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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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3665767885anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
3665776754chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
3665782294apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
3665790643hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
3665796471metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
3665851994metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
3665855766synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
3665867023onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
3665869525paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
3665883618parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
3665890150personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
3665896899point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
3665904185protagonistthe central character in a story12
3665905595puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
3665910145satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
3665920882polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
3665924957asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
3665929908archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
3665943360dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
3665952167allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
3666026827dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
3666036036dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
3666037710didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
3666052891flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
3666059529dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
3666063544expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
3666067342exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
3666073892rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
3666075102denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
3666082781omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
3666097652themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
3666098956toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
3855209496deus ex machinaan unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel32

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