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5 Steps AP English Literature Glossary Words Flashcards

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9226301048AllegoryA work that functions on a symbolic level0
9226301049AlliterationThe repetition of initial consonant sounds1
9226301050AllusionA reference contained in a work2
9226301051AnapestA metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable3
9226301052AntagonistThe force or character that opposes the main character, the protagonist.4
9226301053ApostropheDirect address in poetry (ex: "Be with me Beauty, for the fire is dying")5
9226301054AsideWords spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage6
9226301055AubadeA love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved7
9226301056BalladA simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of a b c d8
9226301057Blank verseUnrhymed iambic pentameter (ex: most Shakespeare plays)9
9226301058CacophonyHarsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work10
9226301059CaesuraA break or pause within the line of poetry indicated by punctuation and used to emphasize meaning11
9226301060CatharsisAccording to Aristotle, the release of emotions that the audience of a tragedy experiences12
9226301061CharacterOne who carries out the action of the plot in lit. The types are major, minor, static, and dynamic.13
9226301062ClimaxThe turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension14
9226301063Comic reliefThe inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event15
9226301064ConflictA clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. God; man vs. self16
9226301065ConnotationThe interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning17
9226301066ConventionA traditional aspect of a literary work, such as a soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy18
9226301067CoupletTwo lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage19
9226301068DactylA foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables20
9226301069DenotationThe literal or dictionary meaning of a word21
9226301070DenouementThe conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot22
9226301071Dues 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
9226301072DictionThe authors choice of words24
9226301073Dramatic monologueA type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener25
9226301074ElegyA poem that laments the dead or a loss26
9226301075EnjambmentA 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
9226301076EpicA lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero28
9226301077EpigramA brief witty poem29
9226301078EuphonyThe pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work30
9226301079ExpositionBackground information presented in a literary work31
9226301080FableA simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters32
9226301081Figurative languageThe body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one33
9226301082FlashbackA device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes34
9226301083FootA metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, Anapest, dactyl, and spondee35
9226301084ForeshadowingHints of future events in a literary work36
9226301085FormThe shape or structure of a literary work37
9226301086Free versePoetry without defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme38
9226301087HyperboleExtreme exaggeration39
9226301088IambA metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language40
9226301089IdyllA type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time41
9226301090ImageA verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion42
9226301091ImageryThe total effect is related sensory images in a work of literature43
9226301092ImpressionismWrithing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept44
9226301093IronyAn 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
9226301094Lyric 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
9226301095Magical 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
9226301096MetaphorA direct comparison between dissimilar things48
9226301097Metaphysical poetryRefers to the work of poets who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox49
9226301098MeterA pattern of beats in poetry50
9226301099MetonymyA figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea51
9226301100MonologueA speech given by one character52
9226301101MotifThe repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters53
9226301102Narrative poemA poem that tells a story54
9226301103NarratorThe speaker of a literary work55
9226301104OctaveAn eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet56
9226301105OdeA formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject57
9226301106OnomatopoeiaWords that sound like the sounds that represent58
9226301107OxymoronAn image of contradictory terms59
9226301108ParableA story that operates on more than on level and usually teaches a moral lesson60
9226301109ParadoxA set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth61
9226301110Parallel plotA secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot62
9226301111ParodyA comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original63
9226301112PathosThe aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience64
9226301113PersonificationThe assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts65
9226301114PlotA sequence of events in a literary work66
9226301115Point of viewThe method of narration in a work67
9226301116ProtagonistThe hero or main character of a literary work, the character the audience sympathizes with68
9226301117QuatrainA four-line stanza69
9226301118ResolutionThe denouement of a literary work70
9226301119Rhetorical questionA question that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience71
9226301120RhymeThe duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines72
9226301121Rhyme schemeThe annotation of the pattern of the rhyme73
9226301122RhythmThe repetitive pattern of beats in a poem74
9226301123RomanticismA style or movement of literature that has as its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape75
9226301124SatireA mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution76
9226301125ScansionAnalysis of a poem's rhyme and meter77
9226301126SestetA six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet78
9226301127SestinaA 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
9226301128SettingThe time and place of a literary work80
9226301129SimileAn indirect comparison that uses the word "like" or "as" to link the differing items in the comparison81
9226301130SoliloquyA speech in a play which is used to reveal the character's inner thoughts to the audience82
9226301131SonnetA 14-line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter83
9226301132SpondeeA poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables84
9226301133Stage directionsThe specific instructions a playwright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc.85
9226301134StanzaA unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem86
9226301135StructureThe organization and form of a work87
9226301136StyleThe unique way an author presents dis ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to this.88
9226301137SubplotA secondary plot that explores the ideas different from the main storyline89
9226301138SubtextImplied meaning of a work of section of work90
9226301139SymbolSomething in a literary work or section of a work91
9226301140SynecdocheA figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole92
9226301141SyntaxThe grammatical structure of prose and poetry93
9226301142TercetA three-line stanza94
9226301143ThemeThe underlying ideas that the author illiterates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.95
9226301144ToneThe author'd attitude toward the subject96
9226301145Tragic 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
9226301146TrocheeA single metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable98
9226301147UnderstatementThe opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended99
9226301148VillanelleA 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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