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AP Senior English Literature Flashcards

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7854205177AbstractBrief summary of the major parts of a research study0
7854205178AllegoryA literary form in which something is said to be like something else, in an attempt to communicate a hidden or symbolic meaning.1
7854205179AlliterationRepetition of consonant sounds2
7854205180AllusionA direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.3
7854205181AnalogyA comparison of two different things that are similar in some way4
7854205182ApostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.5
7854205183ConnotationAll the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests6
7854205184Concluding CoupletThe last two lines of a sonnet that rhyme7
7854205185DenotationThe dictionary definition of a word8
7854205186DictionA writer's or speaker's choice of words9
7854205187Dramatic MonologueA poem or speech in which a fictional character expresses his or her thoughts and feelings within a developing situation10
7854205188ElegyA poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died.11
7854205189EpicA long narrative poem, written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society12
7854205190EpigramA brief witty poem, often satirical.13
7854205191EpigraphA brief quotation found at the beginning of a literary work, reflective of theme.14
7854205192FeetUnits of stressed and unstressed syllables15
7854205193FoilA character who is in most ways opposite to the main character (protagonist) or one who is nearly the same as the protagonist. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main character by contrast only16
7854205194HyperboleA figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor17
7854205195Iambic PentameterA common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable.18
7854205196IronyA device that depends on the existence of at least two separate and contrasting levels of meaning embedded in one message. Verbal irony is sarcasm when the speaker says something other than what they really mean. In dramatic irony the audience is more aware than the characters in a work. Situational irony occurs when the opposite of what is expected happens. This type of irony often emphasizes that people are caught in forces beyond their comprehension and control.19
7854205197JuxtapositionPlacement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts20
7854205198MetaphorA comparison without using like or as21
7854205199MeterA regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry22
7854205200MotifA recurring theme, subject or idea23
7854205201PersonificationA figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes24
7854205202PlotSequence of events in a literary work25
7854205203Points of ViewThe perspective from which the story is told26
7854205204ProseAny writing that is not poetry27
7854205205RhymeRepetition of sounds at the end of words28
7854205206SatireA work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way.29
7854205207SettingThe context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.30
7854205208Seven Deadly SInsPride, Anger, Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Envy, Greed31
7854205209SimileA comparison using "like" or "as"32
7854205210SOAPStoneSpeaker, occasion, audience, purpose, subject, tone33
7854205211SoliloquyA dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener.34
7854205212Sonnet14 lines of iambic pentameter35
7854205213SymbolA thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.36
7854205214ThemeCentral idea of a work of literature37
7854205215ToneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.38
7854205216TragedyA dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction.39
7854205217Tragic HeroA literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy40
7854205218TrocheeA metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable41
7854205219Blank verseUnrhymed iambic pentameter42
7854205220Rhymed verseconsists of verse with end rhyme and usually with a regular meter.43

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