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AP Language and Comp Vocab Flashcards

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7611804754AlliterationThe repetition if consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another. "Beautiful blossoms blooming..."0
7611819714AllusionA reference to another work or famous figure that is assumed to be well known enough to be recognized by the reader.1
7611830578AnachronismAn event, object, custom, person, or thing that is out of order in time;2
7611847649AnalogyA comparison of two similar but different things, usually to clarify an action or relationship, such as comparing the work of a heart to that of a pump.3
7611860337AnaphoraSpecific type of repetition; word, phrase, or clause repeated at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. "I had a dream..."4
7611873945AnecdoteA short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point.5
7611901087AphorismA short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life.6
7611910179ApostropheUsually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction.7
7611926993ArgumentationWriting that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation.8
7611946595AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants, such as in neigh/fade.9
7611952961AuthoritySupport for an argument that is based on recognized experts in the field.10
7611963611BurlesqueBroad parody; whereas a parody will imitate and exaggerate a specific work. ex. Romeo and Juliet, a burlesque will take an entire style or form, such as myths, and exaggerate it into ridiculousness.11
7611988646CacophonyHarsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose; the opposite of EUPHONY12
7612006767CaricatureDescriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person's appearance or a facet of personality.13
7612031131ClassicismThe principles and styles admired in the classics of Greek and Roman literature, such as objectivity, sensibility, restraint, and formality.14
7612046415ColloquialismA word or phrase used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing.15
7612064979CoherenceQuality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing.16
7612081562ConceitAn elaborate figure of speech in which two seemingly dissimilar things or situations are compared.17
7612095244ConnotationImplied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader's mind.18
7612102193ConsananceThe repetition of identical consonant sounds before and after different vowel sounds, as in boost/best; it can be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and Ping-Pong.19
7612126180ConundrumA riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem.20
7612136558DenotationLiteral meaning of a word as defined.21
7612141610DescriptionThe picturing of words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of four modes of discourse.22
7612154431DiscourseSpoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes of discourse are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion.23
7612176796DictionWord choice, an element of style; also called syntax.24
7612186560Dissonanceharsh or grating sounds that do not go together.25
7612192353EpigramA concise, witty saying in poetry or prose that either stands alone or is part of a larger work; it may also refer to a short poem of this type.26
7612205222EuphonyA succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of CACOPHONY27
7612213616ExempumA brief tale used in medieval times to illustrate a sermon or teach a lesson.28
7612227678ExpositionThe immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information necessary for understanding the plot; also, explanation; one of the four modes of discourse.29
7612243150Figurative LanguageLanguage that contains figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, in order to create associations that are imaginative rather than literal.30
7612260997Figures of SpeechExpression, such as similes, metaphors, and personification that make imaginative, rather than literal, comparisons or associations.31
7612273810FolkloreTraditional stories, songs, dances, and customs that are preserved among a people; folklore usually precedes literature, being passed down orally from generation to generation until recorded by scholars.32
7612292282ForeshodowingThe use of a hint or clue to suggest a larger event that occurs later in the work.33
7612299907GenreA type of literary work, such as a novel or poem; there are also subgenres, such as science fiction or sonnet, within the larger genres.34
7612321624HubrisThe excessive pride or ambition that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings of impeding doom, eventually causing his or her downfall.35
7612333800HumorAnything that causes laughter or amusement; up until the end Renaissance, humor meant a person's temperament.36
7618676383HyperboleDeliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis.37
7618682346IdyllA short descriptive narrative, usually a poem about an idealized country life; also called pastoral.38
7618691261ImageryWords or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to one or more of the five senses in order to create a mental picture39
7618698676Interior MonologueWriting that records the conversation that occurs inside a character's head.40
7618706319InversionReversing the customary orders of elements in a sentence or phrase,it is used effectively in many cases, such as posing a question.41
7618717575IronyA situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to what was expected.42
7618726926Loose SentenceA sentence that is grammatically complete before its end.43
7618758364MetaphorA figure of speech in which one thing is referred to as another, for example, "My love is fragile as a flower".44
7618771122MetonymyA figure of speech that uses the name of an object, person, or idea to represent something which it is associated, such as using "the crown" to refer to the monarch.45
7618783076ModeThe method or form of a literary work; the manner in which a work of literature is written.46
7618790555MoodSimilar to tone, mood is primary emotional attitude of a work.47
7618794500MotifMain theme or subject of a work that is elaborated on in the development of the piece; a repeated pattern or idea.48
7618801370MythOne story in a system of narrative set in a complete imaginary world that once served to explain the origin of life, religious beliefs, and the forces of nature as supernatural occurrences.49
7618812993NarrationThe telling of a story in a fiction. nonfiction. poetry or drama; one of the four modes of discourse.50
7618822972NaturalismA literary movement that grew out of realism in France, the US, and England in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century. Portrays humans as having no free will, being driven by the natural forces or heredity, environment, and animalistic urges over which they have no control.51
7618846544ObjectivityAn impersonal presentation of events and characters.52
7618850630OnomatopoeiaThe use of words that sound like what they mean, such as "hiss" and "boom".53
7618874058OxymoronA figure of speech composed of contradictory words or phrases, such as "wise fool".54
7618856042ParableA short tale that teaches a moral; similar to but shorter than an allegory. (Allegory - a story, poem, or picture that can interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political meaning.)55
7618882425ParadoxA statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning.56
7618888467ParallelismThe technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form.57
7618910007ParodyA work that ridicules the style of another work by imitating and exaggerating its elements.58
7618929055Periodic SentenceA sentence that is not grammatically complete until its last phrase.59
7618933877PersonaA fictional voice that a writer adopts to tell a story, determined by the subject matter and audience.60
7618939242PersonificationThe attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or inanimate object.61
7618947370PersuasionA form of argumentation, one of the four modes of discourse; language intended to convince through appeals to reason or emotion.62
7618956182Point of ViewThe perspective from which a story is presented. ex. First person (using "I"). second person, and third person.63
7619018753Stream of consciousness narratorLike a first narrator, but instead placing the reader inside the character's head, making the reader privy to the continuous, chaotic flow of disconnected, half-formed thoughts and impressions in the character's mind.64
7619037653Omniscient narratorA third person narrator, referred to as "he", "she", or "they", who is able to see into each character's mind and understands all the action.65
7619060812Limited omniscient narratorA third person narrator who reports the thoughts of only one character and generally only what that one character sees.66
7619071670Objective narratorA third person narrator who only reports what would be visible to a camera; thoughts and feelings are only revealed if a character speaks of them.67
7619084079ProtagonistThe main character of a literary work.68
7619087216RealismA 19th century literary movement, stressed accuracy in the portrayal of life. Focusing on characters with whom middle-class readers could easily identify; it is in direct contrast with romanticism.69
7619097243RhetoricThe art of persuasion, using language effectively. Remember SOAPS (Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker).70
7619116309RegionalismAn element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographical locale, using the locale and its influences as a major part of the plot.71
7619128277Rhetorical modesExposition, description, narration, argumentation72
7619131075RomanticismA literary, artistic, and philosophical movement that began in the 18th century. Focal points; imagination, emotion, and freedom. Stressing subjectivity, individuality, the love and worship of nature, and a fascination with the past.73
7619146088SarcasmHarsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone; less subtle than irony.74
7619150344SimileA figure of speech that uses "like" or "as". A direct comparison between two things.75
7619164817SpeakerThe voice of a work; an author may speak as himself/herself or as a fictitious persona.76
7619171502StereotypeA character; who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group and who lacks individuality.77
7619177504StyleAn author's characteristic manner of expression78
7619180347SubjectivityA personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions.79
7619188005Suspension of disbeliefThe demand that made the reader accepts the incidents recounted in the literary work.80
7619191278SymbolismThe use of symbols or anything that is meant to be taken both literally and as a representative of a higher and more complex significance.81
7619200767SynecdocheA figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent a whole, such as using "boards" to mean a stage or "wheels" to mean a car.82
7619209465SyntaxWord choice or diction or arrangement of words in a phrase.83
7619215086ThemeThe central idea or "message" of a literary work.84
7619217033ToneThe characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, and audience.85
7619221989UnityQuality of a piece of writing... Coherence86
7619224600VoiceThe way a written work conveys an author's attitude.87

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