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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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4788494226EnjambmentMoving over from one line to another without a terminating punctuation mark.0
4788495526EpicA long narrative poem written in elevated style, in which heroes of great historical or legendary importance perform valorous deeds.1
4788496538EpitaphInscription written on a grave; brief composition having figurative sense in verse or prose from, written to pay tribute to deceased person or commemorate an event.2
4788498762FootA unit of measure, consisting of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables.3
4788501622Free versePoetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms.4
4788502521HubrisExtreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall.5
4788503754In media res"In the midst of things"-Latin. The practice of beginning an epic or other narrative by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of event: the situation is an extension of previous events and will be developed in later action.6
4788504994AllegoryA complete narrative which involves characters and events that stand for an abstract idea or event.7
4788506783Unreliable narratorA narrator whose credibility has been seriously compromised.8
4788507470Tragic flawA trait in a character leading to his downfall and the character is often the hero of the literary piece.9
4788508196SoliloquyA popular literary device often used in drama to reveal the innermost thoughts of a character; spoken only to the character themselves.10
4788509518InversionThe normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter.11
4788510122IronyFigure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meanings of the words.12
4788511101OnomatopoeiaThe formation of a word from a sound associated with what is name.13
4788511611OppositionA pair of related terms and concepts that are opposite in meaning.14
4788512390OxymoronA figure of speech that infuses two contradictory or opposing ideas to make perfect sense.15
4788515005ParableA short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.16
4788515961ParadoxA statement that appears to be self-contradictory but may include a latent truth.17
4788516573ParodyA humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.18
4788516996Pastoral"Beautiful place". A literary work that portrays or evokes rural life, usually in an idealized way.19
4788518532RefrainA line or set of lines at the end of a stanza or section of a longer poem or song. These lines repeat at regular intervals in other stanzas or sections of the same work.20
4788519186RequiemA song or prayer for the dead.21
4788519356RhapsodyAn intensely passionate verse or section of a verse, usually of love or praise.22
4788519736SatireA technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor,irony, exaggeration or ridicule intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles.23
4788521361AnecdoteA short story of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature.24
4788521582AphorismA statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner.25
4788524906CacophonyHarsh or discordant sounds, often the result of repetition and combination of consonants within groups of words.26
4788525901Euphony"Sweet voiced". Use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having a wide range of noteworthy melody or loveliness in the sounds they create.27
4788526805SynecdocheA literary device in which a part of something represents the whole or it may use a whole to represent a part. Ex. "Suits" refer to businessman.28
4788527653SymbolismThe use of symbols to signify ideas and qualifies by giving them symbolic meanings that are different and deeper and more significant than their literal sense.29
4788528653MetonymyA figure of speech in which a related term is substituted for the word itself. Ex. "Lend me your ears." Ears= attention30
4788529127MotifA central or recurring image or action in a literary work that is shared by other works. Motifs are details whose repetition adds to the works larger meaning.31
4788529692ParallelismLiterary device in which parts of the sentence are grammatically the same or are similar in construction.32
4788529969AnalogyA comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it.33
4788530354EuphemismRefers to positive, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant. Ex. "Kick the can" = death.34
4788532028AntiheroA protagonist in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional hero attributes.35
4788532623AnticlimaxA disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events.36
4788533073AnthropomorphismA technique in which a writer ascribes human traits, ambitions,emotions, or entire behavior to animals, non-human beings, natural phenomena, or objects.37
4788533673Conceit"Concept". An often unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor whose delights are more intellectual than sensual.38
4788534218Anachronism"Against time". An error of chronology or timeline in a literary piece.39
4788534545ElegeyPoem or song in the form of elegiac couplets, written in honor of someone deceased.40
4788535778Dramatic monologueA poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation.41
4788536605Dramatic ironyUsed to created situations where audience knows more about the causes of conflicts and their resolutions before leading characters.42
4788537192DissonanceA disruption of harmonic sounds or rhythms. It is usually intentional and depends more on organization for a jarring effect.43
4788538150ConsonanceA resemblance in sound between two words, or an initial rhyme.44
4788538566CatharsisAn emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state or moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety. Used for the cleansing of emotions of the characters.45
4788539795CadenceThe patterning of rhythm in natural speech, or in poetry without a distinct meter.46
4788540119Ballad"Dancing song". A poem that is typically arranged in quatrains with the rhyme scheme ABAB. Usually a narrative.47
4788540848AssonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences. Ex. 'Men sell the wedding bells". The repeated e in between the words.48
4788541994AsideUsed in drama and theater, it is when a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by the other actors on the stage. Useful for giving audience special info about other characters on stage or the plot.49
4788543058ApostropheWhen a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn't present in the poem. Could be an abstract concept like love, a person, a place, or an object like the sun.50
4788544032PersonificationFigure of speech in which a thing,an idea, or an animal is given human attributes.51
4788544596MetaphorFigure of speech which makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics, and does not use "like" or "as".52
4788545438AntecedentIs where a word or pronoun in a line or sentence refers to an earlier word.53
4788545777SimileA figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two things using "like" or "as".54
4788547032Point of viewThe mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers "hear" and "see" what is taking place.55
4788547583AllusionA brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.56
4788548296Hyperbole"Overbearing". Figure of speech which involves an exaggeration of ideas or the sake of emphasis.57
4788548753DenotationLiteral/dictionary meaning of words.58
4788548956ColloquialismThe use of informal words, phrases, or even slang in a piece of writing.59
4788549245ConnotationMeaning that is implied by a word apart from the actual definition.60
4788549499ThemeCentral topic a texts treats.61
4788549693DictionStyle of writing determined by the choice of words used by a speaker or writer.62
4788549973AlliterationThe occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.63
4788550547Stream of consciousness/ interior monologueA narrative mode or device that depicts the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind.64

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