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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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5679124021anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
5679124022chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
5679124023apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
5679124024hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
5679124025metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
5679124026metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
5679124027synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
5679124028onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
5679124029paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
5679124030parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
5679124031personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
5679124032point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
5679124033protagonistthe central character in a story12
5679124034puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
5679124035satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
5679124036polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
5679124037asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
5679124038archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
5679124039dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
5679124040allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
5679124041dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
5679124042dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
5679124043didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
5679124044flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
5679124045dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
5679124046expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
5679124047exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
5679124048rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
5679124049denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
5679124050omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
5679124051themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
5679124052toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
5679124053deus 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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