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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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5608407141anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
5608407142chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
5608407143apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
5608407144hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
5608407145metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
5608407146metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
5608407147synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
5608407148onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
5608407149paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
5608407150parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
5608407151personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
5608407152point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
5608407153protagonistthe central character in a story12
5608407154puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
5608407155satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
5608407156polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
5608407157asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
5608407158archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
5608407159dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
5608407160allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
5608407161dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
5608407162dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
5608407163didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
5608407164flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
5608407165dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
5608407166expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
5608407167exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
5608407168rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
5608407169denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
5608407170omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
5608407171themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
5608407172toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
5608407173deus 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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