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AP Literature Vocabulary Terms Flashcards

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4796340488AllegoryA narrative or description having a second meaning beneath the surface one0
4796342311Allegory (Example)"Animal Farm"- All animals are equal, but a few are more equal than others. Connection to society as each animal is a person.1
4796349895AlliterationThe repetition at close intervals of the initial consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words (for example, Map-Moon, Kill-Code, PReach, apPRove)2
4796355353Alliteration (Example)"Romeo and Juliet"- From Forth the Fatal loins of these two Foes; A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life (Repetition of letter 'f')3
4796366744AllusionA reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history.4
4796369913Allusion (Example)"Nothing Gold Can Stay"- So EDEN sank to grief, so dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. (Eden is a famous garden where Adam & Eve lived)5
4796379049AnapestA metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables followed by one accented syllable (for example, underSTAND)6
4796382833Anapest (Example)"The Destruction of Sennacherib"- the asSYrian came DOWN like the WOLF on the FOLD, and his COhorts were GLEAMing in PURple and GOLD; and the SHEEN of their SPEARS was like STARS on the SEA, when the BLUE wave rolls NIGHTly on DEEP GaliLEE.7
4796397659Anapestic meterA meter in which a majority of the feet are anapests8
4796399411Anapestic meter (Example)"Oh, the Places You'll Go"- you have BRAINS in your HEAD. you have FEET in your SHOES. you can STEER yourself ANy dirECTion you CHOOSE. YOU'RE on your OWN. and you KNOW what you KNOW. and YOU are the GUY who'll deCIDE where to Go.9
4796403294AnecdoteA short account of an interesting or humorous incident10
4796407399Anecdote (Example)"Death in the Arctic"- What is that? Bells, dogs again! Is it a dream? I sob and cry. See! The door opens, fur-clad men Rush to my rescue; frail am I; Feeble and dying, dazed and glad. There is the pistol where it dropped. "Boys, it was hard- but I'm not mad. Look at the clock-it stopped, it stopped. Carry me out. The heavens smile. See! There's an arch of gold above. Now, let me rest a little while- Looking to God and Love...and Love.."11
4796453452AntagonistAny force in a story that is in conflict with the protagonist12
4796454289Antagonist (Example)-Creon from "Antigone"13
4796456558AnticlimaxA sudden descent from the impressive or significant to the ludicrous or inconsequential14
4796458741Anticlimax (Example)-"The Rape of the Lock"- Here thou, great Anna, whom three realms obey Dost sometimes counsel take, and sometimes tea... (Used @ figure of speech; ludicrous effect made)15
4797996210ApostropheA figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply16
4798002112Apostrophe (Example)Frankenstein"- Oh stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me; if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness17
4798032426Approximate rhyme, imperfect rhyme, near rhyme, slant rhyme, or oblique rhymeA term used for words in a rhyming pattern that have some kind of sound correspondence but are not perfect rhymes (for example, ARRAYED-SAID"18
4798039115Approximate rhyme (Example)"Arms and the Boy"- Let the boy try along this bayonet- BLADE; how cold steel is, and keen with hunger of BLOOD. (Blade and blood have the same 'bl' and 'd' sound)19
4798089099Artistic UnityThat condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose20
4798090870Artistic Unity (Example)The Help- All its elements are used together so that the author can help educate the audience on racism.21
4798105765AsideA brief speech in which a character turns from the person being addressed to speak directly to the audience; a dramatic device for letting the audience know what a character is really thinking or feeling as opposed to what the character pretends to think or feel22
4798117619Aside (Example)"Hamlet"- A little more than kin, and less than kind.23
4798120457AssonanceThe repetition at close intervals of the vowel sounds of accented syllables or important words (for example, hAt-rAn-Amber; vEIn-mAde)24
4798126190Assonance (Example)"Early Moon"- pOetry is old, ancient, gOES back far. it is around the oldest of living things. sO old is is that nO man knOWs and why the first pOems came (repetition of long o's)25
4798142148Blank Verseunrhymed iambic pentameter26
4798147788Blank Verse (Example)"Mending Walls"- SOMEthing there IS that DOESn't LOVE a WALL. that SENDS the FROzen-GROUND-swell UNder IT, and SPILLS the UPper BOULders IN the SUN27
4798199601CacophonyA harsh, discordant, unpleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds28
4798201078Cacophony (Example)"Rime to the Ancient Mariner"- With throats unslaked, with BLACK lips BAKED, AGAPE they heard me call.29
4798222487CatastropheThe concluding action of a classical tragedy containing the resolution of the plot30
4798223418Catastrophe (Example)"Oedipus Rex"- Oedipus appears before his exile after he gouged his eyes out for being with his mother.31
4798268045CatharsisA purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, esp. as an effect of tragic drama32
4798271524Catharsis (Example)"Romeo and Juliet"- Here's to my love! [drinks] o true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die! [falls] (The audience cries in this scene bc it is relatable)33
4798281881CharacterAny of the persons involved in a story or play(sense 1); The distinguishing moral qualities and personal traits of a character(sense 2)34
4798287854Character(Example)"Sonnet 130~Shakespeare" Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun.. (Tells us this woman, his wife, is unattractive)35
4798303503Developing or Dynamic CharacterA character(sense 1) who during the course of a story undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of character(sense 2) or outlook36
4798309273Developing Character (Example)"Harry Potter"- Solves his inner conflict of being similar to Voldemort37
4798311690Flat CharacterA character(sense 1) whose character(sense 2) is summed up in one of two traits38
4798313967Flat Character (Example)"Romeo and Juliet"- Benvolio does not change, is consistently solid, loyal, and peaceful39

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