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of a b c d8
6363515336Blank verseUnrhymed iambic pentameter (ex: most Shakespeare plays)9
6363515337CacophonyHarsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work10
6363515338CaesuraA break or pause within the line of poetry indicated by punctuation and used to emphasize meaning11
6363515339CatharsisAccording to Aristotle, the release of emotions that the audience of a tragedy experiences12
6363515340CharacterOne who carries out the action of the plot in lit. The types are major, minor, static, and dynamic.13
6363515341ClimaxThe turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension14
6363515342Comic reliefThe inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event15
6363515343ConflictA clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. God; man vs. self16
6363515344ConnotationThe interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning17
6363515345ConventionA traditional aspect of a literary work, such as a soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy18
6363515346CoupletTwo lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage19
6363515347DactylA foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables20
6363515348DenotationThe literal or dictionary meaning of a word21
6363515349DenouementThe conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot22
6363515350Dues ex machinaA Greek invention, literally "the God from the machine" who appears at the last moment and resolves the loose ends of a play. Today, the term refers to anyone, usually of some stature, who untangles, resolves, or reveals the key to the plot of a work.23
6363515351DictionThe authors choice of words24
6363515352Dramatic monologueA type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener25
6363515353ElegyA poem that laments the dead or a loss26
6363515354EnjambmentA technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza. It enables the poem to move and to develop coherence as well as directing the reader with regard to form and meaning27
6363515355EpicA lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero28
6363515356EpigramA brief witty poem29
6363515357EuphonyThe pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work30
6363515358ExpositionBackground information presented in a literary work31
6363515359FableA simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters32
6363515360Figurative languageThe body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one33
6363515361FlashbackA device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes34
6363515362FootA metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, Anapest, dactyl, and spondee35
6363515363ForeshadowingHints of future events in a literary work36
6363515364FormThe shape or structure of a literary work37
6363515365Free versePoetry without defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme38
6363515366HyperboleExtreme exaggeration39
6363515367IambA metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language40
6363515368IdyllA type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time41
6363515369ImageA verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion42
6363515370ImageryThe total effect is related sensory images in a work of literature43
6363515371ImpressionismWrithing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept44
6363515372IronyAn unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It involves dialogue and situation, and it can be intentional or unplanned. Audience is aware of circumstances.45
6363515373Lyric poetryA type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity; a large and inclusive category of poetry that exhibits rhyme, meter, and reflective thought46
6363515374Magical realismA type of literature that explores narratives by and about characters who inhabit and experience their reality differently from what we term the objective world.47
6363515375MetaphorA direct comparison between dissimilar things48
6363515376Metaphysical poetryRefers to the work of poets who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox49
6363515377MeterA pattern of beats in poetry50
6363515378MetonymyA figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea51
6363515379MonologueA speech given by one character52
6363515380MotifThe repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters53
6363515381Narrative poemA poem that tells a story54
6363515382NarratorThe speaker of a literary work55
6363515383OctaveAn eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet56
6363515384OdeA formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject57
6363515385OnomatopoeiaWords that sound like the sounds that represent58
6363515386OxymoronAn image of contradictory terms59
6363515387ParableA story that operates on more than on level and usually teaches a moral lesson60
6363515388ParadoxA set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth61
6363515389Parallel plotA secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot62
6363515390ParodyA comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original63
6363515391PathosThe aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience64
6363515392PersonificationThe assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts65
6363515393PlotA sequence of events in a literary work66
6363515394Point of viewThe method of narration in a work67
6363515395ProtagonistThe hero or main character of a literary work, the character the audience sympathizes with68
6363515396QuatrainA four-line stanza69
6363515397ResolutionThe denouement of a literary work70
6363515398Rhetorical questionA question that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience71
6363515399RhymeThe duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines72
6363515400Rhyme schemeThe annotation of the pattern of the rhyme73
6363515401RhythmThe repetitive pattern of beats in a poem74
6363515402RomanticismA style or movement of literature that has as its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape75
6363515403SatireA mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution76
6363515404ScansionAnalysis of a poem's rhyme and meter77
6363515405SestetA six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet78
6363515406SestinaA highly structured poetic form of 39 lines, written on iambic pentameter. It depends upon the repetition of six words from the first stanza in each of the six stanzas79
6363515407SettingThe time and place of a literary work80
6363515408SimileAn indirect comparison that uses the word "like" or "as" to link the differing items in the comparison81
6363515409SoliloquyA speech in a play which is used to reveal the character's inner thoughts to the audience82
6363515410SonnetA 14-line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter83
6363515411SpondeeA poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables84
6363515412Stage directionsThe specific instructions a playwright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc.85
6363515413StanzaA unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem86
6363515414StructureThe organization and form of a work87
6363515415StyleThe unique way an author presents dis ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to this.88
6363515416SubplotA secondary plot that explores the ideas different from the main storyline89
6363515417SubtextImplied meaning of a work of section of work90
6363515418SymbolSomething in a literary work or section of a work91
6363515419SynecdocheA figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole92
6363515420SyntaxThe grammatical structure of prose and poetry93
6363515421TercetA three-line stanza94
6363515422ThemeThe underlying ideas that the author illiterates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.95
6363515423ToneThe author'd attitude toward the subject96
6363515424Tragic heroA basically food person of noble birth or exalted position who has a fatal flaw or commits an error in judgment which leads to his downfall; must have a moment of realization and live and suffer.97
6363515425TrocheeA single metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable98
6363515426UnderstatementThe opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended99
6363515427VillanelleA highly structured poetic form that comprises six stanzas: five tercets and a quatrain. The poem repeats the first and third lines throughout.100

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