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English Literature and Composition AP Flashcards

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1666776488themea unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work0
1666776489verisimilitudethe quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probable or enlightenment1
1666776490tonethe quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author2
1666776491dictiona writer's or speaker's choice of words3
1666776492ironythe use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning4
1666776493imageryDescription that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)5
1666776494connotationrefers to the implied or suggested meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary definition6
1666776495similea figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')7
1666776496metaphora figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity8
1666776497personificationA figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes9
1666776498symbolsomething visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible10
1666776499allegoryan expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances11
1666776500apostrophea technique by which a writer addresses an inanimate object, an idea, or a person who is either dead or absent.12
1666776501metonymysubstituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in 'they counted heads')13
1666776502synecdocheUses a part to explain a whole or a whole to explain a part. ex. Lend me an ear.14
1666776503allusiona reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize15
1666776504antithesisa statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced, the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance16
1666776505paradoxa statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.17
1666776506hyperbolea figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor18
1666776507litotes (understatement)understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)19
1666776508parodya work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner, a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way20
1666776509satireform of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly21
1666776510alliterationuse of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse22
1666776511assonancerepetition of vowel sounds23
1666776512consonancethe repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words24
1666776513euphonyany agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds25
1666776514cacophonyharsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance26
1666776515sibilanceA type of alliteration in which the "s" sound is repeated.27
1666776516onomatopoeiawords that sound like what they mean28
1666776517rhymethe repetition of the same stressed vowel sounds and any succeeding sounds in two or more words29
1666776518end rhymeRhyme that occurs at the end of two or more lines of poetry30
1666776519rhyme schemethe pattern of rhyme in a poem31
1666776520masculine rhymeRhyme that falls on the stressed and concluding syllables of the rhyme-words. Examples include "keep" and "sleep," "glow" and "no," and "spell" and "impel."32
1666776521feminine rhymea rhyme of two syllables, one stressed and one unstressed, as "waken" and "forsaken" and "audition" and "rendition." Feminine rhyme is sometimes called double rhyme.33
1666776522slant/near rhymerhyme in which the vowel sounds are nearly, but not exactly the same (i.e. the words "stress" and "kiss"); sometimes called half-rhyme, near rhyme, or partial rhyme34
1666776523meterrhythm as given by division into parts of equal time35
1666776524rhythmthe arrangement of spoken words alternating stressed and unstressed elements36
1666776525beat(prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse37
1666776526foota group of 2 or 3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm38
1666776527iamba metrical foot in poetry that has an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, as in the word protect39
1666776528trocheea stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable40
1666776529anapesta metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables u u /41
1666776530dactyla metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables / u u42
1666776531spondeea metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables / / /43
1666776532monometera metrical line containing one foot44
1666776533dimetera metrical line containing two feet45
1666776534trimetera line of verse with three metrical feet46
1666776535tetrametera metrical line containing 4 feet47
1666776536pentametera metrical line containing 5 feet48
1666776537hexametera metrical line containing 6 feet49
1666776538heptametera metrical line containing 7 feet50
1666776539octametera metrical line containing 8 feet51
1666776540settingThe time, place, and environment in which action takes place52
1666776541characterizationthe process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character53
1666776542point of viewthe perspective from which the writer tells the story (1st, 2nd, 3rd person; omniscient, limited omniscient)54
1666776543in media resin the middle of things55
1666776544deus ex machinaLiterally "god from a machine," this term refers to an unexpected and perhaps overly convenient revelation or event which untangles a complicated plot situation56
1666776545stanzaan arrangement of a certain number of lines, usually four or more, sometimes having a fixed length, meter, or rhyme scheme, forming a division of a poem., a group of lines in a poem57
1666776546quatrain4 line stanza58
1666776547couplettwo consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme59
1666776548sesteta rhythmic group of six lines of verse60
1666776549octet/octaveeight line stanza61
1666776550sonneta short poem with fourteen lines, usually ten-syllable rhyming lines, divided into two, three, or four sections62
1666776551enjambmentthe continuation of meaning, without pause or break, from one line of poetry to the next63
1666776552end stoppedA term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation.64
1666776553open formA type of structure or form in poetry characterized by freedom from regularity and consistency in such elements as rhyme, line length, metrical pattern, and overall poetic structure.65
1666776554free versePoetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme66
1666787587epithetAn adjective or other descriptive phrase that is regularly used to characterize a person, place, or thing67
1666787588transferred epithetwhen an adjective grammatically agrees with one noun, but is meant to be applied to another by context (example: "sleepless night")68
1666796065loose sentenceA complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and the subordinate clause follows69
1666796066periodic sentenceA sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main thought only at the end. In other words, the particulars in the sentence are presented before the idea they support.70
1679673245closed formA generic term that describes poetry written in a pattern of meter, rhyme, lines, or stanzas. A closed form adheres to a set structure.71

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