653100101 | allegory | a narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrates multiple levels of meaning and significance. Often a universal symbol or a personified abstraction. | 0 | |
48018451 | Alliteration | The sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate, stressed syllables. | 1 | |
684770778 | Allusion | A literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference in a literary work. | 2 | |
114341235 | Anaphora | The regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses. | 3 | |
695359742 | Antithesis | The juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or paralleled words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas. Ex. many are called, few are chosen. | 4 | |
830706668 | Aphorism | A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief | 5 | |
686594362 | Appeals to.....authority, emotion, logic | Rhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in a field, or attempts play upon the emotions, or appeals to the use of reason | 6 | |
643677464 | Apostrophe | An address or invocation to something intimate, often in poetry Ex. Death not be proud | 7 | |
403917536 | Assonance | The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words. Slows down the pace. Ex. I like Ike. | 8 | |
1028057030 | Asyndeton | A syntactical structure in which conjuctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose | 9 | |
565382104 | Attitude | The sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his or her feelings for the reader. | 10 | |
8007256 | Begging the question | An argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evades or ignores the real question. | 11 | |
1007134283 | Canon | That which has been accepted as authentic. Ex. Great Gatsby in the American Literature Canon | 12 | |
190462552 | Chiasmus | A figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second. | 13 | |
1259170894 | Colloquial | A term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area | 14 | |
642867002 | Conceit | A comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem | 15 | |
659596665 | Connotation | The implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase | 16 | |
461041428 | Consonance | The repletion of two or more consonants with a change in intervening vowels | 17 | |
700015718 | Critique | An assessment analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre | 18 | |
1598461857 | Deductive reasoning | The method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement form the general to the specific | 19 | |
767021186 | Dialect | The language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group | 20 | |
543103854 | Diction | The specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose or effect | 21 | |
1697039847 | Didactic | Writing or speech that had an instructive purpose or a lesson; often associated with a dry pompous presentation | 22 | |
958764594 | Elegy | A poem or prose that laments, or meditates upon the death of a person | 23 | |
1568694633 | Epistrophe | In rhetoric, the repletion of a phrase at the end of successive sentences | 24 | |
697731830 | Epitaph | Writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone | 25 | |
745363218 | Ethos | In rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator | 26 | |
2331221630 | Eulogy | A speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person | 27 | |
2331225125 | Euphemism | An indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information | 28 | |
2331233486 | Exposition | The interpretation or analysis of a text. Also, the opening section of a narrative or dramatic structure in which characters, setting, theme, and conflict can be revealed | 29 | |
2331255368 | Extended Metaphor | A series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they are consistently one concept, this is also known as a conceit | 30 | |
2331260516 | Figurative Language | Language with levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, litote, etc. | 31 | |
2331269300 | Flashback | An earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration | 32 | |
2331277551 | Genre | A type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history | 33 | |
2331284634 | Homily | A sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life | 34 | |
2331296663 | Hyperbole | Overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention | 35 | |
2331302896 | Imagery | Any sensory detail or evocation in a work to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Involves any or all of the five senses. | 36 | |
2331309459 | Inductive Reasoning | The method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles: movement from the specific to the general | 37 | |
2331318071 | Inference | A conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data. Looking at the clues, learning the facts | 38 | |
2331328232 | Irony | The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The intended meaning is often the opposite of what is stated, often suggesting light sarcasm | 39 | |
2331334623 | Isocolon | Parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length | 40 | |
2331340099 | Jargon | Specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group | 41 | |
2331343614 | Juxtaposition | The location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose | 42 | |
2331355340 | Litote | A figure speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement | 43 | |
2331360544 | Loose Sentence | A long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases | 44 | |
2331367477 | Metaphor | One thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness to analogy. An implicit comparison or identification of one thing with another, without the use of like or as | 45 | |
2331379026 | Metonymy | A figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used | 46 | |
2401719089 | Mode of Discourse | The way in which information is presented in written or spoken form. Narration, description, process analysis, and cause and effect are all types of this | 47 | |
2401723915 | Mood | A feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view. It is a "feeling" that establishes the atmosphere in a work of literature or other discourse | 48 | |
2401739678 | Narrative | A mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort and it is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework | 49 | |
2401744278 | Onomatopoeia | A word capturing or approximating the sound of what is described. The purpose of these words is to make a passage more effective for the reader for the reader or listener | 50 | |
2401750141 | Oxymoron | A figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements | 51 | |
2401753054 | Paradox | A statement that seems contradictory but may probably be true | 52 | |
2401754481 | Parallel Structure | The use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts. In prose, recurrent syntactical similarity where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike to show that their ideas are equal in importance | 53 | |
2401764684 | Pathos | That element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow. In argument or persuasion it tends to be the evocation of pity | 54 | |
2401770246 | Periodic Sentence | A long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end | 55 | |
2401773357 | Personification | Treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualitites | 56 | |
2401778502 | Point of View | The relation in which a narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse. Requires the reader to establish the historical perspective of what is being said | 57 | |
2401784595 | Prose | The ordinary form of written language without metrical structure in contrast to verse and poetry | 58 | |
2401790436 | Realism | Attempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail | 59 | |
2401795102 | Rebuttal | An argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered | 60 | |
2401801026 | Rhetoric | The art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking | 61 | |
2401802692 | Rhetorical Question | A question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered | 62 | |
2401804862 | Sarcasm | A form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical. Can be light, and gently poke fun at something, or it can be harsh and mean | 63 | |
2401809808 | Satire | A literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure | 64 | |
2401811926 | Simile | A direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, using the words using like or as | 65 | |
2404218116 | Style | The manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure | 66 | |
2404221459 | Symbolism | Use of a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or "stands for" something else | 67 | |
2404224715 | Synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part signifies a whole | 68 | |
2404228390 | Syntax | The way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Basically, sentence structure | 69 | |
2404231404 | Theme | The central or dominant idea or focus of a work. The statement a passage makes about its subject | 70 | |
2404234275 | Tone | The attitude the narrator/author has toward the subject and theme. Based on particular stylistic devices employed by the author | 71 | |
2404238170 | Voice | The acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story; the speaker's or narrator's particular "take" on an idea based on a particular passage and how all the elements of the style of the piece come together to express his/her feelings | 72 | |
2404246751 | Zeugma | A grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated | 73 |
AP Language Flashcards
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