5942136538 | Modernsism | 19th and early 20th centuries; It is characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional ways of writing, in both poetry and prose fiction. Modernists like Franz Kafka experimented with literary form and expression. This literary movement was driven by a conscious desire to overturn traditional modes of representation, express new things, and change the norm. | 0 | |
5942153589 | Classicism | Deriving from the orderly qualities of ancient Greek and Roman culture; implies formality, objectivity, simplicity and restraint | 1 | |
5942164090 | Romanticism | 19th-century; held that emotion and impression, not reason, were the keys to the mysteries of human experience and nature; sought to portray passions, not calm reflection. | 2 | |
5942164091 | Realism | 19th-century; The depiction of people, things, and events, as they really are without idealization or exaggeration for effect | 3 | |
5942195642 | Hyperbole | Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect | 4 | |
5942199119 | Understatement | The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is | 5 | |
5942210561 | Figurative Language | Implied meanings (simile, metaphor, symbolism, personification) | 6 | |
5942214368 | Simile | A comparison using "like" or "as" | 7 | |
5942214369 | Metaphor | Figure of speech that compares unlike objects | 8 | |
5942215552 | Symbolism | The use of an object to evoke the ideas and associations not literally part of the original object | 9 | |
5942215553 | Personification | Inanimate objects given human characteristics | 10 | |
5942232083 | Voice | 2 types; active & passive | 11 | |
5942246469 | Diction | Choice of words | 12 | |
5942247973 | Tone | Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character; spirit of the writing | 13 | |
5942257816 | Imagery | The use of language & detail to create sensory impressions. | 14 | |
5942269991 | Structure | The manner a piece of writing is organized; long, short, or very brief; length of sentences; in medias res | 15 | |
5942291698 | Allusion | A reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea | 16 | |
5942298084 | Point of View | Perspective the story is being told First person: Participates in the story Third person singular: Third person omniscient: Outside the story but knows everything Stream of consciousness: Presents thoughts as if they were coming directly from a character's mind | 17 | |
5942341174 | Syntax | Sentence structure; pattern of word | 18 | |
5942370150 | Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality Verbal: Words are used to show a contrast in truth Dramatic: Reader knows more about the situation than the character (Oedipus Rex) | 19 | |
5942388681 | Novella | A short novel (Heart of Darkness) | 20 | |
5942398201 | Ambiguity | A vagueness in meaning to evoke multiple interpertations | 21 | |
5942403909 | Epigraph | A short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter to suggest its theme | 22 | |
5942411006 | Dialogue | Conversation between characters | 23 | |
5942414880 | Theme | Central or main idea; provides insight on human experience | 24 | |
5942433690 | Musical Devices | The technique of using the sound of words (meter, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia) | 25 | |
5942440158 | Meter | The repetition of a regular rhythmic unit in a line of poetry; emphasizes the musical quality of the language and relates to the subject of the poem; each unit is known as a foot | 26 | |
5942440159 | Rhyme | Close similarity of sound between accented sullables | 27 | |
5942442053 | Rhyme Scheme | The pattern of end rhyme used in a poem | 28 | |
5942442054 | Alliteration | The repitiiton of similar consonant sounds, normally at the beginning of words | 29 | |
5942442055 | Assonance | The repetition of similar vowel sounds | 30 | |
5942442091 | Consonance | The repetition of similar consonant sounds in a group of words. End of the words have similar consonants but the vowels that precede them are different. | 31 | |
5942444524 | Onomatopoeia | A word that imitates the sound it represents | 32 | |
5942500851 | Half rhyme | Stressed syllables of ending consonants match, however, the preceding vowel sounds do not match. | 33 | |
5942509617 | Alienation | Feeling isolated and separated from everyone else | 34 | |
5942509618 | Allegory | A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent an underlying meaning | 35 | |
5942511272 | Synechdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent a whole | 36 | |
5942511273 | Metonymy | A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it | 37 | |
5942512618 | Apostrophe | When a speaker addresses a person or personified thing not present | 38 | |
5942512619 | Stanza | Usually a repeated grouping of three or more lines with the same meter and rhyme scheme | 39 | |
5942588369 | Dramatic Monologue | A type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener; we overhear the speaker | 40 | |
5942597388 | Epic | A long narrative poem, written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society (The Odyssey) | 41 | |
5942614252 | Free Verse | Poetry not written in traditional meter but is still rhythmical | 42 | |
5942617546 | Elegy | (Lyrical poem) of grief or mourning | 43 | |
5942617547 | Lyrical Poetry | Poetry that is heavily emotional and rhythmic, usually relating to romantic subjects. | 44 | |
5942619073 | Blank Verse | Unrhymed iambic pentameter | 45 | |
5942648431 | Sonnet | A popular form of verse consisting of 14 lines and a rhyme scheme. | 46 | |
5942662932 | Shakespearean Sonnet | Quatrain: A four-line stanza Couplet: Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme | 47 | |
5942664572 | Petrarchan Sonnet | Octave: Eight-line stanza Sestet: Six-line stanza | 48 | |
5942710731 | Volta | A shift or turning point in a work of prose or poetry (Shift in POV, tone, mood, style) | 49 | |
5942722351 | Enjambment | A run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line to the next. | 50 | |
5942737916 | Refrain | A phrase or line important to the central topic, which is repeated at regular intervals throughout a poem, usually at the end of a stanza. | 51 | |
5942760065 | Iambic Pentameter | A poetic line made up of 5 iambs- unstressed, stressed syllable pattern | 52 | |
5942782676 | Heroic Couplet | Two consecutive rhyming lines of iambic pentameter that contain a complete thought | 53 | |
5942791570 | Aside | A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play (convey private thoughts, information, and humor) | 54 | |
5942794657 | Monologue | A long speech made by one performer to other characters on stage. | 55 | |
5942800773 | Soliloquy | A long speech expressing his inner thoughts and feelings alone on stage | 56 | |
5942814260 | Pun | Play on multiple meanings of a word | 57 | |
5942824243 | Archaic | Old; outdated | 58 | |
5942826579 | Objective Correlative | Outward manifestation of an inward feeling or state of being; gives you a glimpse of what is going on inside the person | 59 | |
5942830770 | The Great Chain of Being | 60 | ||
5942832359 | Tragedy | A serious portrayal of the downfall of a human character (protagonist vs fate/destiny) | 61 | |
5942843885 | Tragic hero | A character of stature (internal or external) that isn't good or bad; his downfall is brought by a weakness or error in judgment | 62 | |
5942850900 | Tragic flaw | Weakness of character; error in judgement | 63 | |
5942942533 | Downfall | The tragic hero recognizes their won role in their downfall | 64 | |
5942852775 | Hubris | Excessive pride | 65 | |
5942854485 | Pity | Empathy | 66 | |
5942854684 | Terror | Shock/awe | 67 | |
5942856132 | Catharsis | A cleansing of the spirit brought pity and terror of a dramatic tragedy; leads to greater apprehension, understanding, knowledge of time. It increases your self-awareness | 68 | |
5942873397 | John Donne | 17th century metaphysical poet | 69 | |
5942873398 | Andrew Marvell | 70 | ||
5942875277 | Context | Words, events, or circumstances that help determine meaning | 71 | |
5942885920 | Parallelism | The use of components in a sentence that are similar in their sound, construction, or meaning. It gives balance, flow, and emphasis | 72 | |
5942889713 | Pastoral Poetry | Pastoral poetry is poetry that describes rural, or simple life. This type of poetry symbolizes shepherds and their naturally simplistic lifestyles. | 73 | |
5942931073 | Repitition | Repeating a word, phrase, or idea for emphasis or rhythmic effect | 74 | |
5942932562 | Drama | Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. | 75 | |
5942936230 | in medias res | Narrative that starts at a critical point | 76 | |
5942963501 | Paradox | Something that is seemingly self-contradictory but is true | 77 | |
5942975668 | Conceit | A fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor | 78 | |
5942989409 | Metaphysical Conceit | Unusually compared medicine, love, death, and religion; very complex | 79 |
AP Literature Semester Terms Flashcards
Primary tabs
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!