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AP Language and Composition Terms Flashcards

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9330975089allegoryThe rhetorical strategy of extending a metaphor through an entire narrative so that objects, persons, and actions in the text are equated with meanings that lie outside the text. "There is an obvious allegory in Avatar, the Navi stand for Native Americans."0
9330975090alliterationThe repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in "a peck of pickled peppers."1
9330975091allusionA brief, usually indirect reference to a person, place, or event--real or fictional.2
9330975092analogyA type of composition (or, more commonly, a part of a composition or speech) in which one idea, process, or thing is explained by comparing it to something else.3
9330975093anaphora (also called epanaphora)A scheme in which the same word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Example: "I will fight for you. I will fight to save Social Security. I will fight to raise the minimum wage."4
9330975094anastropheA scheme in which normal word order is changed for emphasis. Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.5
9330975095anecdoteA short account (or narrative) of an interesting or amusing incident, often intended to illustrate or support some point.6
9330975096annotationA concise statement of the key idea(s) in a text or a portion of a text. Annotations are commonly used in reading instruction and in research.7
9330975097antagonistCharacter in a story or poem who opposes the main character (protagonist). Sometimes the antagonist is an animal, an idea, or a thing. Examples of such antagonists might include illness, oppression, or the serpent in the biblical story of Adam and Eve.8
9330975098antecedentThe noun or noun phrase that a pronoun refers to. "When giving treats to ~friends~ or ~children~, give them what they like, emphatically not what is good for them."9
933097509910
9330975100antithesisPlacement of contrasting or opposing words, phrases, clauses, or sentences side by side. Following are examples:"The more acute the experience, the less articulate its expression." (Harold Pinter, "Writing for the Theatre," 1962)11
9330975101anthropomorphismAttribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena12
9330975102antithesisA rhetorical term for the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses. "You're easy on the eyes Hard on the heart." - (Terri Clark)13
9330975103aphorismA brief statement of a principle that makes a wise observation about life. "Haste makes waste." "The first rule of Fight Club is--you do not talk about Fight Club." (Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, Fight Club)14
9330975104aporiaintentionally express unsureness15
9330975105apostropheA scheme in which a person or an abstract quality is directly addressed, whether present or not. Example: "Freedom! You are a beguiling mistress."16
9330975106appositionThe placement side-by-side of two coordinate elements (noun phrases), the second of which serves to identify or rename the first. "Miniver Cheevy, ~child of scorn~, grew lean while he assailed the seasons." "Gussie, ~a glutton for punishment~, stared at himself in the mirror."17
9330975107archaic dictionthe use of words that are old-fashioned or no longer commonly used.18
9330975108Aristotelian triangleRelation between audience, subject, and writer/speaker19
9330975109arrangementThe parts of a speech or, more broadly, the structure of a text. Arrangement is one of the five traditional canons or subdivisions of classical rhetorical training.20
9330975110asideIn conversation or drama, a short passage spoken in an undertone or addressed to an audience. In writing, an aside may be set off by parentheses.21
9330975111assertiona positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason22
9330975112assumptiona statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn. Little proof is given.23
9330975113asyndetonOmitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses "Anyway, like I was saying, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo."24
9330975114attitudeCreated by a speaker or writer in order to invent materials, the manner in which an action is carried out.25
9330975115audiencethe receiving end. Always important to write and speak with the audience in mind. Clarity, brevity, interest, reaction, etc...26
9330975116biasPrejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.27
9330975117blank verseis any verse comprised of unrhymed lines all in the same meter, usually iambic pentameter. An iambic pair is pronounced as da-DUM, accentuating the stress on the second syllable. Hence, an iambic pentameter would have the form,da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM28
9330975118bombastA pejorative term for pompous and inflated speech or writing that sounds important but is generally nonsense. "empty rhetoric". Padding to something without meaning.29
9330975119cacophonyA mix of harsh, displeasing, or clashing sounds. It is commonly used to describe poetry, but can also be found in musical composition. Sometimes it is accidental, and sometimes it is used intentionally for artistic effect.30
9330975120catharsisIn literature and art, a purification of emotions. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) used the term to describe the effect on the audience of a tragedy acted out on a theater stage. This effect consists in cleansing the audience of disturbing emotions, such as fear and pity, thereby releasing tension. In modern usage, ____ may refer to any experience, real or imagined, that purges a person of negative emotions.31
9330975121characterThe distinctive nature of something.32
9330975122chiasmusInversion in the second of two parallel phrases Example: "It's not the men in my life, it's the life in my men."33
9330975123circumlocution (or periphrasis)The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language to avoid getting to the point. Contrast with conciseness. Adjective: circumlocutory. (such as "a tool used for cutting things such as paper and hair") as opposed to scissors.34
9330975124claimAn assertion of the truth of something, typically one that is disputed or in doubt.35
9330975125classical modelintroduction, introduces the subject and piques the reader's interest narration, provides factual information and background material confirmation, major part of text, includes the development of the proof needed to make the writer's case refutation, addresses counterargument, bridge between proof and conclusion conclusion, brings essay to a close, "So what does it all mean?"36
9330975126climaxThe most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.37
9330975127close readingWhen you ______, you observe facts and details about the text. You may focus on a particular passage, or on the text as a whole. Your aim may be to notice all striking features of the text, including rhetorical features, structural elements, cultural references; or, your aim may be to notice only selected features of the text—for instance, oppositions and correspondences, or particular historical references.38
9330975128colloquialismAn informal expression that is more often used in casual conversation than in formal speech or writing. "Latinas are in oppressive structures. We can fool ourselves, but we'd still be getting ~dumped on.~"39
9330975129comic reliefComic episodes in a dramatic or literary work that offset more serious sections. A character or characters providing this.40
9330975130concedeAdmit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it.41
9330975131conclusionbrings essay to a close, "So what does it all mean" or a reasoned deduction or inference.42
9330975132confirmationmajor part of text, includes the development of the proof needed to make the writer's case43
9330975133confirmation biasTendency of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses.44
9330975134conflictThe conflict of a story is a problem in the story. It can be internal or external.45
9330975135connotationThe emotional implications and associations that a word may carry, in contrast to its denotative (literal) meanings. An idea that is implied or suggested "The name reservation has a negative connotation among Native Americans--an intern camp of sorts." (John Russell)46
9330975136contextThe words and sentences that surround any part of a discourse and that help to determine its meaning.47
9330975137conventiona rule, method, or practice established by usage; custom48
9330975138counterargumenta contrasting, opposing, or refuting argument.49
9330975139cumulative sentencesentence that completes the main idea at the beginning of the sentence and then builds and adds on50
9330975140deductive reasoningA method of reasoning from the general to the specific. In a deductive argument, a conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises. (Contrast with induction.) In logic, a deductive argument is called a syllogism. In rhetoric, the equivalent of the syllogism is the enthymeme.51
9330975141denotationThe direct or dictionary meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings52
9330975142denouementIn a narrative (within an essay, short story, novel, play, or film), the event or events following the climax; the resolution or clarification of the plot.53
9330975143deus ex machina____:(god from the machine) is a term describing the sudden appearance of an unexpected way out of a difficult situation.54
9330975144dictionChoice and use of words in speech or writing55
9330975145discursive1.passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling. 2. proceeding by reasoning or argument rather than intuition.56
9330975146dramatic ironydrama, audience knows something that the characters don't know. ex.Lincoln57
9330975147dynamic charactera literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude: Ebeneezer Scrooge is a dynamic character.58
9330975148effectsomething that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence59
9330975149elegya mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.60
9330975150epanadiplosisA figure by which the same word is used both at the beginning and at the end of a sentence; as, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." --Phil. iv. 4.61
9330975151epicLong poem in a lofty style about the exploits of heroic figures. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, as well as the Old English poem Beowulf, are examples of epics.62
9330975152epigramany witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed; a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.63
9330975153epistrophe (also called epiphora)A scheme in which the same word is repeated at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Example: "I believe we should fight for justice. You believe we should fight for justice. How can we not, then, fight for justice?"64
9330975154ethosCredibility. We tend to believe people whom we respect.65
9330975155euphemismThe substitution of an inoffensive term (such as "passed away") for one considered offensively explicit ("died"). Contrast with dysphemism. Adjective: euphemistic.66
9330975156euphonyagreeableness of sound; pleasing effect to the ear, especially a pleasant sounding or harmonious combination or succession of words67
9330975157explicationthe act of making clear or removing obscurity from the meaning of a word or symbol or expression etc..68
9330975158expositionwriting or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain; a detailed statement or explanation; explanatory treatise69
9330975159fablea short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters; apologue70
9330975160figurative languagerefers to words, and groups of words, that exaggerate or alter the usual meanings of the component words.71
9330975161figure of speechis the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, as in idiom, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, or personification.72
9330975162flashbacka device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.73
9330975163foreshadowingto show or indicate beforehand; prefigure of events that are to come74
9330975164formtypes of writing75
9330975165functionthe kind of action or activity proper to a person, thing, or institution; the purpose for which something is designed or exists; role.76
9330975166heteroclite dictionDeviating from ordinary forms or rules; irregular; anomalous; abnormal.77
9330975167hortative sentencesentence that exhorts, advices, calls to action "Go! Go! Go!" "Great job keep going!"78
9330975168hyperboleA trope composed of exaggerated words or ideals used for emphasis and not to be taken literally. Example: "I've told you a million times not to call me a liar!"79
9330975169imageform; appearance; semblance80
9330975170imageryVivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste).81
9330975171imperative sentenceA type of sentence that gives advice or instructions or that expresses a request or command. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli"82
9330975172Impressionismuse imagism and symbolism to convey their impressions, rather than interpreting their experiences.83
9330975173inductive reasoningA method of reasoning that moves from specific instances to a generalization. Specific to general.84
9330975174inversionreversal of the usual or natural order of words; anastrophe.85
9330975175ironyA trope in which a word or phrase is used to mean the opposite of its literal meaning. Example: "I just love scrubbing the floor."86
9330975176juxtapositionan act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.87
9330975177laconicusing few words; expressing much in few words; concise: a laconic reply.88
9330975178litotesA trope in which one makes a deliberate understatement for emphasis. Example: Young lovers are kissing and an observer says: "I think they like each other."89
9330975179logoslogic means persuading by the use of reasoning.90
9330975180MachiavellianNiccolo Machiavelli helped to begin a revolution in political philosophy. His ideas were not necessarily original but still considered extremely radical at the time he published his book.91
9330975182malapropAbsurd or humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".92
9330975183metaphorA trope in which a word or phrase is transferred from its literal meaning to stand for something else. Unlike a simile, in which something is said to be "like" something else, a metaphor says something is something else. Example: "Debt is a bottomless sea."93
9330975184metonymySubstitution where a word or phrase is used in place of another word or phrase (such as "crown" for "royalty"). "The pen is mightier than the sword,"94
9330975185modifierIn grammar, a modifier is an optional element in phrase structure or clause structure. A modifier is so called because it is said to modify (change the meaning of) another element in the structure, on which it is dependent. ex: "This is a red ball" vs. "This is a ball". Red modifies the noun ball.95
9330975186monologuea prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker96
9330975187motifa recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work97
9330975188narrationprovides factual information and background material or something narrated; an account, story, or narrative98
9330975189nominalizationto convert (another part of speech) into a noun, as in changing the adjective lowly into the lowly99
9330975190occasiona special or important time100
9330975191onomatopoeiause of words that imitate sounds-CRASH, BANG, HISS101
9330975192oxymoronA trope that connects two contradictory terms. Example: "Bill is a cheerful pessimist." "Jumbo shrimp"102
9330975193pacinga rate of movement103
9330975194parableA story, usually short and simple, that illustrates a lesson.104

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