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

AP Literature Vocab 2016 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4749527071AllegoryA prose or poetic narrative in which the characters' behavior, and even the setting demonstrates multiple levels of meaning and significance. often allegory is a universal symbol or personified abstraction such as Death portrayed as a black-cloaked "grim reaper" with a scythe and hourglass.0
4749527340AlliterationThe sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually heard in closely proximate stressed syllables. Does not have to be directly next to each but must be close and in the same like. Ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.1
4749527341AllusionA reference to a literary or historical event, person, or place.2
4749527753AnachronismThe misplacement of a person, occurrence, custom, or idea in time.3
4749527754AnaphoraThe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses.4
4749528649AntithesisThe juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas.5
4749528650AphorismA concise expression of insight or wisdom.6
4749529687ApostropheAn address or invocation to something that is inanimate - such as an angry lover who might scream at the ocean in his or her despair.7
4749529879ArchetypeRecurrent designs, patterns or action, character types, themes or images which are identifiable in wide range of literature.8
4749529880AttitudeThe sense expressed by the tone of voice and/or the mood of piece of writing; the feelings the author holds towards his narrative, the events, the setting or even the theme.9
4749530123CatharsisA cleansing of purification of one's emotions through art.10
4749530124ColloquialOrdinary language, the vernacular11
4749530328ConnotationWhat is suggested by a word, apart from what it explicitly describes.12
4749530329DenotationA direct and specific meaning, often referred to as the dictionary meaning of a word.13
4749530604DialectThe language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, religion, or group of people.14
4749530605DictionThe specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone purpose or effect.15
4749531486DidacticIntended to instruct or to educate.16
4749531876Dramatic MonologueA monologue set in a specific situation and spoken to an imaginary audience.17
4749531877EpicA poem that celebrates, in a continuous narrative, the achievements of mighty heroes and heroines.18
4749532377ExpositionThat part of the structure that sets the scene, introduces and identifies characters, and establishes the situation at the beginning of a story or play.19
4749532960FableA legend or short moral story often using animals as characters.20
4749532961FarceA play or scene in play or book that is characterized by broad humor, wild antics, and often slapstick and physical humor.21
4749532962FoilA character who illuminates the qualities of another character by means of contrast.22
4749533677ForeshadowingTo hint at or to present an indication of the future beforehand.23
4749533678Formal DictionLanguage that is lofty, dignified, and impersonal.24
4749563894FlashbackRetrospection, where an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narrative.25
4749534116HyperboleOverstatement characterized by exaggerated language.26
4749534117ImagryBroadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work.27
4749534282Informal DictionLanguage that is not as lofty or impersonal as formal diction.28
4749534283In Medias Res"In the midst of things." Refers to opening a story in the middle of the action.29
4749534896IronyA situation or statement characterized by significant difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant.30
4749539056Verbal (Irony)Use of statement that means its opposite31
4749539345Situational (Irony)One understanding of situation stands in sharp contrast to different more prevalent understanding of the same situation32
4749539346Dramatic/Tragic (Irony)Author lets the reader in on a character's situation while the character remains in the dark. The character's words and actions carry a significance that he/she is not aware of.33
4749540723Cosmic (Irony)The depiction of fate or the universe as malicious or indifferent to human suffering, which creates a painful contrast between a character's purposeful activity and its ultimate meaningless.34
4749540900Limited Point of ViewA perspective confined to a single character, whether a first person or a third person.35
4749540901LitoteA figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement.36
4749541279MessageA misleading term for "theme;" the central idea of statement of a story, or area of inquiry or explanation.37
4749541280MoodA feeling of ambiance resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view.38
4749541281MotifA recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event.39
4749541537Narrative StructureA textual organization based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework.40
4749541538Omniscient Point of ViewAlso called unlimited focus; a perspective that can be seen from one character's view, then another's, then another's; or can be moved in or out of the mind of any character at any time.41
4749541874OverstatementExaggerated language; also called hyperbole42
4749541875PastoralWork that describes the simple life of county (country) folk.43
4749542016PersonaThe voice or figure of the author who tells the structures the story and who may or may not share the values of the actual author.44
4749542017PlotThe arrangement of the narration based on the cause-effect relationship of the events.45
4749542018ProtagonistThe main character in a work, who may or may not be heroic.46
4749542019SimilieSeriously, if you need this definition, you should rethink taking AP Literature, yeah you, Tom!47
4749542336SoliloquyA monologue in which the character in a play is alone and speaking to himself or herself.48
4749542647Stock CharacterOne who appears in a number of stories or plays such as the cruel stepmother, etc.49
4749542648StyleA distinctive manner of expression; each author's style is expressed through his or her, rhythm, imagery, and so on. It's a writer's typical way of writing.50
4749542649SymbolismA person, place, thing, event, or pattern in a literary work that designates itself and at the same time figuratively represents or "stands for" something else.51
4749542650SyntaxThe way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is sentence structure and how it influences the way the reader receives a particular piece of writing.52
4749543021ThemeA generalized, abstract, paraphrase of the inferred central or dominant idea or concern of a work.53
4749543022ToneTone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience.54
4749543591TragedyA drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.55
4749543592Turning PointA moment when the course of events is changed: the turning point of his career. Or a point at which there is a change in direction or motion.56

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!