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AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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4749904484poetryrhythmic expression of feelings and ideas (song), may or may not rhyme0
4749904485prosegenerally broken into fiction and nonfiction (narrative)1
4749904486dramaa play; intended to be acted out; written in verse or conversational style2
4749904487allegorystory using underlying symbols that really represent something else; may be a a character3
4749904488allterationrepeated use of a consonant sound, usually at the beginning of a series of words4
4749904489allusionindirect reference to something or someone, usually literary5
4749904490anacrhonismplacing a person or an object in an appropriate historical situation, either deliberately or unintentionally6
4749904491analogycomparison used to explain something7
4749904492anecdoteshort narrative, story, or tale8
4749904493antagonistmajor character opposing protagonist; usually the villain9
4749904494anthropomorphismassigning human attributes to non human things; usually applied to animals10
4749904495dictionauthor's choice of words and sentence structure (correctness, clearness, effectiveness)11
4749904496levels of diction1. formal 2. informal 3. colloquial 4. slang12
4749904497elegymournful and melancholy poem or song, usually paying tribute to a deceased person13
4749904498emphasisspecial forcefulness of expression that gives importance to something singled out14
4749904499fablestory that has a moral, usually involving animals as the main characters15
4749904500figurative languagecharacterized by figures of speech (metaphors, similes); elaborate expression through imagery16
4749904501hyperboledeliberate exaggeration17
4749904502imageryauthor's use of descriptive and figurative language used to create a picture in the reader's imagination18
4749904503indirect dialoguelanguage that communicates what was expressed in the dialogue, without using direct quotation19
4749904504ironyexpression of meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning20
4749904505meaningsomething that one wishes to convey21
4749904506metaphorcomparison, like a simile (doesn't use like or as); sometimes confusing because an author will include like22
4749904507meterrhythm of a poem; most common is iambic (sounds like a galloping sound)23
4749904508narrativeliterary representation of an event or story; the actual text used24
4749904509onomatopoeiaword intended to stimulate the actual sound of the thing or the action the thing takes25
4749904510oxymoronphrase in which the words are contradictory26
4749904511paeanexpression of joyful praise27
4749904512parablestory with a moral; Good Samaritan28
4749904513paradoxphrase that appears to be contradictory but that actually contains some basic truth that resolves the apparent contradiction29
4749904514parallelismrepetition of sounds, meanings, or structures to create a certain style30
4749904515parodyliterary work in which the style of an author is imitated for comic effect or ridicule31
4749904516pastoralwork that deals with the lives of people, especially shepherds, in the country or in nature (as opposed to the city)32
4749904517pathossomething that evokes a feeling of pity or sympathy; a pathetic person adds feelings to the story33
4749904518personificationassigning human attributes to something nonhuman34
4749904519perspectiveviewpoint from which the narrator or character sees things35
4749904520point of viewvantage point from which a story is presented to a reader; most common: first and third person36
4749904521protagonistmain character of a story; usually the hero37
4749904522rhyme schemeway a poem's rhymes are arranged; think of a sonnet, for example38
4749904523satireridicule of a subject; often humorous and intended to point out something about a serious subject39
4749904524similecomparison of two things using "like" and "as"; used in poetry to evoke an idea through an image40
4749904525stanzadivisions in a poem (like a paragraph in prose)41
4749904526structureframework of a work of literature; organization or overall design; provides clues to character and action42
4749904527styleauthor's unique manner of expression; the author's voice43
4749904528syntaxordering of words into meaningful patterns (phrases, clauses, and sentences); poets manipulate syntax changing traditional word order in an attempt to draw attention to particular words or phrases44
4749904529themecentral meaning or dominant idea in a literary work; provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements are organized45
4749904530tonestyle or manner of expression46

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