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Barron's AP Literature Vocabulary Flashcards

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12877066624abstractAn abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research.0
12877066625adageA saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language.1
12877066626allegoryA story in which the narrative or characters carry an underlying symbolic, metaphorical, or possibly an ethical meaning. The story and characters represent values beyond themselves.2
12877066627alliterationThe repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines of poetry or prose. Used for ornament or for emphasis. Also used in epithets, phrases, and slogans. Enhances the aesthetic quality of a prose passage or poem.3
12877066628allusionA reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea.4
12877066629ambiguityA vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation.5
12877066630anachronismA person, scene, event, or other element in literature that fails to correspond with the time or era in which the work is set.6
12877066631analogyA comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things.7
12877066632annotationA brief explanation, summary, or evaluation of a text or work of literature.8
12877066633antagonistA character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist, produces tension or conflict.9
12877066634antithesisA rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences.10
12877066635aphorismA short, pithy statement of a generally accepted truth or sentiment.11
12877066636ApollonianIn contrast to Dionysian, it refers to the most noble, godlike qualities of human nature and behavior.12
12877066637apostropheA rhetorical device in which a speaker addresses a person or personified thing not present.13
12877066638archetypeAn abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model or form.14
12877066639assonanceThe repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines in poetry and prose.15
12877066640balladA simple narrative verse that tells a story that is sung or recited.16
12877066641bardA poet; in olden times, a performer who told heroic stories to a musical accompaniment.17
12877066642bathosThe use of insincere or overdone sentimentality.18
12877066643belle-lettresFrench term for the world of books, criticism, and literature in general.19
12877066644bibliographyA list of works cited or otherwise relevant to a subject or other work.20
12877066645BildungsromanA German word referring to a novel structured as a series of events that take place as the hero travels in quest of a goal.21
12877066646blank versePoetry written in iambic pentameter, the primary meter used in English poetry and the words of Shakespeare and Milton. The lines generally do not rhyme.22
12877066647bombastInflated, pretentious language used for trivial subjects.23
12877066648burlesqueA work of literature meant to ridicule a subject; a grotesque imitation.24
12877066649cacophonyGrating, inharmonious sounds.25
12877066650caesuraA pause somewhere in the middle of a verse, often (but not always) marked by punctuation.26
12877066651canonThe works considered most important in a national literature or period; works widely read and studied.27
12877066652caricatureA grotesque likeness of striking qualities in persons and things.28
12877066653carpe diemLiterally, "seize the day"; enjoy life while you can, a common theme in literature.29
12877066654catharsisA cleansing of the spirit brought about by the pity and terror or a dramatic tragedy.30
12877066655classicA highly regarded work of literature or other art form that has withstood the test of time.31
12877066656classical, classicismDeriving from the orderly qualities of ancient Greek and Roman culture; implies formality, objectivity, simplicity, and restraint.32
12877066657climaxThe high point, or turning point, or a story or play.33
12877066658coming-of-age-story/novelA tale in which a young protagonist experiences an introduction to adulthood. The character may develop understanding via disillusionment, education, doses of reality, or any other experiences that alter his or her emotional or intellectual maturity.34
12877066659conceitA witty or ingenious thought a diverting or highly fanciful idea, often stated in figurative language.35
12877066660connotationThe suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase. Contrast with denotation.36
12877066661consonanceThe repetition of two or more consonant sounds in a group of words or a line of poetry.37
12877066662coupletA pair of rhyming lines in a poem. Two rhyming lines in iambic pentameter is sometimes called a heroic ________.38
12877066663denotationThe dictionary definition of a word. Contrast with connotation.39
12877066664dénouementThe resolution that occurs at the end of a play or work of fiction.40
12877066665deus ex machinaIn literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.41
12877066666dictionThe choice of words in oral and written discourse.42
12877066667DionysianAs distinguished from Apollonian, the word refers to sensual, pleasure-seeking impulses.43
12877066668dramatic ironyA circumstance in which the audience or reader knows more about a situation than a character.44
12877066669elegyA poem or prose selection that laments or meditates on the passing or death of something or someone of value.45
12877066670ellipsisThree periods (...) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation.46
12877066671elliptical constructionA sentence containing a deliberate omission of words.47
12877066672empathyA feeling of association or identification with an object or person.48
12877066673end-stoppedA term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation.49
12877066674enjambmentIn poetry, the use of the successive lines with no punctuation or pause between them.50
12877066675epicAn extended narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that in generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure.51
12877066676epigramA concise but ingenious, witty, and thoughtful statement.52
12877066677euphonyPleasing, harmonious sounds.53
12877066678epithetAn adjective or phrase that expresses a striking quality of a person or thing.54
12877066679eponymousA term for the title character of a work of literature.55
12877066680euphemismA mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term.56
12877066681exegesisA detailed analysis or interpretation of a work of literature.57
12877066682exposéA piece or writing that reveals weakness, faults, frailties, or other shortcomings.58
12877066683expositionThe background and events that lead to the presentation of the main idea or purpose of a work of literature.59
12877066684explicationThe interpretation or analysis of a text.60
12877066685extended metaphorA series of comparisons between two unlike objects.61
12877066686fableA short tale often featuring nonhuman characters that act as people whose actions enable the author to make observations or draw useful lessons about human behavior.62
12877066687falling actionThe action in a play or story that occurs after the climax and that leads to the conclusion and often to the resolution of the conflict.63
12877066688fantasyA story containing unreal, imaginary features.64
12877066689farceA comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose.65
12877066690figure of speech, figurative languageIn contrast to literal language, _____________ implies meanings. It includes metaphors, similes, and personification, among many others.66
12877066691first-person narrativeA narrative told by a character involved in the story, using pronouns such as I and we.67
12877066692flashbackA return to an earlier time in a story or play in order to clarify present action or circumstances. It might also be a character's account of the past, a dream, or a sudden association with past events.68
12877066693foilA minor character whose personality or attitude contrasts with that of the main character. Juxtaposing one character against another intensifies the qualities of both, to advantage or sometimes to disadvantage.69
12877066694footA unit of stressed and unstressed syllables used to determine the meter of a poetic line.70
12877066695foreshadowingProviding hints of things to come in a story or play.71
12877066696frameA structure that provides premise or setting for a narrative.72
12877066697free verseA kind of poetry without rhymed lines, rhythm, or fixed metrical feet.73
12877066698genreA term used to describe literary forms, such as a novel, play, and essay.74
12877066699Gothic novelA novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action.75
12877066700harangueA forceful sermon, lecture, or tirade.76
12877066701hegemonya dominant cultural trend77
12877066702heroic coupletTwo rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter and used widely in eighteenth-century verse.78
12877066703hubrisThe excessive pride that often leads tragic heroes to their death.79
12877066704humanismA belief that emphasizes faith and optimism in human potential and creativity.80
12877066705hyperboleOverstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect.81
12877066706idyllA lyric poem or passage that describes a kind of ideal life or place.82
12877066707imageA word or phrase representing that which can be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or felt.83
12877066708in medias resA narrative that starts not at the beginning of events but at some other critical point.84
12877066709indirect quotationActual words are not stated but only approximated or paraphrased.85
12877066710invectiveA direct verbal assault; a denunciation.86
12877066711ironyA mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is the reverse of what might have been expected.87
12877066712kenningA device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities, as in "ring giver" for a king and "whale-road" for ocean.88
12877066713lampoonA mocking, satirical assault on a person or situation.89
12877066714light verseA variety of poetry meant to entertain or amuse, but sometimes with a satirical thrust.90
12877066715litotesA form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity.91
12877066716loose sentenceA sentence that follows the customary word order of English sentences, i.e., subject-verb-object. The main idea of the sentence is presented first and is then followed by one or more subordinate clauses.92
12877066717lyric poetryPersonal, reflective poetry that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject.93
12877066718maximA saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth.94
12877066719melodramaA literary form in which events are exaggerated in order to create an extreme emotional response.95
12877066720metaphorA figure of speech that compares unlike objects.96
12877066721metaphysical poetryThe work of poets, particularly those of the seventeenth century, that uses elaborate conceits, is highly intellectual, and expresses the complexities of love and life.97
12877066722meterThe pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables found in poetry.98
12877066723metonymyA figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated.99
12877066724Middle EnglishThe language spoken in England roughly between 1150 and 1500 A.D.100
12877066725mock epicA parody of traditional epic form. It usually treats a frivolous topic with extreme seriousness, using conventions such as invocations to the Muse, action-packed battle scenes, and accounts of heroic exploits.101
12877066726modeThe general form, pattern, and manner of expression of a work of literature.102
12877066727montageA quick succession of images or impressions used to express an idea.103
12877066728moodThe emotional tone in a work of literature.104
12877066729moralA brief and often simplistic lesson that a reader may infer from a work of literature.105
12877066730motifA phrase, idea, or event that through repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in a work of literature.106
12877066731museOne of the ancient Greek goddesses presiding over the arts. The imaginary source of inspiration for an artist or writer.107
12877066732mythAn imaginary story that has become an accepted part of the cultural or religious tradition of a group or society. They are often used to explain natural phenomena. Almost every culture has one of these to account for the creation of the world and its inhabitants.108
12877066733narrativeA form of verse of prose that tells a story.109
12877066734naturalismA term often used as a synonym for realism; also a view of experience that is generally characterized as bleak and pessimistic.110
12877066735non sequiturA statement or idea that fails to follow logically from the one before.111
12877066736novellaA work of fiction of roughly 20,000 to 50,000 words-longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel.112
12877066737novel of mannersA novel focusing on and describing the social customs and habits of a particular social group.113
12877066738odeA lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful, and exalted feelings toward the subject.114
12877066739Old EnglishThe Anglo-Saxon language spoken in what is now England from approximately 450 to 1150 A.D.115
12877066740omniscient narratorA narrator with unlimited awareness, understanding, and insight of characters, setting, background, and all other elements of the story.116
12877066741onomatopoeiaThe use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning.117
12877066742ottava rimaAn eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem.118
12877066743oxymoronA term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a119
12877066744parableA story consisting of events from which a moral or spiritual truth may be derived120
12877066745paradoxA statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true121
12877066746paraphraseA version of a text put into simpler, everyday words122
12877066747pastoralA work of literature dealing with rural life123
12877066748pathetic fallacyFaulty reasoning that inappropriately ascribes human feelings to nature or nonhuman objects124
12877066749pathosThat element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow125
12877066750pentameterA verse with five poetic feet per line126
12877066751periodic sentenceA sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main though only at the end. In other words, the particulars in the sentence are presented before the idea they support.127
12877066752personaThe role or facade that a character assumes or depicts to a reader, a viewer, or the world at large128
12877066753personificationA figure of speech in which objects and animals are given human characteristics129
12877066754plotThe interrelationship among the events in a story; the plot line is the pattern of events, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.130
12877066755picaresque novelAn episodic novel about a roguelike wanderer who lives off his wits. Ex: Don Quixote, Moll Flanders131
12877066756point of viewThe relation in which a narrator or speaker stands to the story or subject matter of a poem.132
12877066757prosodyThe grammar of meter and rhythm in poetry133
12877066758protagonistThe main character in a work of literature134
12877066759pseudonymAlso called "pen name" or "nom de plume"; a false name or alias used by writers. Ex: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)135
12877066760pulp fictionNovels written for mass consumption, often emphasizing exciting and titillating plots136
12877066761punA humorous play on words, using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings137
12877066762quatrainA four-line poem or a four-line unit of a longer poem138
12877066763realismThe depiction of people, things, and events as they really are without idealization or exaggeration for effect.139
12877066764rhetoricThe language of a work and its style; words, often highly emotional, used to convince or sway an audience140
12877066765rhetorical stanceLanguage that conveys a speaker's attitude or opinion with regard to a particular subject141
12877066766rhymeThe repetition of similar sounds at regular intervals, used mostly in poetry.142
12877066767rhyme schemeThe pattern of rhymes within a given poem143
12877066768rhythmThe pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that make up a line of poetry144
12877066769roman a clefFrench for a novel in which hisotrical events and actual people appear under the guise of fiction145
12877066770romanceAn extended narrative about improbable events and extraordinary people in exotic places146
12877066771sarcasmA sharp, caustic expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt; different from irony, which is more subtle147
12877066772satireA literary style used to poke fun at, attack, or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of inducing change148
12877066773scanThe act of determining the meter of a poetic line.149
12877066774sentimentA synonym for view or feeling; also a refined and tender emotion in literature150
12877066775sentimentalA term that describes characters' excessive emotional response to experience; also nauseatingly nostalgic and mawkish151
12877066776settingThe total environment for the action in a novel or play. It includes time, place, historical milieu, and social, political, and even spiritual circumstances152
12877066777simileA figurative comparison using the words like or as153
12877066778sonnetA popular form of verse consisting of fourteen lines and a prescribed rhyme scheme.154
12877066779stanzaA group of two or more lines in poetry combined according to subject matter, rhyme, or some other plan155
12877066780stream of consciousnessA style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind156
12877066781styleThe manner in which an author uses and arranges words,157
12877066782subplotA subordinate or minor collection of events in a novel or play, usually connected to the main plot158
12877066783subtextThe implied meaning that underlies the main meaning of a work of literature159
12877066784symbolismThe use of one object to evoke ideas and associations not literally part of the original object160
12877066785synecdocheA figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole ("fifty masts" for fifty ships) or the whole signifies the part ("days" for life, as in "He lived his days in Canada"). Also when the name of the material stands for the thing itself ("pigskin" for football)161
12877066786syntaxThe organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a particular pattern of words162
12877066787themeThe main idea or meaning, often an abstract idea upon which a work of literature is built163
12877066788title characterA character whose name appears in the title of the novel or play; also known as the eponymous character164
12877066789toneThe author's attitude toward the subject being written about. The spirit or quality that is the work's emotional essence165
12877066790tragedyA form of literature in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw and a set of forces that cause the hero considerable anguish166
12877066791tropeThe generic name for a figure of speech such as image, symbol, simile, and metaphor167
12877066792verbal ironyA discrepancy between the true meaning of a situation and the literal meaning of the written or spoken words168
12877066793verseA synonym for poetry. Also a group of lines in a song or poem; also a single line of poetry169
12877066794verisimilitudeSimilar to the truth; the quality of realism in a work that persuades readers that they are getting a vision of life as it is.170
12877066795versificationThe structural form of a line of verse as revealed by the number of feet it contains. For example: monometer = 1foot; tetrameter = 4 feet; pentameter = 5 feet, and so forth171
12877066796villanelleA French verse form calculated to appear simple and spontaneous but consisting of nineteen lines and a prescribed pattern of rhymes172
12877066797voiceThe real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker173
12877066798witThe quickness of intellect and the power and talent for saying brilliant things that suprise and delight by their unexpectedness; the power to comment subtly and pointedly on the foibles of the passing scene174

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