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AP Literature Terms IV Flashcards

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6719035062lyrica type of poetry that explores the poet's personal interpretation of and feelings about the world; when used to describe a tone, refers to a sweet, emotional melodiousness0
6719038405melodramaa form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure -- (the events and situations are also SUPER overdramatic)1
6719041855metaphora comparison, or analogy that states one thing IS another--His eyes were burning coals.2
6719043322metonyma word that is used to stand for something else that it has attributes of or is associated with---"the crown" referring to the king, "The pen is mightier than the sword." (pen reps writers and ideas, sword reps war)3
6719044707nemesisthe protagonist's archenemy or supreme and persistent difficulty4
6719045890objectivitytreatment of a matter as impersonal or as an outside view of events5
6719045891subjectivitytreatment of a matter using the interior personal view of a single observer and is typically coloured with that observer's emotional responses6
6719047934onomatopoeiawords that sound how they're spelled--boom, splat7
6719049061oppositiona pair of elements that contrast sharply, not necessarily "conflict," rather a pairing of images, each becomes more striking and informative because it's placed in contrast to the other one; creates mystery and tension, can be obvious or lead to irony, not always though8
6719049822oxymorona phrase composed of opposites; a contradiction9
6719051147parablea story that instructs like a fable or an allegory10
6719051148paradoxa situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, it does not---"It's raining, but I don't believe that it is."11
6719053370parallelismrepeated syntactical (structure of word choice) similarities used for effect--He likes playing the piano, eating cookies, and reading lengthy novels.12
6719056089paraphraseto restate phrases and sentences in your own words, to rephrase; not an analysis or interpretation13
6719058300parenthetical phrasea phrase set off by commas that interrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or added detail14
6719058301parodywhen a specific work is exaggerated to ridiculousness (usually adapted or based on a previously existing work)15
6719060827pastorala poem set in a tranquil nature or even more specifically, one about shepherds16
6719061660personificationgiving an inanimate object human qualities or form--The darkness of the forest became the figure of a beautiful, pake-skinned woman in night-black clothes.17
6719064319point of view (voice)the perspective from which the action of a novel (or narrative poem) is presented18
6719065710omniscient narratorthird-person narrator who sees into each character's mind and understands all the action that's going on19
6719066433limited narratorthird-person narrator who generally reports only what one character (usually main character) sees, reports only thoughts of that one character20
6719067365first-person narratornarrator who is a character in the story and tells the story from his or her point of view; when crazy, a liar, or very young, narrator is unreliable21
6719067366preludean intro poem to a longer work or verse22
6719068801protagonistthe main character of a novel or play23
6719069794punusually humorous use of a word in such a way to suggest two or more meanings24

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