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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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5904342624anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
5904342625chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
5904342626apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
5904342627hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
5904342628metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
5904342629metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
5904342630synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
5904342631onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
5904342632paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
5904342633parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
5904342634personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
5904342635point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
5904342636protagonistthe central character in a story12
5904342637puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
5904342638satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
5904342639polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
5904342640asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
5904342641archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
5904342642dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
5904342643allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
5904342644dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
5904342645dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
5904342646didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
5904342647flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
5904342648dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
5904342649expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
5904342650exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
5904342651rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
5904342652denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
5904342653omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
5904342654themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
5904342655toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
5904342656deus 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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