5693943833 | alliteration | It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series. | 0 | |
5693943834 | allusion | A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. | 1 | |
5693943838 | anaphora | A rhetorical figure of repetition in which the same word or phrase is repeated in (and usually at the beginning of) successive lines, clauses, or sentences. | 2 | |
5693943840 | antithesis | A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses. | 3 | |
5693943842 | apostrophe | A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. | 4 | |
5693943844 | asyndeton | A series of words separated by commas (with no conjunction), e.g. "I came, I saw, I conquered." The parts of the sentence are emphasized equally; in addition, the use of commas with no intervening conjunction speeds up the flow of the sentence. | 5 | |
5693943854 | denotation | Dictionary definition of a word | 6 | |
5693943856 | diction | The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing | 7 | |
5693943857 | didactic | Intended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson | 8 | |
5693943859 | euphemism | An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant | 9 | |
5693943866 | foreshadowing | A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader. | 10 | |
5693943875 | hyperbole | A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor | 11 | |
5693943877 | imagery | Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions. | 12 | |
5693943878 | irony | A contrast or discrepancy between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen. | 13 | |
5693943883 | juxtaposition | Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts | 14 | |
5693943885 | metaphor | A comparison that establishes a figurative identity between objects being compared. | 15 | |
5693943887 | metonymy | A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it | 16 | |
5693943888 | mood | Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader | 17 | |
5693943898 | oxymoron | A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. | 18 | |
5693943900 | parable | A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson | 19 | |
5693943901 | paradox | A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. | 20 | |
5693943902 | parallelism | Phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other | 21 | |
5693943903 | parody | A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. | 22 | |
5693943906 | persona | A pattern of relatively permanent traits, dispositions, or characteristics that give some consistency to people's behavior. | 23 | |
5693943907 | personification | A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes | 24 | |
5693943910 | polysyndeton | Deliberate use of many conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted. Hemingway and the Bible both use extensively. Ex. "he ran and jumped and laughed for joy" | 25 | |
5693943913 | pun | A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. | 26 | |
5693943916 | rhetorical question | A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer | 27 | |
5693943923 | satire | A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies. | 28 | |
5693943928 | synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa | 29 | |
5693943929 | syntax | Arrangement of words in phrases and sentences | 30 | |
5693943931 | tone | A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels. | 31 |
AP Literature - Literary Terms Flashcards
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