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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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6681494687anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
6681494688chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
6681494689apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
6681494690hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
6681494691metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
6681494692metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
6681494693synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
6681494694onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
6681494695paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
6681494696parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
6681494697personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
6681494698point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
6681494699protagonistthe central character in a story12
6681494700puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
6681494701satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
6681494702polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
6681494703asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
6681494704archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
6681494705dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
6681494706allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
6681494707dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
6681494708dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
6681494709didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
6681494710flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
6681494711dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
6681494712expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
6681494713exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
6681494714rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
6681494715denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
6681494716omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
6681494717themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
6681494718toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
6681494719deus 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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