--> -->

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

WAGNER AP Literature terms Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
3663956078alliterationrepetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words ex: weak and weary we walked ahead0
3663958483allegorya literary work that portrays abstract ideas concretely ex: "Young Goodman Brown" is an allegory written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.1
3663981529allusiona reference to another work of literature, art, history, or current events2
3663992472apostrophea direct address to an abstraction, a thing, an animal, or an imaginary or absent person ex: O Life! O Love!3
3664000844cacophonyharsh, clashing, or dissonant sounds produced by words requiring clipped, explosive delivery Ex: " Hear the loud alarum bells! / Brazen Bells! / What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells"4
3664039919caesuraa pause within a line of poetry often mirroring natural speech5
3664047719conceitfigure of speech comparing two very dissimilar things ex: "If hairs be wires, then wires grow on her head"6
3664057813epiphanya character's transformative moment of realization7
3664060366hyperboledeliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or to produce a comic or ironic effect8
3664069469juxtapositionplacing two things side by side for comparison or contrast purposes9
3664074752litotesfigure of speech that affirms something by stating the negative of its opposite Ex: she's is no idiot10
3664080285metaphorfigure of speech that compares or equates two things without using like or as Ex: Life is a hard road11
3664084733metonymyfiure of speech in which something is represented by another thing that is related to it Ex: the throne for a king or monarch12
3664121072onomatopoeiause of words that refer to a sound and whose pronunciation mimic those sounds Ex: buzz13
3665232400paradoxa statement that is seems contradictory but actually is not Ex: Youth is wasted on the young14
3665233896personificationfigure of speech in which an animal or inanimate object is imbued with human qualities15
3665242569satireliterary work that uses irony to critique society or an individual16
3665242570similefigure of speech used to explain an idea by comparing it to another thing using like, as, or resembles17
3665249266synaesthesiatechnique in writing where a writer presents ideas, characters, or places so that they appeal to more than one senses at a given time ex: "With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz, between the light and me"18
3665251305synechdochefigure of speech in which part of something is used to represent the whole thing Ex: "I got wheels!" meaning you bought a car19
3665251306stylethe way a literary work is written20
3708668372understatementThe opposite of hyperbole, this refers to a figure a speech that says less than is intended21
3708672287ambiguityAllows for two or more interpretations of a word, phrase, action, or situation22
3708673993moodthe emotional feeling instilled in the reader by a literary work23
3708678781ironyThe difference between appearance and reality; it may be verbal, dramatic, or situational24
3708680856assonanceClose repetition of middle vowel sounds between different consonant sounds; fade/pale25
3708680857consonanceClose repetition of identical consonant sounds before and after differing vowel sounds Ex: love/leave, work/park26
3708687550soliloquyA dramatic speech in which a character alone on stage speaks his/her thoughts out loud27
3708689016asideSpeech directed to the audience that is supposedly not audible to other characters onstage28
3708693615enjambmentCarrying the words of a sentence beyond the end of a line of poetry Ex: so much depends upon a red wheelbarrow...29
3708702350foilA character who, by contrast, highlights the qualities or characteristics of another character. ex: Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, Mater and Lightning McQueen30
3708826252parallellismTechnique showing that words, phrases, and clauses or larger structures are comparable in content and importance by placing them side by side or making them similar in form31
3708832689sterotypeA character who represents a trait attributed to a social or racial group and lacks other individual traits32
3708836540euphonyA succession of sweet, melodious sounds; opposite of cacophony33
3708839719oxymoronFigure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are combined in a single expression Ex: black light, jumbo shrimp34
3708841832BildungsromanA novel that traces the early education of its hero from youth to experience Ex: Great Expectations35
3708845928colloquialismA word/phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing36
3708847798characterizationThe act of creating or describing a character directly or indirectly37
3708849638foreshadowingHints that suggest what is to come later in a literary piece38
3708852410symbolA person, object, image, word, or event that evokes a range of additional meaning beyond its literal significance39
3708854698motifAny element appearing in one or more works of literature or art, or a specific pattern in a work40
3708856383scansionThe process of measuring stresses in a line of verse in order to determine metrical pattern41
3708859136moodThe emotional feeling instilled in the reader by a literary work.42

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!

-->