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AP Literature Terms 2 Flashcards

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6667817714anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
6667817715chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
6667817716apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
6667817717hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
6667817718metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
6667817719synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)5
6667817720onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise6
6667817721paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level7
6667817722parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.8
6667817723personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.9
6667817724point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes10
6667817725protagonistthe central character in a story11
6667817726puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds12
6667817727satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups13
6667817728polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence14
6667817729asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence15
6667817730archetypea symbol found in many cultures16
6667817731dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of17
6667817732allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize18
6667817733dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist19
6667817734dictionthe word choices made by a writer20
6667817735didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing21
6667817736flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story22
6667817737dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story23
6667817738expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced24
6667817739rising actionEvents leading up to the climax25
6667817740denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events26
6667817741omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters27
6667817742themeCentral idea of a work of literature28
6667817743toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.29
6667817744deus ex machinaan unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel30

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