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Ap World History Chapter 26 Vocabulary Flashcards

Civilizations in Crisis: The Ottoman Empire, The Islamic Heartlands, and Qing China

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692697015AyanThe wealthy landed elite that emerged in the early decades of Abbasid rule0
692697016Selim IIISultan who ruled Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807; aimed at improving administrative efficiency and building a new army and navy; toppled by Janissaries in 18071
692697017Mahmud II(1785-1839) Ottoman sultan; built a private, professional army; fomented revolution of Janissaries and crushed them with private army; destroyed power of Janissaries and their religious allies; initiated reform of Ottoman Empire on Western precedents2
692697018Tanzimat reformsSeries of reforms in the Ottoman Empire between 1839 and 1876; established Western-style universities, state postal system, railways, extensive legal reforms; resulted in creation of new constitution in 18763
692697019Abdul HamidOttoman sultan who attempted to return to despotic absolutism during reign from 1878 to 1908; nullified constitution and restricted civil liberties; deposed in coup in 19084
692697020Ottoman Society for Union and ProgressOrganization of political agitators in opposition to rule of Abdul Harmid; also called the "Young Turks"; desired to restore 1876 constitution.5
692697021Murad(1790-1820) Head of the coalition of Mamluk rulers in Egypt; opposed Napoleonic invasion of Egypt and suffered devastating defeat; failure destroyed Mamluk government in Egypt and revealed vulnerability of Muslim core.6
692697022Ali, MuhammadWon power strugle in Egypt following fall of Mamluks; established mastery of all Egypt by 1811; introduced effective army based on Western tactics and supply and a variety of other reforms; by 1830s was able to challenge Ottoman government in Constantinople; died 18487
692697023khedivesDescendants of Muhammad Ali in Egypt after 1867; formal rulers of Egypt despite French and English intervention until overthrown by military coup in 1952.8
692697024Suez CanalBuilt across Isthmus of Suez to connect Mediterranean Sea with Red Sea in 1869; financed by European investors; with increasing indebtedness of khedives, permitted intervention of British into Egyptian politics to protect their investment9
692697025al-AfghaniMuslim thinker at the end of the 19th century; stressed need for adoption of Western scientific learning and technology; recognized importance of tradition of rational inquiry.10
692697026Abduh, MuhammadDisciple of al-Afghani; Muslim thinker at end of 19th century; stressed need for adoption of Western scientific learning and technology, recognized importance of tradition of rational inquiry11
692697027Ahmad Arabi(1841-1911) Egyptian military officer who led a revolt against Turkic dominance in the army in 1882, which forced the Khedival regime to call in British forces for support.12
692697028KhartoumRiver town that was administrative center of Egyptian authority in Sudan.13
692697029Ahmad, MuhammadHead of a Sudanic Sufi brotherhood; claimed descent from prophet Muhhammad; proclaimed both Eygptians and British as infidels; launched revolt to purge Islam of impurities; took Khartoum in 1883; also know as the Mahdi14
692697030MahdiIn Sufi belief system, a promise deliverer; also a name given to Muhammad Achmad, leader of late 19th century revolt against Egyptians and British in the Sudan15
692697031Abdallahi, KhalifaSuccessor of Muhammad Achmad as leader of Mahdists in Sudan; established state in Sudan; defeated by British General Kitchener in 1598.16
692697032Nurhaci(1559-1626) Architect of Manchu unity; created distinctive Manchu banner armies; controlled most of Manchuria; adopted Chinese bureaucracy and court ceremonies in Manchuria; entered China and successfully captured Ming capital at Beijing.17
692697033banner armiesEight armies of the Manchu tribes identified by separate flags; created by Nurhaci in early 17th century; utilized to defeat Ming emperor and establish Qing dynasty.18
692697034QingManchu dynasty that seized control of China in mid-17th century after decline of Ming; forced submission of nomadic peoples far to the west and compelled tribute from Vietnam and Burma to the south19
692697035KangxiConfucian scholar and Manchu emperor of Qing dynasty from 1661 to 1722; established high degree of Sinification among the Manchus20
692697036compradorsWealthy new group of Chinese merchants under the Qing dynasty; specialized in the import-export trade on Chian's south coast; one of the major links between China and the outside world21
692697037Opium WarFought between the British and Qing China beginning in 1839; fought to protect British trade in opium; resulted in resounding British victory, opening of Hong Kong as British port of trade22
692697038Lin Zexu(1785-1850) Distinguished Chinese official charged with stamping out opium trade in southern China; ordered blockade of European trading areas in Canton and confiscation of opium; sent into exile following the Opium War23
692697039Taiping RebellionBroke out in south China in the 1850s and early 1860s; led by Hong Xiuquan, a semi-Christianized prophet; sought to overthrow Qing dynasty and Confucian basis of scholar-gentry24
692697040Hong Xiuquan(1812-1864) leader of the Taiping rebellion; converted to specifically Chinese form of Christianity; attacked traditional Confucian teachers of Chinese elite25
692697041Zeng GuofanQing official who raised effective military forces against the Taiping assault on Northern China26
692697042self-strengthening movementlate 19th century movement in China to counter the challenge from the West; led by provincial leaders27
692697043CixiUltraconservative dowager empress who dominated the last decades of the Qing dynasty; supported Boxer Rebellion in 1898 as a means of driving out Westerners.28
692697044Boxer Rebellionpopular outburst in 1898 aimed at expelling foreigners from china; failed because of intervention of armies of western powers in china; defeat of chinese enhanced control by europeans and the power of provincial officials29
692697045Sun Yat-senHead of Revolutionary Alliance, organization that led 1911 revolt against Qing dynasty in China; briefly elected president in 1911, but yielded in favor of Yuan Shikai in 1912; created Nationalist party of China (Guomindang) in 1919; died in 192530
692697046PuyiLast emperor of China; deposed as emperor while still a small boy in 191231

AP literature and composition vocab Flashcards

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5914508628Gregarioussociable0
5914510610egregiousawful1
5914510611Atrophywaste away2
5914512426lassitudePhysical and mental weariness3
5914514645Sublimegrand4
5914514646subliminalsubconcious5
5914516580esoterichard to understand6
5914518867ameliorateimprove or make better7
5914520411sacriligiousirreverence toward something held sacred8
5914522425assiduousconstant or diligent9
5914535391reprehensibleshameful10
5914535392supercilioussnooty11
5914537166haughtysnooty12
5914537167diffidentshy13
5914539156incipientbeginnning/developing14
5914541377circumspectdiscreet and cautious15
5914541378winsomecharming16
5914555557fetidfoulsmelling17
5914555558levityhumor18
5914557395exhaustivethorough19
5914559697ambivalentundecided20
5914559698incisivecutting21
5914563618amicablemost friendly22
5914565424superfluousnonessential23
5914568209appeasesoothe24
5914569952placatesoothe25
5914569953pacifysoothe26
5914571432foibleminor weakness27
5914571433digressedrambled28
5914574627travestymockery29
5914577168inadvertantunintentional30
5914577169spuriousnot genuine or real31
5914579268peripheralon-the-edge32
5914582095brevitybriefness33
5914582096inexorableunyielding/unalterable34
5914585125eclipsesurpass35
5914590170remorseregret36
5914590269scrupulousprincipled37
5914592468hedonisticpleasure seeking38
5914594705hedonistparty animal39
5914605400animosityhostility40
5914605401enmityhostility41
5914607332depletedused up42
5914607333stringentstrict43
5914609507voluminousa very large number44
5914611482prodigiousenormous45
5914611483ominousunfavorable46
5914614176willfulstubborn47
5914617081bastianstronghold48
5914617083trepidationfear49
5914619290desecratedamage (a holy place)50
5914622015fortuitousaccidental ( Happy accident)51
5914623890vehementstrongly expressed52
5914625724nefariouswicked or villianous53
5914736665inexplicableunexplainable54
5914625725deferencerespect55
5914627809benefactorgenerous donor56
5914635993clandestinesecret57
5914635994covertsecret58
5914638873supplicatebeg59
5914640811Verbosewordy60
5914640812innnocuousharmless61
5914642483benignharmless62
5914642484dirthshortage63
5914644264paucityshortage64
5914644265rescindrepeal65
5914646223emulateimitate66
5914646224meanderwander (aimlessly)67
5914650080authoritarianfavors strict rules68
5914653036penitentregretful69
5914655011lucrativeprofitable70
5914655012construeinterpret71
5914657302concuragree72
5914658984tenaciousholding on strongly73
5914661145rejuvenatemake young again74
5914662891monogamousrestricted to one mate75
5914665140promiscuousnot restricted to one mate76
5914667167insatiableunsatisfiable77
5914669273cantakerousgrouchy78
5914669275vilifydegrade or speak ill of79
5914688064Pristineuncorrupted80
5914688065disseminatedistribute81
5914690310salutaryhealthful82
5914690311prudishoverly proper83
5914692861sedentaryinvolving much sitting84
5914694861innuendosubtle suggestion or hint85
5914697541ecclecticfull of variety86
5914700216metamorphosistransformation87
5914702642Tycoonbigshot88
5914702643subpoenalegal summons89
5914706847entouragefollowers90
5914706848invincibleunbeatable91
5914709063panachepizzaz or flair92
5914711002arduousdifficult93
5914711003jadedspoiled by luxury94
5914713444abdicategive up power95
5914715594erroneousphony/false96
5914715595exonerateset free from blame97
5914717936poignantemotionally moving98
5914720051symbioticmutually beneficial relationship99

AP Human Geography: Geography Flashcards

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7213262141spacegeometric surface of the Earth0
7213262142placean area of bounded space of some human importance1
7213262143regiona type of place2
7213262144toponyma place name3
7213262145sequent occupancythe succession of groups and cultural influences throughout a place's history4
7213262146place-specific cultureex. Sante Fe, Mexico, a complex mix of multiple Native American, Spanish colonial, and modern American influences based upon the sequence of past and current societal influences5
7213262147scalerelationship of an object or place to the earth as a whole6
7213262148map scaledescribes the ratio of distance on a map and distance in the real world in absolute terms7
7213262149relative scale(AKA the scale of analysis) which describes the level of aggregation8
7213262150level of aggregationthe level at which you group things together for examination9
7213262151formal regionan area of bounded space that possesses some homogenous characteristic or uniformity10
7213262152linguistic regioneveryone speaks the same language, but can be very different culturally11
7213262153culture region boundariesThe American "Dixie" south, fuzzy borders12
7213262154political region boundariesBoundary between countries, finite and well-defined13
7213262155Environmental region boundariestransitional and measurable14
7213262156Ecotonethe environmental transition zone between two biomes15
7213262157functional regionareas that have a central place (or node) that is a focus or point of origin that expresses some practical purpose, the influence of this point is strongest in the areas close to the center, and the strength of influence diminishes as distance increases from that point16
7213262158market areaa type of functional region, home pro sport team example, more coverage and media in the city, diminishes as you move away17
7213262159area of influenceoutlet malls, shoppers travelling from longer distances but making a fewer number of trips18
7213262160intervening opportunitythe shoppers who are "just passing through", who see a very brief intervening opportunity to do some discount shopping19
7213262161vernacular regionbased upon the perception or collective mental map of the region's residents20
7213262162absolute locationdefines a point or place on the map using coordinates such as latitude and longitude21
7213262163relative locationrefers to the location of a place compared to a known place or geographic feature, McLean and DC22
7213262164Equator0 latitude23
7213262165North and South Poles90 degrees latitude24
7213262166Prime Meridian0 degrees longitude25
7213262167International Date Line (sort of)180 degrees longitude26
7213262168sitethe physical characteristics of a place, such as the fact that NYC is located on a large, deep water harbor, next to the Atlantic ocean27
7213262169situationrefers to the place's interrelatedness with other places, NYC and New England, port-of-call for Atlantic Circular Trade28
7213262170absolute distancein terms of linear units29
7213262171relative distancein terms of the degree of interaction between places or in units of time traveled30
7213262172distance decaymeans that the further away different places are from a place of origin, the less likely interaction will be with the original place31
7213262173Tobler's Lawa principle that expresses relative distance, states that all places are interrelated, but closer places are more related than further ones32
7213262174friction of distancethe increase in time and cost that usually comes with increasing distance33
7213262175space-time compressiondecresed time and relative distance between places34
7213262176modes of transportationairplanes, reduce travel time between two distant points, and as a result increase interaction35
7213262177central placesany node of human activity36
7213262178Central Place Theorydeveloped in the 1930s by the German geographer Walter Christaller, saw the economic world as an abstract spatial model, in which city location and the level of urban economic exchange could be analyzed using central places within hexagonal market areas, which overlapped each other at different scales37
7213262179core and peripheryMormon culture in Salt Lake City and the greater Western US38
7213262180clusterwhen things are grouped together39
7213262181agglomerationwhen clustering occurs purposefully around a central point or an economic growth pole40
7213262182random patternwhen there is no rhyme or reason to the distribution of a spatial phenomenon41
7213262183scaterredobjects that are normally ordered but appeared dispersed42
7213262184linearif the pattern is a straight line43
7213262185sinuousif the pattern is wavy44
7213262186metes and bounds45
7213262187township and rangebased upon lines of latitude and longitude46
7213262188arithmetic densitythe number of things per square unit of distance47
7213262189agricultural densityrefers to the number of people per square unit of land actively under cultivation48
7213262190physiologic densitymeasures the number of people per square unit of arable (being farmed or could be farmed) land49
7213262191Expansion diffusionthe pattern originates in a central place and then expands outward in all directions to other locations50
7213262192hierarchical diffusionthe pattern originates in a first order location then moves down to second-order locations and from each of these to subordinate locations at increasingly local scales51
7213262193relocation diffusionthe pattern begins at a point of origin and then crosses a significant physical barrier, such as an ocean, mountain range, or desert, then relocates on the other side, often the journey can influence and modify the items being diffused52
7213262194contagiousthe pattern begins at a point of origin and then moves outward to nearby locations, especially those on adjoining transportation lines, this could be used to describe a disease but can also describe the movement of other things, such as news in rural regions53
7213262195stimulus diffusionhere a general and underlying principle diffuses and then stimulates the creation of new products or ideas54
7213262196topographic mapshows the contour lines of elevation, as well as the urban and vegetation surface with road, building, river, and other natural landscape features. These maps are highly accurate in terms of location and topography. They are used for engineering surveys and land navigation, especially in wilderness regions55
7213262197thematic mapa number of different map types: chloropleth maps, isoline maps, dot density maps, flow-line maps, cartograms56
7213262198chloropleth mapsexpress the geographic variability of a particular theme using color variations57
7213262199isoline maps58
7213262200dot-density maps59
7213262201flow-line maps60
7213262202cartograms61
7213262203equal-area projectionsattempt to maintain the relative spatial science and the areas on the map, however these can distort the actual shape of polygons, such as the Lambert projections bending and squishing the northern Canadian islands to keep them at the same map scale as southern Canada on a flat sheet of paper62
7213262204conformal projectionsattempt to maintain the shape of polygons on the map, the downside is that conformal projections can distort the relative area from one part of the map to the other, for instance, in the commonly used Mercator projection, the shape of Greenland is preserved, but it appears to be much larger in size than it actually is63
7213262205Robinson projection and Goode's homolosine projectionmap projections that try to balance area and form, sacrificing a bit of both to create a more visually practical representation on the earth's surface64
7213262206modelan abstract generalization of real-world geographies that share a common pattern65
7213262207spatial modelsattempt to show the commonalities in pattern among similar landscpaes66
7213262208urban modelstry to show how different cities have similar spatial relationships and economic or social structures67
7213262209non-spatial modelsthe demographic transition model, for instance, uses population data to construct a general model of the dynamic growth in national scale populations without reference to space68
7213262210concentric zone modelcost-to-distance relationship in urban real estate prices, the resulting bid-rent curve explains why land prices are relatively low in suburban areas, but exponentially higher in the central business distrcit69
7213262211gravity modela mathematical model that is used in a number of different types of spatial analysis, used to calculate transportation flow between two points, determine the area of influence of a city's businesses, and estimate the flow of migrants to a particular place: Equation - (Location1Population x Location2Population)/Distance^270
7213262212GISGeographical Information Systems, incorporate one r more data layers in a computer program capable of spatial analysis and mapping, data layers are numerical, coded, and textual data that is attributed to specific geographic coordinates or areas71
7213262213GPSGlobal Positioning Systems, utilize a network of satellites, which emit a measurable radio signal, when this signal is available from three or more Navstar satellites, a GPS receiver is able to triangulate a coordinate location and display map data for the user72
7213262214Aerial photography and Satellite based remote sensingmake up a large-amount of the geographic and GIS data used today, aerial photographs are images of the earth from aircraft, printed on film, while remote sensing satellites use a computerized scanner to record data from the earth's surface, these data include not only visual light waverlengths, but also infrared and radar information73

AP Lang Vocab6 Flashcards

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5674948249contemptuousexpressing deep hatred or disapproval0
5674948250guilelesslyinnocent; naive1
5674951512impundencedisrespectful2
5674951513inexorablynot to be persuaded; relentless3
5674954716sordidfilthy; dirty4
5674958369superfluityexcess; oversupply5
5674958370churlishlack of civility; vulgar6
5674958371evocationto summon; evoke7
5674961610poignantevoking a sense of sadness or regret; touching8
5674961611ubiquitouspresent, appearing, or found everywhere; omnipresent9

AP Language - Vocab #7 - Key "Isms" 2 (From "Crash Course") - Due 11/4 Flashcards

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4707362647egalitarianismThe doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political and economic and social equality.0
4707362648egoismAn ethical system defining acceptable behavior as that which maximizes consequences for the individual.1
4707362649empiricismThe doctrine that knowledge derives from experience2
4707362650existentialismA philosophy based on the idea that people give meaning to their lives through their choices and actions3
4707362651FascismA governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.4
4707362652fatalismThe belief that events are determined by forces or fates beyond one's control.5
4707362653feminismA movement or doctrine that advocates or demands for women the same rights granted men, such as equal economic or political status.6
4707362654gnosticismA group of ancient religions, some of them closely related to Christianity, that maintained that elements of the divine had become entrapped in this evil world of matter and could be released only when they acquired the secret gnosis (knowledge) of who they were and of how they could escape. This knowledge was generally thought to be brought by an emissary of the divine realm.7
4707362655hedonismAn ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good.8
4707362656humanismA Renaissance intellectual movement in which thinkers studied classical texts and focused on human potential and achievements.9
4707362657imperalismThe policy by which strong nations extend control over weaker territories10
4707362658individualismA cultural orientation in which independence, autonomy, and self-reliance take priority over group allegiances.11
4707362659libertarianismAn ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, a noninterventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life.12
4707362660MarxismThe economic and political theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that hold that human actions and institutions are economically determined and that class struggle is needed to create historical change and that capitalism will untimately be superseded.13
4707362661materialismThe philosophical theory that matter is the only reality.14
4707362662monotheismThe belief or theory of one god.15
4707362663nihilismA philosophy that promotes an active destruction of conventional rules and conventional societal structures16

AP Human Geography - Chapter 5 Language Flashcards

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8242517905Creole (or creolized) languageA language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated.0
8242517906DialectA regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.1
8242517907Extinct languageA language that was once use by people in daily activities but is no longer used.2
8242517908IsoglossA boundary that separates regions in which different language usages predominate.3
8242517909Isolated languageA language that is unrelated to any other languages and therefore not attached to any language family.4
8242517910LanguageA system of communication through the use of speech, a collection of sounds understood by a group of people to have the same meaning.5
8242517911Language branchA collection of languages related through a common ancestor that existed several thousand years ago. Differences are not as extensive or old as with language families, and archaeological evidence can confirm that these derived from the same family.6
8242517912Language familyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history.7
8242517913Language groupA collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary.8
8242517914Lingua francaA language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages.9
8242517915Literary traditionA language that is written as well as spoken.10
8242517916Official languageThe language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents.11
8242517917Pidgin languageA form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages.12
8242517918Standard languageThe form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications.13
8242517919DenglishA combination of Deutsch (the German word for German) and English).14
8242517920Developing languageA language spoken in daily use with a literary tradition that is not widely distributed.15
8242517921EbonicsA dialect spoken by some African Americans.16
8242517922FranglaisA combination of francais and anglais (the French words for French and English respectively).17
8242517923Institutional languageA language used in education, work, mass media, and government.18
8242517924LogogramA symbol that represents a word rather than a sound.19
8242517925Received Pronunciation (RP)The dialect of English associated with upper-class Britons living in London and now considered standard in the United Kingdom.20
8242517926SpanglishA combination of Spanish and English spoken by Hispanic Americans.21
8242517927SubdialectA subdivision of a dialect.22
8242517928Vigorous languageA language spoken in daily use but that lacks a literary tradition.23
8242517929Vulgar LatinA form of Latin used in daily conversation by ancient Romans, as opposed to the standard dialect, which was used for official documents.24

AP ENGLISH Language Terms Flashcards

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6945816810ad hominem argumentdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) attacking another person's argument by attcking the person rather than the issue. In the political arena this is called "mudslinging"0
6945816811adjectiveswords that describe nouns... look at these words when asked to address the author's use of diction1
6945816812alliterationrepetition of initial consonant sounds used to heighten the intensity of sensory impressions within a passage2
6945816813allusiondominant technique (also called a rhetorical device) the refers to known literary, artistic, philosophical, scientific, or historical sources to help the reader understand the writer's concept. The purpose of an allusion is to make a complex idea more understandable by referring it to a more familiar subject.3
6945816814ambiguous referencesreferences that have multiple meanings4
6963074368analogya type of metaphor that compares two things... human beings and lower animals, the mind and the universe, the heart and God, the liver and a physician, the human body and a kingdom, etc. The purpose of an analogy is to make a complex idea more understandable by referring it to a more familiar subject.5
6963074369anecdotea short story that is told to prove a point6
6963074370antecedentthe noun for which the pronoun stands... part of reading comprehension is to know the speaker, subject or object being addressed. A typical question would be "What is the antecedent of 'it' in line 10?"7
6963074371antithesisa statement in which direct opposites are contrasted in the same sentence: "Give me liberty or give me death."8
6963074372argumenta dominant technique (also called rhetorical device) in which a writer uses objective reasoning, facts, and hard evidence to demonstrate the soundness of a position9
6945952970assumptionan inference or conclusion based on evidence10
6963074373authorial asidea dominant technique (also called rhetorical device) used by the author to reveal his/her attitude, purpose or meaning by directly staking such. This technique is also called editorializing. When used in a fictional story, the author steps outside the story, speaking directly to the reader.11
6963074374balanced sentencehelps to characterize a writer's style usually accompanied with a semicolon with a balanced number of words on each side12
6963074375cause and effect relationships13
6945944285analogya type of metaphor that compares two things... human beings and lower animals, the mind and the universe, the heart and God, the liver and a physician, the human body and a kingdom, etc. The purpose of an analogy is to make a complex idea more understandable by referring it to a more familiar subject.14
6945944286anecdotea short story that is told to prove a point15
6945944287antecedentthe noun for which the pronoun stands... part of reading comprehension is to know the speaker, subject or object being addressed. A typical question would be "What is the antecedent of 'it' in line 10?"16
6945944288antithesisa statement in which direct opposites are contrasted in the same sentence: "Give me liberty or give me death."17
6945952466argumenta dominant technique (also called rhetorical device) in which a writer uses objective reasoning, facts, and hard evidence to demonstrate the soundness of a position18
6970349553assertionalso called a "proposition" - a "for or against" stance taken by the writer of a persuasive essay19
6970349554assumptionan inference or conclusion based on evidence20
6970349555authorial asidea dominant technique (also called a rhetorical device) used by the author to reveal his/her attitude, purpose, or meaning by directly stating such. When used in a fictional story, the author steps outside the story, speaking directly to the reader21
6970349556balanced sentencehelps to characterize a writer's style, usually accompanied with a semicolon with a balanced number of words on each side22
6970349557cause and effect relationshipsa dominant technique (also called a rhetorical device) in which the author analyzes reasons for a chain of events. This casual analysis can also be the writer's main method of organization, or it can be one paragraph used to support a point in an essay developed through another pattern23
6970349558chronology of eventsa method of organization usually used in narration in which the events are described as they happen. Flashbacks and flashforwards are sometimes used with this method or organization to interrupt the normal order24
6970349559circular reasoningan error in persuasion which involves repeating the assertion endlessly without support25
6970349560citations from well-known authoritiespersuasion device used to lend more credence to an assertion made26
6970349561compound sentencetwo independent clauses connected by a conjunction27
6970349562connotationthe implied meanings of words. These words may have positive or negative connotations28
6970349563contrastsa rhetorical strategy which juxtaposes two unlike words together... homologous and analogous, meaningful and meaningless, intrinsic and superficial, inheritance and convergence, intuition and imagination, etc.29
6970375281deductive reasoningdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which is a form of logical thinking in which major premises are applied to minor premises to reach a conclusion or prediction about the future30
6970375282definition (extended)a form of organization that emphasizes meanings31
6970375283denotationthe dictionary definition of a word32
6970375284descriptiondominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which involves the use of vivid words to express what the five senses are experiencing33
6970375285dictionauthor's choice of words... could be described as technical and abstruse, lofty and learned, pedestrian, colloquial, scientific, etc.34
6970375286dramatic incidenta method of organization- shows a concept in action35
6970375287effectan impression created by the author's language choices... could be described as: familiar reality imposed on an unfamiliar setting, sudden color in a former monochromatic scene, miraculous isolation in a hostile environment, ominous fragility in a threatening episode, supernatural inspiration of creative thought36
6970415917euphemismdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which involves using a nicer sounding word for a person, place, or thing37
6970415918expositiondominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which is a type of writing, a mode, which explains38
6970415919generalizationa method of developing the argument of a paragraph. Used in deductive thinking to reach a conclusion. Used in inductive reasoning as the conclusion, after examining evidence39
6970415920hyperboleexaggeration or overstatements, sometimes used in satire to ridicule a situation or idea40
6970415921imagerydominant technique (also called rhetorical device) used to describe the five senses41
6970415922inductive reasoninga form of logical reasoning which examines evidence to draw a conclusion42
6970415923ironya method of developing the argument of a paragraph in which the writer implies a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant (verbal irony), between what happens and what is expected to happen (situational irony), or between what a character in a play things and what the audience knows to be true (dramatic irony).43
6970415924juxtapositionplacing two idea side by side to show differences44
6970415925loose sentenceconsists of usually more than two clauses or phrases which are connected together by a series of conjunctions (and, but, or). Writers may use this to make the essay less formal. Using too many loose sentences makes for a rambling essay.45
7128886332metaphor (extended or elaborate)a method of developing the argument of a paragraph in which the author directly compares his unknown idea to a more concrete person, place, or thing46
7128886333modesforms of writing, chosen as a dominant technique (also called rhetorical device) to accomplish a purpose. There are four basic modes: description, exposition, narration, and persuasion.47
7128886334narrationmode of writing in which a story is told48
7128886335objectivewithout bias, neutral. You may have to interpret a description as being subjective or objective.49
7128886336organizationeach mode of writing has typical methods or organization. Descriptive may use spatial organization; Narrative may use chronological organizations; Persuasion may use inductive or deductive reasoning; or the modes may shift within the essay, offering a different organization (see rhetorical shift)50
7128886337paradoxdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) you may have to interpret a paradoxical idea (a statement which appears contradictory) in a passage51
7128886338parallel syntax or constructionsdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which placed two or more words, phrases, or clauses in a balanced sentence52
7136375140pathosappeal to emotion53
7136375141periodic sentencedominant technique (also called rhetorical device) a sentence with a number of qualifying phrases placed in emphatic order (the most important idea is last)54
7136375142personificationdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which gives human qualities to inanimate objects55
7136375143perspectivethe position chosen by the author to tell the story... this is formally know as first person, third person objective, limited omniscient, or omniscient. Some other ways of describing the perspectives that could be taken by the speaker to tell a story include: an acquaintance of one of the characters in the story, or a chronicler of past events, or an uninvolved eye witness, or a commentator on social trends, or a defender of a popular figure, etc.56
7136375144persuasiondominant technique (also called rhetorical device) in which a writers used appeals to the reader's emotions and value systems to encourage a change in attitude or position57
7136375145point of viewthe perspective of the speaker (see perspective) or the attitude or ton created by the author (see tone)58
7136375146purposerhetorical reason for writing an essay... this question could be asking to analyze the main reason why the author wrote an entire passage— to describe a situation, characterize an era, portray an unusual character, depict an inequitable situation, comment on a popular assumption— or this question could be asking for the primary function of a particular word, phrase, or paragraph of a passage— to arouse sympathy for a character, provide a contrary opinion, reenforce a concept, etc.59
7136375147repetitionrhetorical strategy that may be used to provide a transition between paragraphs, or to maintain an idea of persistence, or to focus the reader's attention on a certain person, place, or thing, etc.60
7136375148rhetorical devicedominant technique— any tool of the language, used by the author to persuade, convey a purpose, produce an effect, create a tone61
7136375149rhetorical shiftchanging modes or changing the pattern of organization within an essay... progress from exposition to argument— develop from hypothesis to proof— transition from sympathetic narration to objective description— expand from descriptive narration to poetic meditation— move from contemplative rumination to active participation, personal reminiscence to objective exposition, poetic rhapsody to minute description, philosophical logic to scientific vigor, speculation to generalization, profound meditation to cold reasoning, etc.62
7136375150satiredominant technique (also called rhetorical device) which makes fun of something to emphasize a needed change63
7136375151short, simple sentencesit's brevity may make it emphatic... helps to characterize a speaker's style64
7136375152similedominant technique (also called rhetorical device) using luke of as to compare two persons, places, or things65
7136375153spatial organizationmethod of organization used mainly in descriptions— addresses everything in a certain area (space) before going on to another area66
7136375154stereotypesanything that represents something in a typical way. Terms may be described as stereotypical.67
7136375155subjectivefull of feelings, biases, etc. You may have to interpret a description as being subjective or objective.68
7136375156subordinate clausedominant technique (also called rhetorical device) a dependent clause beginning with a subordinate conjunction69
7136375157syllogismsa method of developing the argument of a paragraph involving three steps: if a major premise is true and a minor premise is true, then a conclusion or prediction about the future can be made70
7136393511synonymousmeans the same thing. You may have to pick a words that is synonymous with a word in the passage.71
7136393512tonethe speaker's attitude... could be described as piousness, straightforwardness, sincerity, freedom, seriousness, hypocrisy, sinfulness, irony, restraint, melancholy and reproachful, remote and disinterested, outraged and intolerant, sarcastic and embittered, elevated and authoritative, coolly assessing, overtly sentimental, wry detachment, admiration verging on envy, thinly veiled contempt, sympathy bordering on pity, respect tinged with impatience, repugnance tinged wit envy, etc. Notice how the three word descriptions sound much more insightful and mature.72
7136393513transitionsdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) using words like first, second, then, later, etc. to tie the paragraph parts together. Another type of transition in the repeating of certain key words or ideas from the previous paragraph.73
7136393514understatementdominant technique (also called rhetorical device) used as a method of developing the argument of a paragraph... also called litotes74

AP Literature Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7823439391AllegoryA narrative or description having a second or symbolic meaning beneath the surface one0
7823439392AllusionA reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history1
7823439393AnecdoteA short account of an interesting or humorous incident2
7823439394Artistic unityThat condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose3
7823439395CacophonyA harsh, discordant, unpleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds4
7823439396EuphonyA smooth, pleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds5
7823439397GenreA type or class, as poetry, drama, etc.6
7823439398ImageryThe representation through language of sensory experience7
7823439399MoodThe pervading impression of a work8
7823439400Moral .A rule of conduct or maxim for living expressed or implied as the "point" of a literary work. Compare Theme9
7823439401ProseNon-metrical language; the opposite of verse10
7823439402ThemeThe main idea, or message, of a literary work. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly.11
7823439403ToneThe writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject, the audience, or herself or himself; the emotional coloring, or emotional meaning, of a work12
7823439404TopicThe subject matter or area of a literary work. Not to be confused with theme.13
7823439405SettingThe context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs14
7823439406Symbol (literary)Something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well, a figure of speech which may be read both literally and figuratively.15
7823439407VerseMetrical language; the opposite of prose16
7823439408VoiceThe distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or a character in a book17
7823439409CharacterAny of the persons involved in a story or play [sense 1] (2) The distinguishing moral qualities and personal traits of a character [sense 2]18
7823439410AntagonistCharacter in a story or poem who opposes the main character (protagonist). Sometimes the antagonist is an animal, an idea, or a thing.19
7823439411Character(1) Any of the persons involved in a story or play [sense 1] (2) The distinguishing moral qualities and personal traits of a character [sense 2]20
7823439412CharacterizationThe process of conveying information about characters21
7823439413DeuteragonistThe second most important character, after the protagonist, often a foil or eventual antagonist22
7823439414Direct presentation of characterA method of characterization in which the author, by exposition or analysis, tells us directly what a character is like, or has someone else in the story do so23
7823439415Dynamic characterA character (sense 1) who during the course of a story undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of character (sense 2) or outlook.24
7823439416Flat characterA character (sense 1) whose character (sense 2) is summed up in one or two traits25
7823439417FoilA character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight various features of that other character's personality, throwing these characteristics into sharper focus.26
7823439418HeroA man who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for bold exploits, and favored by the gods27
7823439419HubrisOverbearing and excessive pride28
7823439420Indirect presentation of characterThat method of characterization in which the author shows us a character in action, compelling us to infer what the character is like from what is said or done by the character29
7823439421ProtagonistThe main character of a novel, play, or film30
7823439422Round characterA character (sense 1) whose character (sense 2) is complex and many sided.31
7823439423Static characterA character who is the same sort of person at the end of a story as at the beginning.32
7823439424Stock characterA stereotyped character.33
7823439425Tragic FlawA flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that brings the protagonist to ruin or sorrow34
7823439426AsideA brief speech in which a character turns from the person being addressed to speak directly to the audience; a dramatic device for letting the audience know what a character is really thinking or feeling as opposed to what the character pretends to think or feel35
7823439427ColloquialInformal, conversational language36
7823439428Dialogue(1) Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative. (2) A literary work written in the form of a conversation.37
7823439429DialectA regional variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary38
7823439430DictionWord choice39
7823439431EuphemismSubstituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh, blunt, or offensive one40
7823439432Figure of speechBroadly, any way of saying something other that the ordinary way; more narrowly (and for the purposes of this class) a way of saying one thing and meaning another.41
7823439433HyperboleA figure of speech in which exaggeration is used in the service of truth42
7823439434InvectiveDenunciatory or abusive language.43
7823439435Monologue(1) A dramatic soliloquy. (2) A literary composition in such form44
7823439436ProverbA short, pithy saying that expresses a basic truth or practical precept45
7823439437PunA play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words46
7823439438SarcasmBitter or cutting speech; speech intended by its speaker to give pain to the person addressed47
7823439439Soliloquya device often used in drama where by a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters.48
7823439440SlangA kind of language esp. occurring in casual or playful speech, usu. made up of short-lived coinages and figures of speech deliberately used in place of standard terms49
7823439441UnderstatementA figure of speech that consists of saying less than one means, or of saying what one means with less force than the occasion warrants.50
7823439442ExpositionThe part of a play (usually at the beginning) that provides the background information needed to understand the characters and the actions.51
7823439443ConflictA clash of actions, desires, ideas, or goals in the plot of a story or drama. Conflict may exist between the main character and some other person or persons; between the main character and some external force—physical nature, society, or "fate"; or between the main character and some destructive element in his or her own nature. A struggle that takes place in a character's mind is called internal conflict.52
7823439444Rising actionThat development of plot in a story that precedes and leads up to the climax53
7823439445ClimaxThe turning point or high point of a plot54
7823439446Falling ActionThe falling action immediately follows the climax and shows the aftereffects of the events in the climax55
7823439447Denouement (Also called the resolution)the conclusion of the story. Conflicts are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis for them and the reader. Sometimes a hint as to the characters' future is given56
7823439448IronyA situation, or a use of language, involving some kind of incongruity or discrepancy. Three kinds of irony are distinguished in this class:57
7823439449Dramatic ironyAn incongruity of discrepancy between what a character says or thinks and what the reader knows to be true (or between what a character perceives and what the author intends the reader to perceive).58
7823439450Irony of situationA situation in which there is an incongruity between appearance and reality, or between expectation and fulfillment, or between the actual situation and what would seem appropriate.59
7823439451Verbal ironyA figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant60
7823439452Epistolary novelA novel written as a series of documents.61
7823439453First person point of viewThe story is told by one of its characters, using the first person.62
7823439454FlashbackA literary device in which an earlier event is inserted into a narrative.63
7823439455FlashforwardA literary device in which a later event is inserted into a narrative.64
7823439456In medias res (into the middle of things)is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning, establishing setting, character, and conflict via flashback and expository conversations.65
7823439457Limited omniscient point of viewThe author tells the story, using the third person, but is limited to a complete knowledge of one character in the story and tells us only what that one character thinks, feels, sees, or hears.66
7823439458Linear structureA plot that follows a straight-moving, cause and effect, chronological order67
7823439459Objective point of viewThe author tells the story, using the third person, but is limited to reporting what the characters say or do; the author does not interpret their behavior or tell us their private thoughts or feelings.68
7823439460Omniscient point of viewThe author tells the story, using the third person, knowing all and free to tell us anything, including what the characters are thinking or feeling and why they act as they do69
7823439461Narratorthe speaker or the "voice" of an oral or written work. Although it can be, the narrator is not usually the same person as the author. The narrator is one of three types of characters in a given work, (1) participant (protagonist or participant in any action that may take place in the story), (2) observer (someone who is indirectly involved in the action of a story), or (3) non participant (one who is not at all involved in any action of the story). The narrator is the direct window into a piece of work.70
7823439462Nonlinear structureis when the plot is presented in a non-causal order, with events presented in a random series jumping to and from the main plot with flashbacks or flashforwards; or in any other manner that is either not chronological or not cause and effect, for example, in medias res.71
7823439463Point of ViewThe angle of vision from which a story is told.72
7823439464Stream of consciousnessNarrative which presents the private thoughts of a character without commentary or interpretation by the author73
7823439465Unreliable narratora narrator whose credibility has been seriously compromised. Unreliable narrators are usually first-person narrators.74
7823439466AnticlimaxA sudden descent from the impressive or significant to the ludicrous or inconsequential75
7823439467CatastropheThe concluding action of a classical tragedy containing the resolution of the plot76
7823439468Comic ReliefA humorous incident introduced into a serious literary work in order to relieve dramatic tension or heighten emotional impact77
7823439469DilemmaA situation in which a character must choose between two courses of action, both undesirable78
7823439470Deus ex machina (god from the machine)The resolution of a plot by use of a highly improbable chance or coincidence (so named from the practice of some Greek dramatists of having a god descend from heaven at the last possible minute—in the theater by means of a stage machine—to rescue the protagonist from an impossible situation).79
7823439471Indeterminate endingAn ending in which the central problem or conflict is left unresolved80
7823439472InversionA reversal in order, nature, or effect81
7823439473MotivationAn emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action82
7823439474MysteryAn unusual set of circumstances for which the reader craves an explanation; used to create suspense83
7823439475ParadoxA statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements84
7823439476PlotThe sequence of incidents or events of which a story is composed85
7823439477Plot manipulationA situation in which an author gives the plot a twist or turn unjustified by preceding action or by the characters involved86
7823439478Plot deviceAn object, character, or event whose only reason for existing is to advance the story. Often breaks suspension of disbelief.87
7823439479PrologueAn introduction or a preface, esp. a poem recited to introduce a play88
7823439480Red herringa literary tactic of diverting attention away from an item or person of significance89
7823439481SceneA subdivision of an act in a dramatic presentation in which the setting is fixed and the time continuous90
7823439482SuspenseThat quality in a story that makes the reader eager to discover what happens next and how it will end91
7823439483Suspension of DisbeliefAn unspoken agreement between writer and reader: "I agree to believe your make-believe if it entertains me."92
7823439484SubplotA plot subordinate to the main plot of a literary work93
7823439485SurpriseAn unexpected turn in the development of a plot94
7823439486ComedyA type of drama, opposed to tragedy, having usually a happy ending, and emphasizing human limitation rather than human greatness.95
7823439487Comedy of mannersComedy that ridicules the manners (way of life, social customs, etc.) of a certain segment of society96
7823439488SatireA kind of literature that ridicules human folly or vice with the purpose of bringing about reform or of keeping others from falling into similar folly or vice.97
7823439489Scornful comedyA type of comedy whose main purpose is to expose and ridicule human folly, vanity, or hypocrisy98
7823439490Romantic comedyA type of comedy whose likable and sensible main characters are placed in difficulties from which they are rescued at the end of the play99
7823439491FarceA type of comedy that relies on exaggeration, horseplay, and unrealistic or improbable situations to provoke laughter100
7823439492Escapist literatureLiterature written purely for entertainment, with little or no attempt to provide insights into the true nature of human life or behavior.101
7823439493FableA short narrative making an edifying or cautionary point and often employing animal characters that act like human beings102
7823439494FantasyA kind of fiction that pictures creatures or events beyond the boundaries of known reality103
7823439495Interpretive literatureLiterature that provides valid insights into the nature of human life or behavior104
7823439496Mythany story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way that it is. Myths are stories that are passed on from generation to generation and normally involve religion. Most myths were first spread by oral tradition and then were written down in some literary form. Many ancient literary works are, in fact, myths as myths appear in every ancient culture of the planet.105
7823439497Novela book of long narrative in literary prose.106
7823439498Novella (also called a short novel)a written, fictional, prose narrative longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel.107
7823439499ParableA simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson108
7823439500Tragedy Dramain which a noble protagonist — a person of unusual moral or intellectual stature or outstanding abilities — falls to ruin during a struggle caused by a tragic flaw (or hamartia) in his character or an error in his rulings or judgments.109
7823439501ApostropheA figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply110
7823439502ConnotationWhat a word suggests beyond its basic definition; a word's overtones of meaning111
7823439503DenotationThe basic definition or dictionary meaning of a word112
7823439504EkphrasisThe poetic representation of a painting or sculpture in words113
7823439505Epigram(1) A short, witty poem expressing a single thought or observation. (2) A concise, clever, often paradoxical statement.114
7823439506Extended figure (also knows as sustained figure)A figure of speech (usually metaphor, simile, personification, or apostrophe) sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines or through a whole poem115
7823439507Figurative languageLanguage employing figures of speech; language that cannot be taken literally or only literally116
7823439508Figure of speechBroadly, any way of saying something other that the ordinary way; more narrowly (and for the purposes of this class) a way of saying one thing and meaning another117
7823439509JuxtapositionPositioning opposites next to each other to heighten the contrast118
7823439510MetaphorA figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between two things essentially unlike119
7823439511MetonymyA figure of speech in which some significant aspect or detail of an experience is used to represent the whole experience120
7823439512OnomatopoeiaThe use of words that supposedly mimic their meaning in their sound (for example, boom, click, plop).121
7823439513PersonificationA figure of speech in which human attributes are given to an animal, an object, or a concept122
7823439514RhythmAny wavelike recurrence of motion or sound123
7823439515SentimentalityUnmerited or contrived tender feeling; that quality in a story that elicits or seeks to elicit tears through an oversimplification or falsification of reality124
7823439516SimileA figure of speech in which an explicit comparison is made between two things essentially unlike. The comparison is made explicit by the use of some such word or phrase as like, as, than, similar to, resembles, or seems125
7823439517SynecdocheA figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole. In this class it is subsumed under the term Metonymy.126
7823439518SyntaxWord organization and order.127
7823439519AlliterationThe repetition at close intervals of the initial consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words (for example, map-moon, kill-code, preach-approve)128
7823439520AnapestA metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables followed by one accented syllable (for example, understand)129
7823439521Anapestic meterA meter in which a majority of the feet are anapests130
7823439522Approximate rhyme (also known as imperfect rhyme, near rhyme, slant rhyme, or oblique rhyme)A term used for words in a rhyming pattern that have some kind of sound correspondence but are not perfect rimes (for example, arrayed-said)131
7823439523AssonanceThe repetition at close intervals of the vowel sounds of accented syllables or important words (for example, hat-ran-amber, veinmade).132
7823439524Ballad meterStanzas formed of quatrains of iambs in which the first and third lines have four stresses (tetrameter) and the second and fourth lines have three stresses (trimeter). Usually, the second and fourth lines rhyme (abcb), although ballad meter is often not followed strictly.133
7823439525Blank versePoetry with a meter, but not rhymed, usually in iambic pentameter134
7823439526ConsonanceThe repetition at close intervals of the final consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words (for example, bookplaque-thicker)135
7823439527CoupletTwo successive lines, usually in the same meter, linked by rhyme136
7823439528DactylA metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables (for example, merrily)137
7823439529Dactylic meterA meter in which a majority of the feet are dactyls138
7823439530End rhymeRhymes that occur at the ends of lines139
7823439531End-stopped lineA line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually marked by punctuation — the opposite of enjambment140
7823439532Enjambment Or run-on line,a line which has no natural speech pause at its end, allowing the sense to flow uninterruptedly into the succeeding line — the opposite of an end-stopped line141
7823439533English (or Shakespearean) sonnetA sonnet rhyming ababcdcdefefgg. Its content or structure ideally parallels the rhyme scheme, falling into three coordinate quatrains and a concluding couplet; but it is often structured, like the Italian sonnet, into octave and sestet, the principal break in thought coming at the end of the eighth line.142
7823439534Feminine rhymeA rhyme in which the stress is on the penultimate (second from last) syllable of the words (picky, tricky)143
7823439535FootThe basic unit used in the scansion or measurement of verse. A foot usually contains one accented syllable and one or two unaccented syllables144
7823439536Free verseNonmetrical verse. Poetry written in free verse is arranged in lines, may be more or less rhythmical, but has no fixed metrical pattern or expectation145
7823439537Half rhyme(Sometimes called slant rhyme, sprung, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, off rhyme or imperfect rhyme), is consonance on the final consonants of the words involved146
7823439538Heroic coupletPoems constructed by a sequence of two lines of (usually rhyming) verse in iambic pentameter. If these couplets do not rhyme, they are usually separated by extra white space.147
7823439539IambA metrical foot consisting of one unaccented syllable followed by one accented syllable (for example, rehearse)148
7823439540Iambic meterA meter in which the majority of feet are iambs, the most common English meter149
7823439541Internal rhymeA rhyme in which one or both of the rhyme-words occur within the line150
7823439542Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnetA sonnet consisting of an octave rhyming abbaabba and of a sestet using any arrangement of two or three additional rhymes, such as cdcdcd or cdecde151
7823439543Masculine rhyme (also known as single rhyme)A rhyme in which the stress is on the final syllable of the words (rhyme, sublime)152
7823439544Meter Regularized rhythm;an arrangement of language in which the accents occur at apparently equal intervals in time153
7823439545Octave(1) An eight-line stanza. (2) The first eight lines of a sonnet, especially one structured in the manner of an Italian sonnet154
7823439546Perfect rhymeA rhyme in which is when the later part of the word or phrase is identical sounding to another. Types include masculine and feminine, among others.155
7823439547PentameterA metrical line containing five feet156
7823439548Quatrain(1) A four-line stanza. (2) A four-line division of a sonnet marked off by its rhyme scheme.157
7823439549RefrainA repeated word, phrase, line, or group of lines, normally at some fixed position in a poem written in stanziac form158
7823439550RhymeThe repetition of an identical or similarly accented sound or sounds in a work. Lyricists may find multiple ways to rhyme within a verse.159
7823439551End rhymeshave words that rhyme at the end of a verse-line. Internal rhymes have words that rhyme within it.160
7823439552Rhyme schemeAny fixed pattern of rhymes characterizing a whole poem or its stanzas161
7823439553ScansionThe process of measuring verse, that is, of marking accented and unaccented syllables, dividing the lines into feet, identifying the metrical pattern, and noting significant variations from that pattern162
7823439554Sestet(1) A six-line stanza (2) The last six lines of a sonnet structured on the Italian model163
7823439555SpondeeA metrical foot consisting of two syllables equally or almost equally accented (for example, true-blue).164
7823439556StanzaA group of lines whose metrical pattern (and usually its rhyme scheme as well) is repeated throughout a poem165
7823439557SyntaxThe arrangement of words to form phrases, clauses and sentences; sentence construction166
7823439558Terza RimaA three-line stanza form borrowed from the Italian poets. The rhyme scheme is: aba, bcb, cdc, ded, etc.167
7823439559TetrameterA metrical line containing four feet168
7823439560TrimeterA metrical line containing three feet169
7823439561Triple meterA meter in which a majority of the feet contain three syllables. (Actually, if more than 25 percent of the feet in a poem are triple, its effect is more triple than duple, and it ought perhaps to be referred to as triple meter.) Anapestic and dactylic are both triple meters.170
7823439562Trochaic meterA meter in which the majority of feet are trochees171
7823439563TrocheeA metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable (for example, barter)172
7823439564Ballada narrative folk song. The ballad is traced back to the Middle Ages. Ballads were usually created by common people and passed orally due to the illiteracy of the time. Subjects for ballads include killings, feuds, important historical events, and rebellion.173
7823439565ElegyA type of literature defined as a song or poem, written in elegiac couplets, that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who had died.174
7823439566EpicA long poem in a lofty style about the exploits of heroic figures. These often come from an oral tradition of shared authorship or from a single, high-profile poet imitating the style.175
7823439567Lyrica song-like poem written mainly to express the feelings of emotions or thought from a particular person, thus separating it from narrative poems. These poems are generally short, averaging roughly twelve to thirty lines, and rarely go beyond sixty lines. These poems express vivid imagination as well as emotion and all flow fairly concisely.176
7823439568Narrative poemA poem that tells a story. A narrative poem can come in many forms and styles, both complex and simple, short or long, as long as it tells a story. A few examples of a narrative poem are epics, ballads, and metrical romances.177
7823439569OdeUsually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an elaborate stanza pattern. The ode often praises people, the arts of music and poetry, natural scenes, or abstract concepts.178
7823439570SonnetA fixed form of fourteen lines, normally iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme conforming to or approximating one of two main types—the Italian or the English179

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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!