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AP Literature - Literary Terms Flashcards

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5693943833alliterationIt is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.0
5693943834allusionA brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.1
5693943838anaphoraA 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
5693943840antithesisA balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses.3
5693943842apostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.4
5693943844asyndetonA 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
5693943854denotationDictionary definition of a word6
5693943856dictionThe choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing7
5693943857didacticIntended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson8
5693943859euphemismAn indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant9
5693943866foreshadowingA narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.10
5693943875hyperboleA figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor11
5693943877imageryDescriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions.12
5693943878ironyA 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
5693943883juxtapositionPlacement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts14
5693943885metaphorA comparison that establishes a figurative identity between objects being compared.15
5693943887metonymyA figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it16
5693943888moodFeeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader17
5693943898oxymoronA figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.18
5693943900parableA simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson19
5693943901paradoxA statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.20
5693943902parallelismPhrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other21
5693943903parodyA work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.22
5693943906personaA pattern of relatively permanent traits, dispositions, or characteristics that give some consistency to people's behavior.23
5693943907personificationA figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes24
5693943910polysyndetonDeliberate 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
5693943913punA joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.26
5693943916rhetorical questionA question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer27
5693943923satireA literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.28
5693943928synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa29
5693943929syntaxArrangement of words in phrases and sentences30
5693943931toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31

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