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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
5009919341anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
5009919342chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
5009919343apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
5009919344hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
5009919345metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
5009919346metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
5009919347synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
5009919348onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
5009919349paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
5009919350parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
5009919351personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
5009919352point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
5009919353puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds12
5009919354satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups13
5009919355polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence14
5009919356asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence15
5009919357archetypea symbol found in many cultures16
5009919358dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of17
5009919359allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize18
5009919360dictionthe word choices made by a writer19
5009919361didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing20
5009919362expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced21
5009919363denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events22
5009919364themeCentral idea of a work of literature23
5009919365toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.24

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