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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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5692729976anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
5692729977chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
5692729978apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
5692729979hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
5692729980metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
5692729981metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
5692729982synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
5692729983onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
5692729984paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
5692729985parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
5692729986personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
5692729987point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
5692729988protagonistthe central character in a story12
5692729989puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
5692729990satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
5692729991polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
5692729992asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
5692729993archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
5692729994dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
5692729995allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
5692729996dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
5692729997dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
5692729998didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
5692729999flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
5692730000dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
5692730001expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
5692730002exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
5692730003rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
5692730004denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
5692730005omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
5692730006themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
5692730007toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
5692730008deus 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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