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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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6625999393anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
6625999394chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
6625999395apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
6625999396hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
6625999397metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
6625999398metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
6625999399synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
6625999400onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
6625999401paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
6625999402parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
6625999403personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
6625999404point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
6625999405protagonistthe central character in a story12
6625999406puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
6625999407satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
6625999408polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
6625999409asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
6625999410archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
6625999411dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
6625999412allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
6625999413dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
6625999414dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
6625999415didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
6625999416flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
6625999417dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
6625999418expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
6625999419exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
6625999420rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
6625999421denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
6625999422omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
6625999423themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
6625999424toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
6625999425deus 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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