--> -->

AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

Ap Literature Terms Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4646243091AllegoryStory or poem in which charachters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities0
4646243092AlliterationRepetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together1
4646243093AllusionReference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something (usually from literature. Etc)2
4646895211AmbiguityDeliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way This is done on purpose by the author, when it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work3
4646895212AnalogyComparison made between two things to show how they are alike4
4646895213AnaphoraRepetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent5
4646905662AnastropheInversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony. It is a fancy word for invasion.6
4646913085AnecdoteBrief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual7
4647447195AntagonistOpponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story8
4647447196AnthropomorphismAttributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object (personification)9
4647447197AntiheroCentral character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes; may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples10
4647447198AntimetaboleRepetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order11
4647447199AntithesisBalancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure12
4647447200AphorismBrief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle of accepted general truth. Also called maxim, epigram13
4647447201ApostropheCalling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration it is called an invocation14
4647447202AppositionPlacing in immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first ( often set off by a colon)15
4647447203ArgumentationOne of the four forms of discourse which uses logic, ethics, and emotional appeals ( logos, ethos, pathos) to develop an effective means to convince the reader to think or act in a certain way16
4647447204AssonanceThe repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonants sounds in words that are together17
4647447205AsyndetonCommas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thud emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y and Z... the writer uses X,Y,Z...see polysyndeton18
4647447206BalanxeConstructing a sentence that both halves have the same length and importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well19
4647447207Casual relationshipForm of argumentation in which the writer claims that one thing results from another, often used as part of a logical argument20
4647447208CharacterizationThe process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character21
4647447209ChiasmusIn poetry, a type of rhetorical balance in which the second part is syntactically balanced against the first but with the parts reversed. Coleridge:" Flowers are lovely, love is flowerlike" in prose this is called antimetabole22
4647447210ClicheA word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that hasn't become lifeless because of overuse. Avoid cliches like the plague. ( That cliche is intended)23
4647447211ClimaxThat point in a plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest. Also called "turning point"24
4647447212ColloquialismA word or phrase in everyday use in conversations and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations25
4647447213ComedyIn general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by the main character or characters26
4647447214ConceitAn elaborate metaphor that compares two things that are different. Often an extended metaphor27
4647447215Confessional poetryA twentieth century term used to describe poetry that uses intimate material from the poet's life28
4647447216ConflictThe struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story29
4647447217ConnotationsThe associations and emotional overtones that have become attached to a word or phrase, in addition to its strict dictionary definition30
4647447218CoupletTwo consecutive rhyming lines of poetry31
4647447219Dead metaphorIs a metaphor that has been used so often that the comparison is no longer vivid32
4647447220DescriptionA form of discourse that uses language to create a mood or emotion33
4647447221DialectA way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area34
4647447222DictionA speaker or writer's choice of words35
4647447223DidacticForm of fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking36
4647447224Direct characterizationThe author tells us directly what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean to pets and so on. Romantic style literature relied more heavily on this form37
4647447225Dramatic ironyIs so called because it is often used on stage. A character in the play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience or reader knows better38
4647447226Dynamic characterIs one who changes in some important way as a result of the story's action.39
4647447227ElegyA poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died. A eulogy is great praise or commendation, a laudatory speech, often about someone who has died40
4647447228EpanalepsisDevice or repetition in which the same expression (single word or phrase) is repeated both at the beginning and at the end of the line, clause, or sentence41
4647447229EpicA long narrative poem, written in high tend language, which recounts the deed of a heroic who embodies the values of a particular society42
4647447230EpigraphA quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literature work suggestive of the theme43
4647447231EpistropheDevice of repetition in which the same expression (single word or phrase) is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences ( it is the opposite of anaphora)44
4650089160EpithetAn adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing that is frequently used to emphasize a characteristic quality. "Father of our country" and "the great Emancipator" are examples. A Homeric epithet is a compound adjective used with a person or thing: "swift-footed Achilles"; "rosy- fingered dawn."45
4650089161EssayA short piece of nonfiction prose in which the writer discusses some aspects of a subject46
4650089162ExplicationAct of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language47
4650089163Exposition (essay)One of the four major forms of discourse in which something is explained or "set forth"48
4650089164Exposition (plot)Introduces characters, attention, and setting49
4650089165Extended MetaphorIs a metaphor that is extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it. (Conceit of its quite elaborate)50
4650089166External conflictCo flicks can exist between two people, between a person or and nature or a machine or between a person and whole society51
4650089167FableA very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life52
4650089168FarceA type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are involved in silly, far-fetched situations53
4650089169Figurative languageWords which are inaccurate if interpreted literally, but are used to describe. Similes and metaphors are common forms.54
4650089170First person point of viewOne of the characters tells the story (I)55
4650089171FlashbacksA scene that interrupts normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time56
4650089172Flat characterHas only one or two personality traits. They are one dimensional, like a piece of cardboard. They can be summed up in one phrase57
4650089173FoilA character who acts as contrast to another character. Often a funny side kick to the dashing hero, or a villain contrasting the hero58
4650089174ForeshadowingThe use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot59
4650089175Free versePoetry that does not conform to a regular meter or rhyme schemr60
4650089176HyperboleA figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement, for effect61
4650089177HypotacticSentence marked by the use of connection words between clauses or sentences, explicitly showing the local or other relationships between them. (Use of such syntactic subordination of just one clause to another is known as hypotaxis)62
4650089178ImageryThe use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience63
4650089179Implied metaphorDoes not state explicitly the two terms of the comparison: "I like to see it lap the miles" is an implied metaphor in which the verb lap implies a comparison between "it" and some animal that "laps" up water64
4650089180ImpressionismA nineteenth-century movement in literature and art which advocates a recording of the artist's personal impressions of the world, rather than a strict representation of reality65
4650089181Indirect characterizationThe author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the characters looks and dresses, by leading the reader hear what the character's private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other character feels or behave towards the character), or by showing the character in action. Common in modern literature66
4650089182Internal conflictA conflict can be internal, involving opposing forces within a person's mind.67
4650089183InversionThe reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase68
4650089184IronyA discrepancy between appearances and reality69
4650089185JuxtapositionPoetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit70
4650089186KoanIs a paradox used in Zen Buddhism to gain intuitive knowledge71
4650089187LitotesIs a form of understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negotiation of a negative form72
4650089188Local colorA term applied to fiction in which tends to place special emphasis on a particular setting, including its customs, clothing, dialect, and landscape73
4650089189Loose sentenceOne in which the main clause comes first, followed by further dependent grammatical units74
4650089190Lyric poemA poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of a speaker. A ballad tells a story75
4650089191MetaphorA figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than, or resembles76
4650089192MietonymyA figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it77
4650089193Mixed metaphorIs a metaphor that has gotten out of control and mixes it's term so that they are visually or imaginatively incompatible78
4650089194ModernismA term for the bold new experimental styles and form that swept the arts during the first third of the twentieth century79
4650089195MoodAn atmosphere created by a writer's diction and the details selected80
4650089196MotifA recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation used throughout a work (or in several works by one author), unifying the work by tying the current situation to previous ones, or new ideas to the theme81
4650089197MotivationThe reasons for a character's behavior82
4650089198NarrativeThe form of discourse that tells about a series of events83
4650089199NaturalismA nineteenth century literary movement that was an extension of realism and that claimed to portray life exactly as it was84
4650089200Objective point of viewA narrator who is totally impersonal and objective tells the story, with no comment on any characters or events85
4650089201Omniscient point of viewAn omniscient or all knowing narrator tells the story, also using the third person pronouns. This narrator, instead of focusing on one character only, often tells us everything about many characters86
4650089202OnomatopoeiaThe use of words whose sounds echo their sense87
4650089203OxymoronA figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase88
4650089204ParableA relatively short story that teaches a moral, or lesson about how to lead a good life89
4650089205ParadoxA statement that appears self contradictory, but that reveals a kind of truth90
4650089206Parallel structureThe repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures91
4650089207Paratactic sentenceSimply juxtaposed clauses or sentences. I am tired: it is hot.92
4650089208ParodyA work that makes fun of another work by imitating some aspects of the writer's stylr93
4650089209PeriodicSentences that places the main idea or central complete thought at the em doc the sentence, after all introductory elements94
4650089210PersonificationA figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitides95
4650089211Plain styleWriting style that stress simplicity and clarity of expression (but will still utilize allusions and metaphors), and was the main form of the Puritan writers96
4650089212PlotSeries of related. Events in a story or play, sometimes called the storyline97
4650089213Point of viewThe vantage point from which the writer tells the story98
4650089214PersuasionRelies more on emotional appeals than on favts99
4650089215PolysyndetonSentence which uses a conjunction with NO commas to separate the items in a series. Instead of X, Y, and Z... Polysyndeton results in X and Y and Z100
4650089216ProtagonistThe central character in a story, the one who initiates or drives the action. Usually the hero or anti hero; in a tragic hero, like John Proctor of The Crucible, there is always hamartia, or tragic flaws in his character which will lead to his downfalk101
4650089217PunA "play on words" based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but mean different things102
4650089218PuritanismWriting style of America's early English- speaking colonists, emphasizes obedience to God and consists mainly of journals, sermons, and poems103
4650089219QuatrainA poem consisting of four lines, or four lines in a poem that can be considered as a unit104
4650089220RationalismA movement that began in Europe in the seventeenth century, which held that we can arrive at truth by using our reason rather than relying on the authority of the past, on the authority of the Church, or an institution. ALSO CALLED NEOCLASSICISM AND AGE OF REASON105
4650089221RealismA style of writing, developed in the nineteenth century, that attempts to depict life accurately without idealizing it or romanticizing it106
4650089222RefrainA word, phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated, for effect, several times in a poem107
4650089223RegionalismLiterature that emphasizes a specific geographic setting and that reproduces the speech, behavior, and attitudes of the people who live in that region108
4650089224ResolutionThe conclusion of a story, when all or most of the conflicts have been settled; often called the denouement109
4650089225RhetoricArt of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse110
4650089226Rhetorical questionA question asked for an effect, and not actually requiring an answer111
4650089227RhythymA rise and fall of the voice produced by the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables in language112
4650089228Rising actionComplication in conflict or situation (may introduce new ones as well)113
4650089229RomanceIn general, a story in echo an idealized hero or heroine undertakes a quest and is successful114
4650089230RomanticismA revolt against Rationalism that affected literature and the other arts, beginning in the late eighteenth century and remaining storing throughout most nineteenth century115
4650089231Round characterHas more dimensions to their personalities-- they are complex, just a real people are116
4650089232SatireA type of writing that ridicules the shortcoming of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change117
4650089233SimileA figure of speech that makes an explicitly comparison between two unlike things, using words such as like, as, than, or resembles118
4650089234Situational ironyTakes place when there is discrepancy between what it is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen119
4650089235SoliloquyA long speech made my a character in a play while no other character is on stage120
4650089236Static characterIs one who does not change much in a course of a story121
4650089237StereotypeA fixes idea or conception of a character or an idea that does not allow for any individuality, often based on religious, social, or racial prejudice122
4650089238Stream of consciousnessA style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a charters mind123
4650089239StyleThe distinctive way in which a writer uses language: a writer's distinctive use of diction, tone, and syntax124
4650089240SurrealismIn movement in art and literature that started in Europe during the 1920's. Surrealist wanted to replace conventional realism with the full expression of the unconscious mind, which they considered to be more real than the "real" world of appearances125
4650089241SuspenseA feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next in a story126
4650089242SymbolA person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself127
4650089243SymbolismA literary movement that originated in late 19 century France, and which writers rearrange the world of appearances in order to reveal A more truthful version of reality128
4650089244SynecdocheA figure of speech in which a part represents the whole129
4650089245Syntactic fluencyAbility to create a variety of sentence structure, appropriately complex and/or simple and vary in length130
4650089246Tall taleAn outrageously exaggerated, humorous story that is obviously unbelievable131
4650089247Telegraphic sentenceA sentence shorter than five words in length132
4650089248ThemeThe insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work133
4650089249Third person point of viewAnd unknown narrator, tells the story, but this narrator zooms in to focus on the thoughts and feelings on only one character134
4650089250ToneThe attitude a writer takes towards the subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audience, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization135
4650089251TragedyIn general, a story in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some other unhappy end136
4650089252TranscendentalismA 19 century movement in the Romantic tradition, which held that every individual can reach ultimate truth through spiritual intuition, which transcends reason and sensory experience137
4650089253TricolonFenton of three parts of equal importance, usually three independent clauses138
4650089254UnderstatementA statement that says less than what is meant139
4650089255UnityUnified part of the writing are related to one central idea or organizing principle. Unity is dependent upon coherence140
4650089256Verbal ironyOccurs when someone says one thing but really means something else141
4650089257VernacularThe language spoken by the people who live in a particular locality142
4649985410EpithetAn adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing that is frequently used to emphasize a characteristic quality. "Father of our country" and "the great Emancipator" are examples. A Homeric epithet is a compound adjective used with a person or thing: "swift-footed Achilles"; "rosy- fingered dawn."143
4649985411EssayA short piece of nonfiction prose in which the writer discusses some aspects of a subject144
4649985412ExplicationAct of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language145
4649985413Exposition (essay)One of the four major forms of discourse in which something is explained or "set forth"146
4649985414Exposition (plot)Introduces characters, attention, and setting147
4649985415Extended MetaphorIs a metaphor that is extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it. (Conceit of its quite elaborate)148
4649985416External conflictCo flicks can exist between two people, between a person or and nature or a machine or between a person and whole society149
4649985417FableA very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life150
4649985418FarceA type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are involved in silly, far-fetched situations151
4649985419Figurative languageWords which are inaccurate if interpreted literally, but are used to describe. Similes and metaphors are common forms.152
4649985420First person point of viewOne of the characters tells the story (I)153
4649985421FlashbacksA scene that interrupts normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time154
4649985422Flat characterHas only one or two personality traits. They are one dimensional, like a piece of cardboard. They can be summed up in one phrase155
4649985423FoilA character who acts as contrast to another character. Often a funny side kick to the dashing hero, or a villain contrasting the hero156
4649985424ForeshadowingThe use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot157
4649985425Free versePoetry that does not conform to a regular meter or rhyme schemr158
4649985426HyperboleA figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement, for effect159
4649985427HypotacticSentence marked by the use of connection words between clauses or sentences, explicitly showing the local or other relationships between them. (Use of such syntactic subordination of just one clause to another is known as hypotaxis)160
4649985428ImageryThe use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience161
4649985429Implied metaphorDoes not state explicitly the two terms of the comparison: "I like to see it lap the miles" is an implied metaphor in which the verb lap implies a comparison between "it" and some animal that "laps" up water162
4649985430ImpressionismA nineteenth-century movement in literature and art which advocates a recording of the artist's personal impressions of the world, rather than a strict representation of reality163
4649985431Indirect characterizationThe author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the characters looks and dresses, by leading the reader hear what the character's private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other character feels or behave towards the character), or by showing the character in action. Common in modern literature164
4649985432Internal conflictA conflict can be internal, involving opposing forces within a person's mind.165
4649985433InversionThe reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase166
4649985434IronyA discrepancy between appearances and reality167
4649985435JuxtapositionPoetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit168
4649985436KoanIs a paradox used in Zen Buddhism to gain intuitive knowledge169
4649985437LitotesIs a form of understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negotiation of a negative form170
4649985438Local colorA term applied to fiction in which tends to place special emphasis on a particular setting, including its customs, clothing, dialect, and landscape171
4649985439Loose sentenceOne in which the main clause comes first, followed by further dependent grammatical units172
4649985440Lyric poemA poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of a speaker. A ballad tells a story173
4649985441MetaphorA figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than, or resembles174
4649985442MietonymyA figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it175
4649985443Mixed metaphorIs a metaphor that has gotten out of control and mixes it's term so that they are visually or imaginatively incompatible176
4649985444ModernismA term for the bold new experimental styles and form that swept the arts during the first third of the twentieth century177
4649985445MoodAn atmosphere created by a writer's diction and the details selected178
4649985446MotifA recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation used throughout a work (or in several works by one author), unifying the work by tying the current situation to previous ones, or new ideas to the theme179
4649985447MotivationThe reasons for a character's behavior180
4649985448NarrativeThe form of discourse that tells about a series of events181
4649985449NaturalismA nineteenth century literary movement that was an extension of realism and that claimed to portray life exactly as it was182

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!

-->