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AP Literature definitions Flashcards

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4788504337poetryrhythmic expression of feelings and ideas (song), may or may not rhyme0
4788504338prosegenerally broken into fiction and nonfiction (narrative)1
4788504339dramaa play; intended to be acted out; written in verse or conversational style2
4788504340allegorystory using underlying symbols that really represent something else; may be a a character3
4788504341allterationrepeated use of a consonant sound, usually at the beginning of a series of words4
4788504342allusionindirect reference to something or someone, usually literary5
4788504343anacrhonismplacing a person or an object in an appropriate historical situation, either deliberately or unintentionally6
4788504344analogycomparison used to explain something7
4788504345anecdoteshort narrative, story, or tale8
4788504346antagonistmajor character opposing protagonist; usually the villain9
4788504347anthropomorphismassigning human attributes to non human things; usually applied to animals10
4788504348dictionauthor's choice of words and sentence structure (correctness, clearness, effectiveness)11
4788504349levels of diction1. formal 2. informal 3. colloquial 4. slang12
4788504350elegymournful and melancholy poem or song, usually paying tribute to a deceased person13
4788504351emphasisspecial forcefulness of expression that gives importance to something singled out14
4788504352fablestory that has a moral, usually involving animals as the main characters15
4788504353figurative languagecharacterized by figures of speech (metaphors, similes); elaborate expression through imagery16
4788504354hyperboledeliberate exaggeration17
4788504355imageryauthor's use of descriptive and figurative language used to create a picture in the reader's imagination18
4788504356indirect dialoguelanguage that communicates what was expressed in the dialogue, without using direct quotation19
4788504357ironyexpression of meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning20
4788504358meaningsomething that one wishes to convey21
4788504359metaphorcomparison, like a simile (doesn't use like or as); sometimes confusing because an author will include like22
4788504360meterrhythm of a poem; most common is iambic (sounds like a galloping sound)23
4788504361narrativeliterary representation of an event or story; the actual text used24
4788504362onomatopoeiaword intended to stimulate the actual sound of the thing or the action the thing takes25
4788504363oxymoronphrase in which the words are contradictory26
4788504364paeanexpression of joyful praise27
4788504365parablestory with a moral; Good Samaritan28
4788504366paradoxphrase that appears to be contradictory but that actually contains some basic truth that resolves the apparent contradiction29
4788504367parallelismrepetition of sounds, meanings, or structures to create a certain style30
4788504368parodyliterary work in which the style of an author is imitated for comic effect or ridicule31
4788504369pastoralwork that deals with the lives of people, especially shepherds, in the country or in nature (as opposed to the city)32
4788504370pathossomething that evokes a feeling of pity or sympathy; a pathetic person adds feelings to the story33
4788504371personificationassigning human attributes to something nonhuman34
4788504372perspectiveviewpoint from which the narrator or character sees things35
4788504373point of viewvantage point from which a story is presented to a reader; most common: first and third person36
4788504374protagonistmain character of a story; usually the hero37
4788504375rhyme schemeway a poem's rhymes are arranged; think of a sonnet, for example38
4788504376satireridicule of a subject; often humorous and intended to point out something about a serious subject39
4788504377similecomparison of two things using "like" and "as"; used in poetry to evoke an idea through an image40
4788504378stanzadivisions in a poem (like a paragraph in prose)41
4788504379structureframework of a work of literature; organization or overall design; provides clues to character and action42
4788504380styleauthor's unique manner of expression; the author's voice43
4788504381syntaxordering of words into meaningful patterns (phrases, clauses, and sentences); poets manipulate syntax changing traditional word order in an attempt to draw attention to particular words or phrases44
4788504382themecentral meaning or dominant idea in a literary work; provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements are organized45
4788504383tonestyle or manner of expression46

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