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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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6730888818anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
6730888819chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
6730888820apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
6730888821hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
6730888822metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
6730888823metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
6730888824synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
6730888825onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
6730888826paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
6730888827parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
6730888828personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
6730888829point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
6730888830protagonistthe central character in a story12
6730888831puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
6730888832satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
6730888833polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
6730888834asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
6730888835archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
6730888836dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
6730888837allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
6730888838dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
6730888839dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
6730888840didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
6730888841flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
6730888842dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
6730888843expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
6730888844exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
6730888845rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
6730888846denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
6730888847omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
6730888848themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
6730888849toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
6730888850deus 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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