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AP Literature Review Terms Flashcards

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9791902024Accentthe stressed portion of a word0
9791905264allegoryan extended metaphor in prose or verse in which the characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface story; the underlying meaning maybe be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric1
9791936359Alliterationthe repetition of consonant words at the beginning of words2
9791954485allusionreference to another work or famous figure assumed to be well known enough to be recognized by the reader3
9791968498anachronisman event, object, custom, person, or thing that is out of order in time; some anachronisms are unintentional while some are used satirically4
9791999399analogya comparison of two similar but different things in order to clarify a relationship5
9792008481anecdotea short, simple narrative of an incident6
9792014017aphorisma short, often witty statement of a principle or truth about life7
9792022580apostrophea character calls out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction either to begin a poem, or to make a dramatic break in thought somewhere within the poem8
9792046909asidea brief speech or comment that an actor makes to the audience supposedly without being heard by the other actors on stage; used for melodramatic or comedic effect9
9792061594assonancethe repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants "neigh/fade"10
9792077310ballada long narrative poem that presents a single dramatic episode, which is often tragic or violent; two types11
9792090956folk balladone of the earliest forms of literature; usually sung or passed down orally from singer to singer12
9792104272literary balladalso called an art ballad; imitates the form and spirit of the folk ballad but is more polished and uses a higher level of poetic diction13
9792119208blank verse poetrywritten in unrhymed iambic pentameter; Shakespeare frequently used it in his works14
9792129982burlesquebroad parody; will take an entire style or form, such as pastoral poetry, and exaggerate it into ridiculousness whereas just a normal parody makes fun of a specific work15
9792159341cacophonyharsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose16
9792166348caricaturedescriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of appearance or facet of personality17
9792176718catharsisthe emotional release that an audience member experiences as a result of watching a tragedy18
9792185262chorusin Greek drama, a group of characters who comments on the actions taking place on stage19
9792193851classicismthe principles and styles admired in the classics of Greek and Roman literature, such as objectivity, sensibility, restraint, and formality20
9792213716colloqualisma word or phrase used in everyday conversation or informal writing that is sometimes inappropriate in formal writing21
9792241428consonancethe repetition of identical consonant sounds before and after different vowel sounds, such as "boost/best" also can be seen in several compound words such as "fulfill/ping-pong"22
9792266030periodic sentencea sentence that is not grammatically complete until its last phrase: "Despite Glenn's hatred of his sister's laziness and noisy eating habits, he still cared for her."23
9792282764personificationthe attribution of human qualities to a nonhuman or an inanimate object24
9792292456persuasionone of the four modes of discourse; language intended to convince through appeals to reason or logic; also called argument25
9792310062Petrarchan sonnet26
9792233032conceitan elaborate figure of speech in which dissimilar things or situations are compared27
9792816049conundruma riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; may also be a paradox or difficult problem28
9793200616descriptionthe picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the modes of discourse29
9793213301dictionword choice; also called syntax30
9793216776discoursespoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes of discourse are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion31
9793239122dissonancethe grating of sounds that are harsh or do not go together32
9793246198elegya formal poem focused on death or mortality; usually begins with the recent death of a particular person33
9793254434end rhymea rhyme that comes at the end of lines of poetry34
9793260332epica long narrative poem about a serious or profound subject in a dignified style; usually featuring heroic characters and deeds important in legends. ex: Iliad and Odyssey35
9793279224epigrama concise, witty saying in poetry or prose that either stands alone or is part of a larger work; may also refer to a short poem of this type36
9793294348euphonya succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose37
9793300411exempluma brief tale used in medieval times to illustrate a sermon or teach a lesson38
9793313257expositionthe immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background info necessary for understanding the plot39

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