AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

Mrs. Petersen's Class: AP English III Literary terms Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
23851007SOAPSrhetorical Analysis
23851008logoslogical appeal
23851009ethosethical (moral) appeal
23851010paronamasia/punplay on words in which the same word is used in different senses or words similiar in sounds are used in opposition to each other for a rhetorical contrast.
23851011asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions replaced by commas
238541143rd POV omniscientthe narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story
23854115hypophoraone or more questions is/are asked and then immediately answered by one and the same speaker
23854116personificationgives inanimate objects human characteristics
23854117audienceperson or people literary piece is directed at
23854118synecdochepart that represents the whole
23854119rogerian appealbuttering up of one's audience so as to lower defenses and create an objective ear
23854120archetypean original model of which other similiar things are patterned or copied.
23854121analogya comparison of two pairs which have the same relationship and show howw they are alike.
23876349euphonypleasing effect to the ear; harmonious sounding
23876350cacaphonyharsh discordance of sound
23876351dissonantout of harmony
23876352dissonanceinharmonious or harsh sound; discord.
23876353epiphanya comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.
23876354bathosappeal to sense of humor; usually crude or gross
23876355elegypoem that praises the dead
23876356eulogyspeech praising that laments a person's death but also emphasizes great qualities
23876357rhetoricact of persuasion; fathered by Aristotle
23876358fallaciesnot logically sound; falsehoods that destroy the argument
23876359concessiongiving in to part of the opposition's argument in order to lower the opposing side's defenses
23876360false authorityrepresenting an item but never using it i.e. Jessica Simpson (proactiv commercials)
23876361slippery slopepredicting without justification that one step in a process will lead unavoidably to a second, generally undesirable step.
23876362amiguitya quality that allows that readers to interpret a story or other work in more than one way.
23876363warrantmajor premise
23876364claimconclusion of a syllogism
23876365black & white reasoningform of reasoning that presumes an either or situation
23876366faulty syllogisman illiogical rhetorical fallacy.
23876367enthymemeshortened version of a syllogism that leaves the major premise unstated and consists of "because"
23876368repetitionanaphora, epistrophe, antistrophe, alliteration, consonance, assonance, parallel syntactic structure, asyndeton
23876369antistrophethe repeating of words at the end of succesive phrases, clauses, or sentences to increase emphasis
23876370epistrophesimiliar to anaphora but anywhere in a sentence
23876371data/or statisticspart of logos
23876372factsappeal to audience's sense of logic, ethics, and emotions. Is a device but usage is part of the appeals
23876373citing authoritythe utilization of an expert's quote in your argument to support
23876374consanancethe repetition of consanant sounds in several words of a sentence
23876375pathetic fallacygiving emotions to nature
23876376rhetorical fallacyfallacy of argument; don't allow exchange of ideas upon meaning
23876377modes of developmentinformation used to support & explain main ideas of a paragraph or essay, a narration, description, examples, classification, division, comparison & contrast and process, cause & effect, etc.
23876378laconicexpressing much in little words
238763791st POVexpressed through the narrator to the focal character "I" "me"
23876380syntaxthe way in which words are put together to form sentences
23876381nonfictionprose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects or events.
23876382plotthe sequence of related events that make up a story
23876383aphorismlengthy statement that imparts wisdom
23876384overstatementform of hyperbole, but in a persuasive speech it is called an "overstatement"
23876385understatementa type of verbal irony in which something is purposely represented as being far less important than it actually is
23876386parableshort story used to teach a moral
23876387ad hominemattack the person not the argument
23876388tropealters the literal sense of a word or phrase, so metaphor, simile & allegory are all types
23876389polysyndetonthe omission of conjuctions and addition of multiple commas
23876390literary allusiona reference to literary work
23876391paradoxtwo opposing ideas or concepts to form a new idea or concept
23876392anthropomorphismgiving animals human characteristics
23876393imagerycreation of mental pictures through pertinent word choice & heightened description; appeals to the five senses
23876394denotationprecise dictionary definition; literal meanings of a word
23876395descriptionany careful detailing of a person, place, thing, or event. one of the for major forms of discourse; re-create sensory impressions: sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes
23876396onomatopoeiaa word that imitates the sound it represents
23876397poema form of literary art in which the language is used for its aesthetic is evocative qualities
23876398motifa recurring image, word, phase, action, idea, object or situation that appears in various works or throughout the same work
23876399denouementthe final outcome of the main complication in a play or story
23876400local colorthe presentation of the features and characteristics of a certain locality, so that the reader can picture the setting being described
23876401FIDSstyle analysis
23876402pathosemotional analysis
238764033rd POV (limited)adheres closely to one character's perspective
23876404oxymorona condensed form of paradox where seemingly contradictory words are joined together
23876405historical allusionto use an image or reference from history in present-day
23876406dictionword choice
23876407antithesisparadox that does not work, cancels out one another
23876408chiasmusa type of parallelism in which the balanced elements are presented in reverse order rather than in the same order
23930336didacticinstructive in nature
23930337apostrophea figure speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and was able to reply
23930338alliterationthe repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of each word of several words in the same sentence
23930339caesuraa dramatic pause, used to heighten suspense
23930340assonancethe repetition of a vowel sound in several words throughout a sentence
23945326metaphora type of figurative language in which a statement is made that says that one thing is something else but, literally, it is not; compares an entire thing to another without using "like" or "as"
23945327voltaabrupt change in tone
23945328forensicfocus is to persuade by assigning blame or attempt to prove innocence
239453292nd POVthe narrator refers to the focal character as "you"
23945330expositionsetting forth a meaning or intent
23945331anaphorarepetition at the beginning of each consecutive sentence
23945332parallel syntactic structureusing the same part of speech or syntactic structure in each element of a series, before and after coordinating conjunctions and after each pair of correlative conjunctions
23945333symbolismthe use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas
23945334biblical allusionsimage or reference from the Bible alluded to in literature or pictures, words, etc.
23945335deductivegeneral to specific
23945336parallelismuse of similiar or identical language, structures, events or ideas in different parts of a text
23945337syllogisms3 part deductive formula- logical in nature and utilized to convince or persuade
23945338idioman expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from meanings of the words that make it up
23945339ironythe contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is
23945340euphemismthe substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one
23945341colloquialismrefers to a type pf informal diction that reflects casual, conversational language (also includes slang expressions); region specific diction
23945342minor premisespecific example from the major premise
23945343either/ or fallacya "black or white" type of thinking where there are only absolutes
23945344groundsminor premise
23945345essaysanalyze rhetorical devices
23945346connotationsubjective, cultural, or emotional definition; based on emotions and actions
23945347tonemood brought forth by story or poem
23945348similea figure of speech which involves a direct comparison between two unlike things, usually with the words like or as
23945349detailsfacts that support the thesis or assertion in a piece of writing
23945350hasty generalizationdrawing a general and premature conclusion on the basis of only one or two cases
23945351red herringdiverting attention from the issue by introducing a new point
23945352deliberativethis is the genre of political debate, but also the major genre concerned with the giving of advice in general; focuses on calling themed change
23945353objectivebased on facts and provably true
23945354subjectivebased on opinion and often biased
23945355inductive reasoningspecific to general
23945356major premisespecific statement asserted as true or as univeral truth
23945357speakervoice in a story
23945358anomalysomething that does not belong; out of place
23945359conclusionmarriage of logic: half of major premise + half of minor premise = ?
23945360purposereason for writing the literary piece
23945361figurative languageany language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a subject
23945362extended metaphora metaphor extended in length throughout a paragraph
23945363maximshort statement that imparts wisdom
23945364occasionevent in which it takes place
23945365genreliterary classification
23945366fictionimaginative form of narrative
23945367themethe main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work
24113373narrative devicea design or pattern in a literay work used to achieve a particular effect
24113374negotationthe process of discussion and compromise between conflicting positions
24113375neologisma new or invented word, expression, or usage
24113376nostalgiaa yearning for the past or for some condition or state of existence that cannot be recovered
24113377odea serious lyric poem, often of significant length, that usually conforms to an elaborate metrical structure
24113378openingthe beginning of an argument or essay; the introduction
24113379passive voicein this verb form, the subject of the sentence recieves the action denoted by the verb. Allways consistes of a form of "to be" plus the past participle of the verb. Example: The floor 'was swept' by Gretchen
24113920pastichea work that imitates the style of a previous author, work, or literary genre; also a work that contains a hodgepodge of elements or fragments from different sources or influences. The imitation in pastiche is not meant as satire or mockery
24113921personathe character an author assumes in a written work
24114388proseany composition not written in verse. The basic unit of prose is the sentence, whereas the basic unit of poetry is a line of verse. Prose writing can be rhythmic but is generally less musical than verse
24114389protagonistthe main character around whom the story revolves
24114390qualifier/ qualificationa statement that modifies or limits the meaning of a claim
24114612realisma loose term that can refer to any work that aims at honest portrayal over sentationalism, exaggeration, or melodrama; ordinary contemporary life, so to speak
24114613reflectivethoughtful, deliberative
24115152in medias reslatin for "in the middle of things"; refers to the technique of starting a narrative in the middle of the action.
24115153identificationa rhetorical technique in which a speaker suggests his or her similarity or closeness to a particular group, such as the audience
24115154hypotheticalinvolving a hypothesis (an assumption granted for the sake of argument)
24115590refutationthe process of proving something wrong by argument and evidence
24115591retrospectiona narrative technique in which some of the events of a story are describes after events that occur later in time have already been narrated; also called analepsis and flashback
24115592rhetorical contextan extraordinary use of language to achieve a certai effect on an audience. examples are chiasmus, parallelism, rhetorical question, ans synecdoche
24116893registerone of the varieties of language appropriate to particular social situations. The four stylistic registers most commonly referred to are formal, informal, colloquial, and slang.
24116894romantic ironyan author's persistent presence in his or her work, meant to ensure that the audience will maintain critical detachment and not simply accept the writing at face value
24118321situational ironya technique in which one understanding of a situation stands in a sharp contrast to another, usually more prevalent, understanding of the same situation
24118322syllepsisWhen a single word that governs or modifies two or more others must be understood differently with respect to each of those words. A combination of grammatical parallelism and semantic incongruity, often with a witty or comical effect
24118323anachronisman error in chronology, or placing an event, person, item, or language expression in the wrong period
24118712anagnorisisa moment of recognition or self-discovery; primarily used in reference to Greek tragedy
24118713antecedentin grammar, a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun. In logic, the conditional element in a proposition
24118714anithero/antiheroinea protagonist who is not admirable or who challenges our notions of what should be considered admirable
24121322begging the questionthe act of ignoring a problem or issue by assuming that it is already settled
24121323bildungsromana novel about the education or psychological growth of the protagonist, or the main character
24121324black comedydisturbing or absurd material presented in a humorous manner, usually with the intention of confronting uncomfortable truths
24121325caricaturein writing and literature, an author's exaggeration or distortion of certain traits or characteristics of an individual
24121326cosmic ironythe deception of fate or the universe as malicious or indifferent to human suffering, creating a painful contrast between our purposeful activity and its ultimate meaningfulness
24121327dialectica form of reasoning that proceeds by juxtaposing contradictory ideas and synthesizing or finding areas of agreement between them
24121328dialoguea converastion between two or more speakers; also an exchange of ideas
24121329discoursethe wider social and intellectual context in which communication takes place.
24121330disgressionto turn or move away from the main subject of discussion or the main argument in a piece of writing
24121331dramatic ironya technique in which the author lets the audience in on a character's situation while the character remains uninformed
24121332emblema concrete oobject that represents something abstract; unlike a symbol, an emblem has a fixed meaning that does not vary in different contexts
24121333epigrapha quotation placed at the beginning of a piece of literature or at the beginning of one of its chapters or scenes to provide the reader with some ideas about the content or meaning to follow
24121334epistolarynarrated through letters
24121335epitapha brief statement to memorialize a deceased person or a thing, time, or eventthat has ended
24121336explicationthe detailed analysis of a literary work
24121337expletivea syllable, word, or group of words added to fill a void (perhaps to make a metrical scheme work), but which do not add to the meanng of a piece of writing i.e. "there" "it"
24121823verbs of beingam, is, are, was, were, has or have been, had been, will have been, being, and to be; creates a passive voice
24125781chronologyarrangement of events in order of occurence
24125782pretentious (adj.)behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth
24125783anticipating the oppositionthe inclusion of the anticipated argument before it is brought up by the opposing side's argument
24125784synthesis (noun)the combination of ideas into a complex whole
24125785synthesis (organization)deductive reasoning
24125786pastoralan artistic composition dealing with the life of shepherds or with a simple, rural existence
24129076parodya humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing; a form of bathos
24129077archaic (adj.)having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses
24129078allegorya work of literature that teaches a lesson by using animals or other things to proving a satire
24129079anecdotea short account of an interesting or humorous incident, often biographical
24129080satirea literary mode based on criticism of people and society through ridicule and humor

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!