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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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7994625944allegorystory or poem that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning0
7994625945alliterationclosely connected words that begin with the same sound1
7994625946allusiona reference to another story (literature, art, history, myth)2
7994625948antagonistthe character or force that opposes the main character3
7994625949apostrophea direct address to an inanimate object or a person/character who is not present4
7994625951asidewhen a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by other actors on the stage5
7994625953blank versepoetry written in meter without an rhyme scheme6
7994625954cacophonyblend of unharmonious sounds7
7994625955caesurapause in the middle of a line8
7994625956catharsisthe release of emotions through art (emotional cleanse)9
7994625962climaxpoint where conflict hits its highest point; the turning point in a story10
7994625964conflictstruggle between opposing forces11
7994625965connotationmeanings and feelings associated with a word12
7994625976end-stopped lineline ending in regular punctuation13
7994625977Elizabethan or Shakespearean sonneta sonnet rhyming ababcdcdededgg14
7994625978epiphanysudden realization or spiritual insight (by a character)15
7994625979euphonypleasant arrangement of sounds16
7994625980extended figureA figure of speech sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines or through a whole poem.17
7994625981falling actionEvents after the climax, leading to the resolution18
7994625982feminine rhymea rhyme between stressed syllables followed by one or more unstressed syllables19
7994625983figurative languageLanguage that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.20
7994625984figure of speecha way of saying something other than the ordinary way21
7994625985footbasic unit in the scansion or measurement of verse, made up of stressed and unstressed syllables22
7994625986formexternal pattern or shape of a poem23
7994625987free versePoetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme24
7994625988hamartiatragic decision or flaw which causes a character's downfall25
7994625989imageryDescription that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)26
7994625990indirect characterizationthe personality of a character is revealed by what he or she does or says27
7994625991internal rhymeA word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line28
7994625992ironyIn general, a contrast between expectation and reality29
7994625993verbal ironyA figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant30
7994625994dramatic ironyIrony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience/reader but not by the characters in the play/story.31
7994625995situational ironyrefers to an occurrence that is contrary to what is expected or intended32
7994625996Italian or Petrarchan sonnetA sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd33
7994625997masculine rhymeA rhyme ending on the final stressed syllable34
7994625998melodramaa play based upon a dramatic plot and developed sensationally35
7994625999metaphorA comparison without using like or as36
7994626000meterA regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry37
7994626001metonymyA figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it38
7994626002motivationA need or desire that energizes and directs behavior39
7994626003narratorPerson telling the story40
7994626004octavesegment of poetry eight lines long41
7994626005onomatopoeiaA word that imitates the sound it represents.42
7994626006hyperboleA figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor43
7994626007oxymoronA figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.44
7994626008paradoxA contradiction or dilemma45
7994626009paraphraseA restatement of a text or passage in your own words.46
7994626010personificationA figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes47
7994626011plotSequence of events in a story48
7994626012point of viewThe perspective from which a story is told49
7994626013omniscient point of viewThe point of view where the narrator knows everything about the characters and their problems - told in the 3rd person.50
7994626014third person limited point of viewnarrator tells the story from only one character's pov51
7994626015first person point of viewa character in the story is actually telling the story himself/herself52
7994626016objective point of viewa narrator who is totally impersonal and objective tells the story, with no comment on any characters or events.53
7994626017protagonistMain character54
7994626018quatrainsegment of poetry four lines long55
7994626019rhythmThe pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in writing56
7994626020rhyme schemeA regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem57
7994626021rising actionEvents leading up to the climax58
7994626022sarcasmthe use of irony to mock or convey contempt59
7994626023satireA literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.60
7994626024scansionAnalysis of verse into metrical patterns61
7994626025sestetsegment of poetry six lines long62
7994626026settingThe context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.63
7994626027simileA comparison using "like" or "as"64
7994626028soliloquyA long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage65
7994626029sonnet14 line poem66
7994626030stanzaA group of lines in a poem67
7994626031stream of consciousnessprivate thoughts of a character without commentary68
7994626032syllabic verseVerse measured by the number of syllables rather than the number of feet per line.69
7994626033symbolA thing that represents or stands for something else70
7994626034synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa71
7994626035synesthesiadescribing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound")72
7994626036tercetsegment of poetry three lines long73
7994626037terza rimaa verse form with a rhyme scheme: aba bcb cdc, etc.74
7994626038themeCentral idea of a work of literature75
7994626039toneAttitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character76
7994626040tragedyA serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character77
7994626041truncationA line of poetry that has been shortened78
7994626042understandmentthe deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis79
7994626043versewriting arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme80
7994626044villanellea nineteen-line poem with two rhymes throughout, consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with the first and third lines of the opening tercet recurring alternately at the end of the other tercets and with both repeated at the close of the concluding quatrain.81
7994626045polysyndentonthe use of more conjunctions than is grammatically necessary82
7994626046asyndetonthe elimination of conjunctions83
7994626047epistrophethe repetition of words at the ENDS of successive phrases or clauses84
7994626048antimetabole (also called chiasmus)rhetorical device in which a phrase or sentence is repeated, but in reverse order85
7994626049enjambmentthe continuation of the sense and grammatical construction from one line of poetry to the next86
7994626050conceitan extended metaphor; an ingenious and fanciful notion or conception, usually expressed through an elaborate analogy, and pointing to a striking parallel between two seemingly dissimilar things87
7994626051epic simile or Homeric similean extended simile; often used in epic poetry88
7994626052parallelismsuccessive lines of writing that follow the same grammatical structure89

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