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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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6559402973anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
6559402974chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
6559402975apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
6559402976hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
6559402977metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
6559402978metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
6559402979synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
6559402980onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
6559402981paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
6559402982parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
6559402983personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
6559402984point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
6559402985protagonistthe central character in a story12
6559402986puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
6559402987satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
6559402988polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
6559402989asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
6559402990archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
6559402991dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
6559402992allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
6559402993dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
6559402994dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
6559402995didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
6559402996flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
6559402997dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
6559402998expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
6559402999exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
6559403000rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
6559403001denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
6559403002omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
6559403003themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
6559403004toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
6559403005deus 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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