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AP Language Terms Flashcards

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4964691027active voicethe subject of the sentence performs the action; a more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases0
4964700328allusionan indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familar1
4964709082alter-egoa character that is used by the author to speak the author's own thoughts; when an author speaks directly to the audience through a character2
4964722012anecdotea brief recounting of a relevant episode3
4964724757antecedentthe word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun4
4964727943classicismart or literature characterized by a realistic view of people atnd the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures5
4964735290comic reliefwhen a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood somewhat6
4964739830dictionword choice, particularly as an element of style7
4964745950colloquialordinary or familiar type of conversation8
4964748543connotationrather than the dictionary definition (denotation), the associations suggested by a word9
4964763916denotationthe literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations10
4964765777jargonthe diction used by a group which practice a similar profession or activity11
4964768923vernacular1. language or dialect of a particular country 2. language or dialect of a regional clan or group 3. plain everyday speech12
4964777865didactica term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking13
4964788676adagea folk saying with a lesson (similar to aphorism and colloquialism)14
4964793822allegorya story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts15
4964798957aphorisma terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle16
4964803102ellipsisthe deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author17
4964806586euphemisma more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts18
4964812932figurative languagewriting that is not meant to be take literally19
4964816634analogyan analogy is a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables20
4964820702hyperboleexaggeration21
4964822829idioma common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally22
4964831193metaphormaking an implied comparison, not using "like," "as," or other such words23
4964835099metonymyreplacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept24
4964837638synecdochea kind of metonymy when a whole is presented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa25
4964845447simileusing words such as "like" or "as" to make a direct comparison between two very different things26
4964852622synethesiaa description involving a "crossing of the sense"27
4964858603personificationgiving human-like qualities to something that is not human28
4964861675foreshadowingwhen an author giver hints about what will occur later in a story29
4964865647genrethe major category into which a literary work fits; the basic division of literature are prose, poetry, and drama30
4964875900gothicwriting characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death31
4964881278imageryword or words that create a picture in the reader's mind; usually involves the five sense32
4964886398invectivea long, emotionally violent, attach using strong, abusive language33
4964892600ironywhen the opposite of what you expect to happen does34
4964897282verbal ironywhen you say something and mean the opposite/something different35
4964900105dramatic ironywhen the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn't and would be surprised to find out36
4964907693situational ironyfound in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie; sometimes it makes you laugh because it's funny how things turn out37
4964920448juxtapositionplacing things side by side for the purposes of comparison38
4964924129moodthe atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction)39
4964932550motifa recurring idea in a piece of literature40
4964935218oxymoronwhen apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox41
4964942018pacingthe speed or tempo of an author's writing42
4964948178paradoxa seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true43
4964952058parallelism(also known as parallel structure or balanced sentences) sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns44
4964982444anaphorarepetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row45
4964987310chiasmuswhen the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed46
4964993445antithesistwo opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or eves ideas, with parallel structure47
4965004265zuegma (syllepsis)when a single word governs or modifies two or more others words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies48
4965012306parenthetical ideaparentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence49
4965016752parodyan exaggerated imitation of a serious word for humorous purpose50
4965020516personathe fictional mask or narrator that tells a story51
4965025597poetic devicea device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines52
4965030876alliterationthe repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words53
4965036183assonancethe repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds54
4965040371consonancethe repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words55
4965043877onomatopoeiathe use of a word which imitates or suggest the sound that the thing makes56
4965049072internal rhymewhen a line of poetry contains a rhyme withing a single line57
4965062086slant rhymewhen a poet creates a rhyme, but the two words no not rhyme exactly, they are merely similar58
4965065787end rhymewhen the last word of two different lines of poetry rhyme59
4965070081rhyme schemethe pattern of a poem's end rhymes60
4965075405stressed and unstressed syllablesin every word of more than one syllable, one of the syllables is stressed, or said with more force than the other syllable(s)61
4965081774metera regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poety62
4965084035free versepoetry that doesn't have much meter or rhyme63
4965086617iambic pentameterpoetry that is written in lines of 10 syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables64
4965095403sonneta 14 line poem written in iambic pentatmeter65
4965099348polysyndetonwhen a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions66
4965104958punwhen a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way67
4965113123rhetoricthe art of effective communication68
4965118819Aristotle's rhetorical trianglethe relationships, in any piece of writing, between the writer, the audience, and the subject69
4965124892rhetorical questionquestion not asked for information but for effect70
4965130222romanticismart or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people the the world, and an emphasis on nauture; does not rely on traditional themes and structures71
4965148128sarcasma generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded72
4965153357satirea work that reveals a critical attitude towards some element of life to a humorous effect73
4965159889sentencea sentence is a group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought74
4965165652appositivea word or group of words places beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its menaing75
4965176458clausea grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb (and independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause)76
4965192903balanced sentencea sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale77
4965200312compound snetencecontains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses78
4965209899complex snetencecontains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause79
4965216021cumulative sentence(also called a loose sentence) when the writer begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements80
4965229148periodic sentencewhen the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence; the writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause (the opposite construction is called a cumulative sentence)81
4965239908simple sentencecontains only one independent clause82
4965243853declarative sentencestates an idea; it does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question83
4965254148imperative sentenceissues a command84
4965254149interrogative sentencesentences incorporating interrogative pronouns (what, which, who, whom, and whose)85
4965283378stylethe choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes; style may be conscious or unconscious86
4965292431symbolanything that represents or stands for something else87
4965296545syntax/sentence varietygrammatical arrangement of words (syntax is the grouping of words, while diction refers tot he selection of individual words)88
4965314271themethe central idea or message of a work; the theme may be directly states in nonfiction works, although not necessarily; it is rarely states directly in fiction89
4965324883thesisthe sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition90
4965338417tonea writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and organization91
4965343188understatementthe ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is; can frequently be humorous92
4965352662litotesa particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used; depending on the tone and context of the usage, litotes either retains the effect of understatement or becomes an intensifying expression93

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