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AP Literature Review Flashcards

Because I cannot use italics or underline, both quotations and titles are in quotation marks.

These are from CliffsNotes AP English Literature Flashcards.

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4334379246conventionswidely used literary devices, styles, or forms0
4334382288literary devicesspecific aspects of literary texts that can be recognized, interpreted, and analyzed; aka resources of language1
4334387850resources of languageanother way to refer to literary devices2
4334392907rhetorical strategiesorganizational strategies a writer uses in a text (narration, definition, exemplification)3
4334408473In "Macbeth," the wounded captain makes mention of Golgotha. This is an example of which kind of allusion?Biblical allusion4
4334419075In Macbeth's famous "Is this a dagger which I see before me" soliloquy, he mentions both Hecate and Tarquin. This is an example of what?allusion5
4334433371In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the Black Knight refers to his amputated leg as "only a flesh wound." This is an example of what?meiosis6
4334448662In Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess," the speaker says, "I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together," meaning he had his wife killed. This is an example of what?a euphemism7
4334457259In "Romeo and Juliet,' Lord Capulet says, "Death is my heir; /My daughter has he wedded." This proclamation is an example of what?personification8
4334468854John Donne compares the separation of two lovers to the two legs of a drawing compass in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." This is an example of what?a conceit9
4334479949Julius Caesar's famous line "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered") is an example of what?asyndeton10
4334492254KIng Claudius asks Hamlet to drink from the poisoned chalice, but Claudius's wife drinks from it instead. Claudius then speaks to the audience rather than characters onstage. This dramatic convention is what?an aside11
4334498383King Lear's lines "How sharper than a serpent's tooth/ It is to have a thankless child" is an example of what?an aphorism12
4351712788Who are the main characters in "Wuthering Heights?"Catherine; Heathcliff; Edgar; Hindley; young Cathy; Linton; Hareton; Nelly Dean13
4351734539"Krista tests 100 Christmas lights in order to find the defective one, only to find out later that the test light was inoperable." This is an example of what type of irony?situational14
4351740061Lady Macbeth's famous line, "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand," (that is guilty of murder) is an example of what?Hyperbole15
4351744484Marc Antony's constant repetition of "Brutus is an honorable man," when he clearly means the opposite, is an example of what?sarcasm16
4351752310Margaret Atwood's futuristic world in "The Handmaid's Tale" depicts a society where women have lost all personal freedoms. This society is considered a what?dystopia17
4351761273Milton's "Sonnet XIX "contains the following two lines: "To serve therewith my Maker, and present/ My true account, lest he returning chide. " The continuation of the thought from the first to second line is an example ofenjambment18
4351789485Milton's "Sonnet XIX" contains the following two lines "To serve therewith my Maker, and present/ My true account, lest he returning chide. " The pauses after "Maker" and "Account" are known as what?caesuras19
4351802729Milton's "Paradise Lost" begins with Lucifer, Beelzebub, and other fallen angels in Hell. The details of their expulsion are related later. Starting a narrative in the middle of the action is known as what?in medias res (in the midst of things)20
4351818733Nancy, from Charles DIckens' "Oliver Twist" is the "hooker with a heart of gold," an instantly recognizable character known as a what? (Think Julia Roberts' part in "Pretty Woman.")an archetype21
4351824105Oscar Wilde claimed that "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." This statement is an example of what?chiasmus22
4351827217Placing the extraordinary next to the mundane is an example of what?juxtaposition23
4351830490Poe's "While I nodded, nearly napping" is an example of what?alliteration24
4351835669Pope's "Essay on Man" is explicitly instructive; therefore, the essay is said to be what?didactic25
4351843240Pope's lines "Words are like leaves; and where they most abound / Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found" is an example of what?epigram26
4351847899Prince Hamlet, the hero of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" was opposed by his Uncle Claudius. Claudius serves as the what?antagonist27
4351854212Queen Elizabeth referred to her enemies as "Parma" and "Spain" in her speech, before defeating the Spanish Armada. These words are examples of what?metonymy28
4351862528Readers know in "The Cask of Amontillado" Montressor plans on taking revenge against Fortunato, but Fortunato does not know this. This is an example of what?dramatic irony29
4351867709References to sight, vision, and eyes occur throughout Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear." They are examples of what?motifs30
4351869952Referring to Macbeth as the "Fiend of Scotland" is using what device?an epithet31
4351873905Referring to manual laborers as "blue-collar" workers is an example ofsynecdoche32
4351878116Shakespeare's line "Th'expense of spirit" is an example of what?elision33
4351888673The "I" in a lyric poem is known as the what?speaker34
4351895372The Bible story that tells of the relationship between where one sows his seed and what the resulting yield will be is an example of what?parable35
4351899926The clause "the silence hissed" is an example of what three literary devices?personification; oxymoron; onomatopoeia36
4351910819The couplet, " My story is as true, I undertake, / As that of good Sir Lancelot du Lake," contains an example of what?allusion37
4351915533The fish in Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" is an example of what?symbol38
4351933869The lines "Our two souls therefore, which are one, / Though I must go, endure not yet/ A breach, but an expansion / Like gold to airy thinness beat" contain which literary devices?oxymoron and simile (within run-on and end-stopped lines)39
4351948572Jerry Cruncher, in "A Tale of Two Cities," refers to the year of our Lord as "Anna Dominoes." This is an example of what?a malapropism40
4352013562In Wuthering Heights, Nelly ends Chapter 4 with the line "I really thought him not vindictive --I was deceived completely, as you will hear." This is an example of what?foreshadowing41
4352028901What is the most important thing to remember about free-response (essay) questions?Address the Prompt (AP)42
4352048790In "Wuthering Heights," Nelly describes Heathcliff as "rough as a saw-edge, and hard as whinstone." This is an example of what?simile43
4352058527In the short story, "Young Goodman Brown," Goodman's wife is named "Faith," and he takes a physical journey into a dark forest. This short story clearly can be read on two levels and is and example of a what?allegory44
4352080122In the passages "Was not Jesus an extremist? Was not Amos an extremist? Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel?", Martin Luther King, Jr., justifies his actions using which two literary devices?anaphora and allusion45
4352083819Should questions be mentally answered by the test-taker prior to looking at the answers?Yes, if the mental answer matches one of the choices, then that choice should be selected.46
4352093942Explain how remembering the abbreviation for A.P. English---APE-- will help on the free-response questions?APE stands for Assert--Prove--Explain.47
4352104598What is a genre?a type of literature48
4352108185Identify the quotation. "...frailty thy name is woman!"Hamlet says about his mother when thinking about how quickly she remarried.49
4352118582What is "Beauty is truth, truth beauty?"This is the conclusion of the speaker in Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn."50
4352124889What is "Gulliver's Travels?"satire by Jonathan Swift.51
4352147140Are there alternate strategies for answering a question if there is not a complete understanding of the whole passage?Focus on the areas of the passage that are understood and demonstrate how they resources of language create meaning in those parts.52
4352168440Milton's "Sonnet XIX' contains the two following lines: "And post o'er land and ocean without rest / They also serve who only stand and wait." The second line is known as what type of line?an end-stopped line53
4352194908What is synecdoche?uses part to represent the whole "ten head of cattle" refers to ten complete animals; "the law" can refer to a particular law officer instead of the entire system of justice54
4352208380What is metonymy?replaces the name of something with something closely related to it; "all hands on deck"55
4352218114What is meiosis?understatement usually achieved by referring to something in terms of less importance than it actually deserves. Ex: Mercutio refers to his fatal wound as a "scratch."56
4352230047What is litotes?a form of understatement typically achieved by negating an affirmation. For example, " A fact of no small importance."57
4352369491What is a tragic flaw?protagonists' shortcoming that brings about his or her downfall. usu. hubris58
4352376789What is epistrophe?repetition of final word, phrases, and/or clauses in successive lines or sentences; opposite of anaphora59
4352384548What is dramatic irony?The contrast between what a reader/audience knows and what a character knows.60
4352386452What is cosmic irony?irony of fate--contrast between a character's desires and the way he or she is treated by fate.61
4352390808What is chiasmus?achieving contrast through reverse parallelism. Ex. "They fall successive and successive rise."62
4352398111What is asyndeton?deliberate omission of conjunctions (fanboys)63
4352400605What is apostrophe?direct address to an inanimate, missing, or dead person or object64
4352404952What is antimetabole?pairing of two mirrored phrases or clauses, usually used for effect. A form of chiasmus.65
4352417657What is anthropomorphism?giving the human form to anything not human66
4352419240What is anastrophe?aka hyperbaton; the name for the scheme of reversing word order to make a point. Ex: "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."67
4352427059What is anaphora?repetition of words, phrases, and/or clauses at the beginning of successive lines or sentences68
4352433745What is an extended metaphor?comparison that is maintained and further developed throughout the text69
4352435978What is a pun?play on words that capitalizes on the similarity of spelling or pronunciation, usually for comic effect70
4352442980What is a paradox?statement that initially seems contradictory/nonsensical but upon further examination, makes sense71
4352452918What is a malapropism?the confused, usually comic, misuse of a word or words72
4352454892What is a euphemism?substitution of a softer, gentler word or expression for something painful or unpleasant. "passed away" for "dying"73
4352464203What is a conceit?an elaborate, extended metaphor or simile74
4352467933What are tropes?One of the two major divisions of figures of speech. Tropes twist or turn the meaning of a word. Ex: irony, metaphor, metonymy, personification simile, and synecdoche.75
4352489675What are rhetorical figures?(schemes) are changes in standard word order or patterns; usually associated with syntax and one of the two major divisions of figures of speech76
4352497294What are figures of speech?literary devices used to connote meaning beyond the dictionary definition; usually divided into rhetorical figures/schemes and tropes77
4352507946Who is the hero/heroine of a literary text?protagonist, or main character. Also refers to primary male or female character of a text, with the chief character the protagonist78
4352520704Who is the antagonist of a literary text?the character who is in opposition to the main character, the protagonist. An evil antagonist is considered a villain.79
4352526923What is hubris?tragic flaw of excessive pride, which generally leads to the character's downfall80
4352529883What is an epiphany?sudden insight or understanding81
4352532582What is an antihero of a literary text?protagonist who does not exhibit the traditional, heroic qualities usually associated with the main character. May be dishonest or just plain ordinary.82
4352540641What is a stock character?type of flat character that embodies stereotypical qualities and becomes a type rather than a real person.83
4352549951What is a static character?a character that stays the same during the course of a literary text84
4352559620What is a round character?a fully developed, multifaceted character that exhibits the complexity of a real person85
4352565537What is a foil?a character who serves as a contrast to another character86
4352568483What is a flat character?a character that is not fully developed, one that is defined by singular qualities. Usually stereotypes.87
4366664770The final line of Tennyson's "Ulysses," "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield," is an example of what?Parallel structure88
4366664771What is a sonnet?A 14-line poem that typically follows a conventional rhyme scheme.89
4366664772What is a Shakespearean Sonnet?Aka as an English sonnet, consists of three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.90
4366664773What is a distracter?An incorrect response. If part of the answer is incorrect, the entire choice is incorrect.91
4366664774What is a limited narrator?One whose point of view is not all-knowing. Thus, readers are limited to the thoughts and impressions of only a single or small group of characters.92
4366664775To what does theme refer?The main idea of a literary text93
4366664776To what does setting refer?To the time and place in which a narrative takes place94
4366664777What is an end-stopped line?In poetry, and end-stopped line occurs when the physical end of the line corresponds with a grammatical pause, as indicated by some form of punctuation.95
4366664778Identify the quotation, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."In Hamlet, Marcellus says this after he and Horatio watch Hamlet follow the ghost; they the debate upon whether they have an obligation to follow the prince.96
4366664779What is a parody?A humorous imitation of either the style of a particular genre or the imitation of a specific literary text.97
4366664780The term "joyful trouble" is an example of what?Oxymoron98
4366664781Identify the quotation, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell is sweet."From Romeo and Juliet99
4366664782What is a couplet?Refers to two successive lines of rhyming verse100
4366664783How much time should be spent on each multiple-choice question?You will typically have 55 questions to answer in one hour. Therefore, a good rule of thumb is to allow as many minutes per passage as questions there are for that passage. If the passage has 15 questions, then allow 15 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions related to that passage.101
4366664784On the free-response question, should the question be rephrased or repeated in the answer's introduction?Only rephrase or repeat the prompt if you cannot think of any other way to begin your essay. This is an unnecessary waste of time and does not demonstrate higher-level thinking.102
4366664785What should be remembered about the free-response questions?Two of the three free-response questions will be analytical in nature, and one will allow you to choose a text (novel or play) about which you write. But, all three questions are weighted equally, so it is important to do well on all of them.103
4366664786Identify the quotation, "A little more than kin and less than kind."From Hamlet, this famous pun, spoken as an aside, reveals to the audience that he is not happy with his uncle becoming his stepfather.104
4366664787What are "The Canterbury Tales?"Geoffrey Chaucer's poems about pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Thomas a Beckett; written in Middle English; Chaucer is often considered the Father of British poetry.105
4366664788What is a tragedy?A serious drama that typically ends in disaster106
4366664789What is to be avoided when addressing a technique on the analytical free-response question?Avoid asserting that the writer "uses diction." If there is no distinction between "concrete and abstract diction," or among the levels of diction, the obvious is merely being stated. Also, avoid the assertion that the imagery is "vivid."107
4366664790Should the night before the exam be spent studying anything in particular?No, get a good night's sleep. If anything must be done, review the names of characters and thematic topics in prepared literary texts (your outside readings) is recommended.108
4366664791Will a list of literary devices always be given in the analytical free-response questions?No. Sometimes a list of suggested will be provided, but sometimes none are suggested. If the prompt uses the phrase "such as," then you DO NOT have to address that technique. However; if the prompt asks you to analyze THE METAPHOR, then you must address the metaphor. Always address the prompt.109
4366664792Can an alternative title be used for the open free-response prompt if it is not listed as one of the suggested titles?If the chosen text adequately addresses the prompt and is of LITERARY MERIT, it can be used. However, choosing a more literary text, such as Hamlet, that DOESN'T fit the prompt is a MISTAKE, as is choosing YOUNG ADULT novels, POPULAR FICTION, and MOST RELIGIOUS FICTION.110
4366664793What is a soliloquy?When a character in a drama is alone onstage, speaking his or her innermost thoughts.111
4366664794What is a eulogy?A formal statement of praise (usually at a funeral)112
4366664795Should a lot of time be spent on multiple choice questions?No, each question is worth only point; the difficult and/or confusing questions are not worth more, so they do not merit more time.113
4366664796Identify the quotation, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't."In Hamlet, Polonius says this as an aside as he attempts to find out a reason for Hamlet's unexpected actions.114
4366664797How much of the passage should be directly quoted?Use some specifics and APE, but not more than 5 carefully chosen words per quotation.115
4366664798What is the most important thing to do to prepare for the analytical free-response questions?Pay attention to the details within the passage, each prompt will provide some reference to the literary devices, resources of language, or some other synonym. Not every device is used or is as effective in every passage.116
4366664799What texts should be prepared for the open-free response question?Test-takers should reread texts that they like. Ideally, a variety of texts will be prepared—including at least one pre-20th century text and one play. The prompt will be unknown, so it's best to prepare for anything, to include discussions on minority groups, religious/spiritual themes, female topics, mysteries, humor, and magic realism.117
4366664800What is a ballad?Any poem that tells a story; originally composed to be sung.118
4366664801Identify the quotation, " To die, to sleep / To sleep, perchance to dream, ay there's the rub, / For in that sleep of death what dreams may come."Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy.119
4366664802Is writing a five-paragraph essay recommended?Not if it has a meaningless introduction and a repetitious conclusion. It's better to have three body paragraphs; but, if an essay develops organically from the prompt, has an interesting introduction, three body paragraphs that lead one to another, and a thought-provoking conclusion, having five paragraphs will not incur penalties.120
4366664803Is guessing a good strategy if the answer is unknown?Yes, if one or more of the distracters can be eliminated. Statistically speaking, one out of every five guesses should be answered correctly in order to break even. When leaving all five answers blank nets you a score of "0," and guessing at least provides a chance to break even—or even earn some points—guessing makes sense.121
4366664804What is the first step in answering a free-response question?First, read and mark the prompt, making sure there is a thorough understanding of what is expected.122
4366664805What is the best way to prepare for the analytical free-response questions?Practice creating practical responses to some variation of the question "How is the writer using the resources of language to create meaning?" Avoid creating a laundry list of literary terms without being able to analyze how the writer is using these tools to create meaning.123
4366664806Identify the quotation, "The time is out of joint. O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right!"Hamlet ends act one with this comment as he now believes that his father was murdered.124
4366664807Identify the quotation, "To be, or not to be: that is the question."Hamlet's soliloquy when he considers suicide.125
4366664808What is a close reading?Aka as an explication, is a thorough analysis of a literary text, paying particular attention to its elements.126
4366664809What is a quatrain?A stanza consisting of four lines127
4366664810What is tone?Refers to attitude and is revealed by word choice; combination of diction, details, and imagery results in the tone; a character's tone may not be identical to the author's.128
4366664811What is "Invisible Man?"Ralph Ellison's bildungsroman of an unnamed black narrator who struggles with his identity as he moves from the South to the North, experiencing racism along the way; an episodic novel.129
4366664812What is syntax?Refers to the manner in which a writer constructs a sentence and how it affects a reader's understanding130
4366664813What is general diction?Refers to the speech of educated native speakers; more formal than colloquial English but not as elevated as formal English.131
4366664814What is persona?The persona is the speaker. Although the persona is known as the voice of the author, it is not necessarily the author.132
4366664815What is poetic license?The liberty a writer sometimes takes with the typical rules of grammar, punctuation, and/or syntax in order to fulfill his or her creative process.133
4366664816What is passive voice?When the subject of a sentence is acted upon instead of committing an action.134
4366664817What are the seven deadly sins?The major sins that lead to damnation. They are pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.135
4366664818Is paraphrasing or summarizing a text proof enough that the content of the text is understood?No. Paraphrase and summary are not the same as analysis.136
4366664819Is there only one correct interpretation of a passage?No, prompts are designed to foster discussion. Passages selected are usually open to a variety of interpretations.137
4366664820Which literary techniques are most important to understand and apply?The most important resources of language for a particular passage are the ones used by the writer. Without knowing the passage, it's impossible to know which to prepare, but a familiarity and comfort level with connotation, poetic form, metaphor, irony, and tone should work for most prompts. The passage must be your guide; do not pick resources of language first.138
4366664821What is imagery?Two types of imagery-literal and figurative. Literal is descriptive, appealing to the senses and relating to concrete information. Figurative imagery is the use of figures of speech to describe abstract ideas, attempting to make the abstract more concrete. Successful imagery depends on the author's use of diction and the selection of details.139
4366664822What is concrete diction?Refers to language that is marked by extensive details, creating clear images.140
4381376858zeugmaa word, usually a verb or an adjective, applies to more than one noun, blending together grammatically and logically different ideas. Ex: You are free to execute your laws, and your citizens, as you see fit.141
4381388978parallellismthe repetition of phrases or sentences that are similar in meaning and structure142
4381393783abstractionnot for sure; opposite of concrete143
4381395983aphorisma concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea144
4381402312anaphorarepetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses145
4381408019antimetabolerepetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order: "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."146
4381415539chaismusreversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses: "He knowingly lied and we followed blindly."147
4381426092polyptotonrepetition of words from the same root: "Morality is moral only when it is voluntary."148
4381432830polysendetonrepetition of conjunctions: "Men and women who spoke the language of duty and morality and loyalty and obligation."149
4381441500triadthe expression of related thoughts in a group of three using the same syntactical form: "I came; I saw; I conquered."150
4381448956anastrophethe inversion of natural word order: "Glistens the dew upon the morning grass."151
4381453978appositionplacing side by side two nouns, the second in which serves an explanation of the first: "my friend Alice."152
4381462091Aysyndetonfigure of omission in which normally occuring conjunctions (fanboys) are intentionally omitted in successive phrases, or clauses: I came; I saw; I conquered."153
4381480126ellipsisdeliberate omission of a word implied by context154
4381488649jargonthe specialized language by a specific group as with those who use computers: override, interface, download155
4381498751triteexpressions are those which lack depth or originality, or are overworked or not worth mentioning in the first place156
4381508615denotationthe literal or dictionary meaning of a word157
4381511583connotationall the emotions or feelings a word can arouse, such as the negative or bad feeling associated with the word "hatred" or the positive or good feeling associated with "love"158
4381631286antithesisan opposing or contrast of ideas. "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country" (JFK).159
4381641279apostropheoccurs when a character talks to an absent person, place, thing, as if it were present160
4381648398assonancethe repetition of vowel sound without the repetition of consonants161
4381654154circumlocutionthe use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language; evasion; a roundabout expression162
4381662553consonancethe repetition of consonant sound especially in poetry163
4381665499extended metaphora metaphor defined with several examples ("Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.")164
4381681887juxtapositionplacing of two unlike thing close to each other (let us go then you and I , when the evening is spread out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table.")165
4381692841litotesa form of understatement in which something is expressed by the negation of the contrary: "He was a man of no small means" (meaning that he as a man of considerable means)166
4381720025colloquialsiman expression which is usually accepted in informal writing or speaking but not in a formal situation, as in "Hey man, what's happenin'?"167
4381733366formal dictionused when addressing a highly a highly educated audience. This includes sermons, scholarly journals, etc.168
4381744685standard dictionused when addressing a well-educated audience. Commonly this is the level used for college papers, mass publications, and business communications.169
4381755584informal dictionused when addressing a familiar or specific audience. This includes personal letters, emails, and documents with conversational or entertaining purposes. This level also includes slang.170
4381773943archaicwords are those which are old fashioned and no longer sound natural when used, as in "I believe thee not."171

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