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AP Literature Vocab I (Intro) Flashcards

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6678390330dictionthe author's choice of words0
6678390331tonethe attitude of the writer toward his or her material, the audience, or both. Similar to mood, conveying the emotion that pervades a literary work1
6678390332imagerysensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstraction. Language may relate to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory. May be used with other figures of speech to create a strong, unified sensory impression.2
6678390333ironythe contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant; the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. May be verbal, situational, or dramatic.3
6678390334syntaxthe order or arrangement of words4
6678390335metaphora figure of speech using a comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting similarity5
6678390336similea figure of speech comparing two unlike things using the words "like" or "as."6
6678390337personificationa figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes. Technique is used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects appear more vivid to the reader.7
6678390338hyperbolefigure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.8
6678390339antithesislanguage presenting opposition or contrast as in "Give me liberty or give me death."9
6678390340oxymorona figure of speech in which an author juxtaposes apparently contradictory terms. A rhetorical antithesis. For example, "wise fool" and "thundering silence"10
6678390341symbolismanything that represents, stands for, something else.11
6678390342colloquial languagecharacteristic of familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal, conversational12
6678390343slanginformal language related to a particular group; idiomatic, playful, ephemeral language13
6678390344connotationthe associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning; the implied or suggested meaning14
6678390345denotationthe strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word15
6678390346juxtapositionthe placement of elements, characters, scenes, objects, etc. side by side for purposes of comparison and contrast16
6678390347vividproducing a strong or clear impression on the senses17
6678390348concrete languagelanguage pertaining to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions18
6678390349abstract languagelanguage describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places.19
6678390350ambiguitythe multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a words, phrase, sentence, or passage.20
6678390351verbosewordy21
6678390352concisemarked by brevity of expression or statement; free from all elaboration and superfluous detail22
6678390353figurative languagelanguage not intended to convey literal meaning, usually imaginative and vivid; a figure of speech (metaphor, simile, personification, etc.) is a device used to produce this23
6678390354elevated languagelanguage characterized by formal diction and syntax. More formal diction may be polysyllabic and sentences may be more complex24

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