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AP Language Syntax & Diction Flashcards

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9118562382Simple SentenceContains one subject and one verb. Ex: The singer bowed to her adoring audience.0
9118562383Compound SentenceContains two independent clauses joined by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or), or by a semicolon. Ex: The singer bowed to the audience, but the listeners requested no encores.1
9118562384Complex sentenceContains an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Ex: You said that you would tell the truth.2
9118562385Compound-Complex sentenceContains two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. Ex: The singer bowed while the audience applauded, but the crowd requested no encores.3
9118562386Loose SentenceMake complete sense if bought to a close before the actual ending. Ex.The woman died, because she was pushed off the cliff.4
9118562387Periodic SentenceMakes sense only when the end of the sentence is reached. Ex. The woman that was so nice and caring was found dead.5
9118562388Balanced SentenceThe phrases or clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness or structure, meaning, and/o length. Ex. The band played their song, but the crowd was not cheering.6
9118562389MonosyllabicOne syllable in length. Ex. Huh, No, Etc.7
9118562390PolysyllabicMore than one syllable in length. Ex. Familiar, Marvelous, Etc.8
9118562391ColloquialSlang Ex. Y'all9
9118562392DenotativeContaining an exact meaning Ex. Stop: to not be in motion10
9118562393ConnotativeContaining a suggested meaning. Ex. You are obese. To be way over one's weight limit.11
9118562394ConcreteSpecific Ex. You are 7 years old.12
9118562395AbstractGeneral Ex. Joy, shame, beauty, etc.13
9118562396EuphoniousPleasant sounding Ex. Harmonic14
9118562397CacophonousHarsh sounding Ex. Sucker15

AP Literature Vocabulary Flashcards

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7619875491Smiteto inflict a heavy blow0
7619876851Clemencyleniency; mercy1
7619882464Wooto court someone's favor; especially for purposes of marriage2
7619883483Tabooa ban against something because of social custom or emotional aversion3
7619891552Importunatestubbornly or unreasonably persistent in request or demand4
7619898005Aestheticof or pertaining to the sensing of beauty5
7619899093Coypretending shyness or modesty6
7619900356Implyto express indirectly7
7619902364Antitheticalopposite; directly contrasting8
7619905086Laudablepraiseworthy; commendable9
7619905654Avariciousgreedy10
7619909511Wreakto inflict something (usually vengeance or punishment) upon a person11
7619911722Stealthysecret; clandestine; covert12
7619912408Surreptitioussecret; clandestine; covert13
7619917440Furtivesecret; clandestine; covert14
7619918901Pastoralof or pertaining to the country or country life; rural15
7619924599Ascetica person who (usually for religious reasons)gives all but the most basic survival needs16
7619926242Chideto scold, rebuke, reprimand17
7619927449Cogentforcibly convincing18
8194565300Dissolutelacking in moral restraint19
8194566902Deferencecourteous yielding to the opinion or wishes of another20
8194569909Reposethe act of resting; a rest; calmness; tranquility21
8194573193Inevitablecertain to happen22
8194582564Punctiliousprecise; scrupulous; exact23
8194584149Vacillateto sway to and fro in body or mind; to waiver24
8194589280Disarraya state of disorder; disarrangement; confusion25
8194593312Intrinsicpertaining to the essential nature of a thing26
8194595454Flagrantextremely or deliberately conspicuous; notorious; shocking27
8194602816Paleontologythe study of fossils and ancient life forms28
8194607035Ambidextrousable to use both hands equally well29
8194610414Hypocrisythe act of pretending to believe in ideas that one does not actually hold30
8194615129Analogyan example used in an argument because of its similarity to the point in question31
8194619061Penitentfeeling truly sorry about one's misdeeds or sins32
8194637680Synopsisa brief statement or outline of a subject; an abstract33
8194641444Quid pro quoan equal exchange or trade; from the latin "something for something"34
8194648206Cacophonyjarring, discordant sound; dissonance35
8194651212Prosaiclacking imagination and spirit; not poetic36
8194654101Stoicindifferent to or unaffected by both pleasure and pain37
8194656015Myriadamounting to a very large, though indefinite, number (often used with 'of')38
8194664917Fastidiouscareful in all details; meticulous39
8194666670Nebulouslacking a definite form or limit; hazy40
8194669909Penultimatenext to last41
8194671151Cajoleto persuade (or attempt to persuade) by pleading or flattery; coax42
8194685997Peruseto read or examine with great care; scrutinize or skim through43
8194689566Pugnaciousquarrelsome; eager to fight; belligerent; truculent44
8194694419Giddyhaving a lightheaded sensation45
8194699152Masticateto chew46
8194700446Illicitillegal; unlawful47
8194701402Jeerto speak or shout derisively; to mock; to abuse openly; to taunt48
8194704211Enmitya deep-seated hatred; antagonism; animosity49
8194706633Tendrila long, slender, coiling extensions as of a stem, serving as an organ of attachment for certain climbing plants50
8194712663Entreatto ask someone for something earnestly51
8194715123Raptdeeply absorbed; engrossed52
8194716581Corporalof the body; bodily53
8194721435Dextrousskillful with hands, body, or mind; clever54
8194721436Deftskillful with hands, body, or mind; clever55
8194723140Adroitskillful with hands, body, or mind; clever56
8194728233Sentienthaving sense perception; conscious57
8194730196Ornateexcessively; or elaborately decorated; rococo58
8194962860Genrea category of art or literature distinguished by a definite style, form, or content59
8194967255Inferto make an educated guess as to someone's meaning60
8194969892Spoonerismthe transposing of sounds in language or writing61
8194971863Extraneousnot essential; superfluous62
8194975145Verbatimusing exactly the same words, word for word; or (as an adverb) in exactly the same words63
8194980619Luxuriantgrowing abundantly, vigorously, or lushly64
8194984000Undermineto weaken by wearing away a base or foundation65
8194986211Hastento move something swiftly; to hurry66
8194987005Baffleto hinder or impede by puzzling67
8194989583Evoketo produce or inspire emotions, memories, or reactions68
8194994607Pessimismdoubting that it will all be better later; looking on the dark side69
8194996864Angsta feeling of anxiety70
8194999140Redolentpleasantly odorous71
8195001179Perplexitythe state or condition of being puzzled72
8195002768Vertigoa sensation of dizziness73
8195004381Epiphanyan event often spiritual involving a sudden flash of perception74
8195007007Connotationa meaning that is beyond & deeper than the literal meaning75
8195009756Procreateto budget offspring; to reproduce76
8195013717Capitulateto give up all resistance; surrender; to acquiesce77
8195017092Vacuousdevoid of substance or meaning; inane78
8195018588Polygraphan instrument that simultaneously records changes in such physiological processes as heartbeat, blood pressure & respiration. Is sometimes used in lie detection79
8195023886Tepidmoderately warm; lukewarm80
8195025701Tyrannya government in which a single ruler has absolute (unlimited) power81
8195028851Despotisma government in which a single ruler has absolute (unlimited) power82
8195031290Omnipresentpresent in all places at the same time83
8195032447Wheedleto persuade or attempt to persuade by deceitful flattery or guile; cajole84
8195037317Ravageto destroy or despoil; devastate85
8195039337Denotationthe literal meaning of words as apposed to their figurative meaning86
8195040739Predilectiona preference87
8195042403Victualsfood fit for human consumption88
8195043725Persevereto keep on trying even in the face of obstacles89
8195045755Vernacularthe native language of a country or region; more often the nonstandard everyday speech of a country or region90
8195049654Irrevocablenot able to be reversed91
8195053357Abateto reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; to lessen92
8195054949Oraclea place where prophecies are made, the prophet of this place, or the prophecy itself; any person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel93
8195061263Plethorasuperabundance94
8195062171Eschewto take care to avoid; to shun95
8195064982Libertinea person lacking in moral restraint96
8195066359Harangueto make a long, pompous speech97
8195069586Chastitythe state or quality of being morally pure or celibate98
8195070624Peripherythe outermost part or region within a given area99
8195073243Coalitiona temporary merging of smaller political parties in order to gain a majority of the available power100
8195076992Contemporarybelonging to the same period of time; current or modern101
8195079758Halitosisstale or foul smelling breath102
8195081165Conjectureguess (as a verb) a guess (as a noun)103
8195084533Empathizeto feel for something (by attempting to put yourself in one's place)104
8195087889Impetusa driving force105
8195089679Affluentrich106
8195090775Ephemeralshort lived; fleeting107
8195092365Outsetbeginning; start; commencement108
8195093774Vindictiverevengeful in spirit109
8195094452Aversionintense dislike110
8195095204Inceptionthe beginning of something111
8195097384Mercenarymotivated by a desire for monetary or material gain112
8195100617Revelationsomething revealed; an act of revealing113
8195101589Wontaccustomed or used to (as an adjective) or usage or custom (as a noun)114
8207869636Enigmaticpuzzling115
8207876387Denouementthe unknotting of the problems in a play, novel, or short story116
8207879450Pragmaticpractical117
8207880293Exhumeto remove from a grave; to bring to light; uncover118
8207882611Zanyludicrously comical; buffoonish119
8207886559Fetidfoul-smelling; stinking120
8207890739Narcissismexcessive admiration of oneself; love of self121
8207895138Odioushateful; offensive; repugnant122
8207897810Incessantunceasing; unending123
8207898554Consternationsudden confusion, amazement or frustration124
8207902698Perniciousdeadly125
8207908363Razeto tear down or demolish; level to the ground126
8207910410Optimismbeing hopeful and looking on the bright side127
8207913245Thineyours or (when after a vowel) your128
8207915057Propheta person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom a divinity expresses his will; a predicted or soothsayer129
8207924556Pestilenceany usually fatal epidemic disease130
8207925871Persnicketyvery concerned with detail131
8207927646Prateto talk idly and at great length; chatter132
8207931769Phlegmaticsluggish or apathetic; hard to rouse to action133
8207934183Follyfoolishness134
8207935008Abjectof the most contemptible kind; wretched135
8207937802Doursilently ill-humored; gloomy136
8207940671Accoladepraise; approval137
8207942687Heresyan opinion that is at odds with religious beliefs; "religious treason"138
8207948535Fallowplowed but not sowed; uncultivated139
8207950847Perfidydeliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust; treachery140
8207955602Transposeto reverse the order of; to interchange141
8207958241Rusean action or desire meant to confuse, mislead or trick142
8207964084Egregiousoutstandingly bad143
8207965595Robustvigorous; strong144
8207971869Unkemptdisheveled; messy; uncombed145
8207975609Brandishto wave or display menacingly or ostentatiously146
8207979332Vanguardthe foremost position in a movement, trend, army, or fleet147
8207981806Thwartto prevent from taking place148
8207984347Anticlimaxa disappointing or commonplace conclusion; after a big "build up"149
8207989310Altercationa quarrel or angry dispute150
8207993142Rebuketo criticize or reprove sharply; reprimand151
8207999754Squanderto spend wastefully or extravagantly152
8208013290Curatorthe administration director of a museum , or other similar institution153
8208017401Capriciouscharacterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable154
8208023376Reconcileto settle any sort of disagreement155
8208024518Syntheticnot genuine; artificial; ersatz156
8208027769Eradicateto get rid of; wipe out; annihilate; destroy157
8208029796Alliterationthe occurrence (in a phrase or line of speech or writing) of two or more words having the same initial sound158
8208035481Atrophyto waste away (usually concerning bodies); to whither159
8208038457Vestigea visible trace or evidence of something that has once existed but exists or appears no more160
8208042918Visagethe face or facial features; physiognomy161
8208044447Countenancethe face or facial features; physiognomy162
8208047645PenuryExtreme want or poverty; destitution163
8208052956Tantamountequivalent in effect or value (used with "to")164
8208054847Euphoriaa feeling of great happiness165
8208057354Acrimonybitterness or ill-natured animosity, especially in speech166
8208060948Paramountof chief concern or importance; primary; foremost167

AP Literature Verse (Structure) Part 2 Flashcards

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8058569885iambic metera meter in which the majority of feet are iambs0
8058574707internal rhymea rhyme in which one or both of the rhyme-words occur within the line1
8058585255Petrarchan sonneta sonnet consisting of an octave rhyming abbaabba and a sestet using any arrangement of two or three additional rhymes such as cdcdcd or cdecde2
8058609848masculine rhymea rhyme in which the stress is on the final syllable of the words3
8058617886meterregularized rhythm; an arrangement of language in which the accents occur at apparently equal intervals in time4
8058629162octavean eight line stanza5
8058677621perfect rhymea rhyme in which is when the later part of the word or phrase is identical sounding to another6
8058683797pentametera metrical line containing five feet7
8058688030refraina repeated word, phrase, line or group of lines, normally at some fixed position in a poem written in stanziac form8
8058701302rhymethe repetition of an identical or similarly accented sound or sounds in a work9
8058714196rhyme schemeany fixed pattern of rhymes characterizing a whole poem or its stanzas10
8058720217scansionthe process of mesuring verse; of marking accented and unaccented syllables, dividing the lines into feet, identifying the metrical pattern, and noting significant variations from that pattern11
8058741587sesteta six line stanza12
8058744163spondeea metrical foot consisting of two syllables equally or almost equally accented13
8058750483Stanzaa group of lines whose metrical pattern is repeated throughout a poem14
8058758614Syntaxthe arrangement of words to form phrases, clauses and sentences, sentence structure15
8058765509terza rimaa three line stanza form borrowed from the Italian poets; rhyme scheme is aba, bab, cdc, ded, etc.16
8058782090tetrametera metrical line containing four feet17
8058783972triple metera meter in which a majority of the feet contain three syllables18
8058793115Trochaic metera meter in which the majority of feet are trochees19
8058796489trocheea metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable20

AP Literature Flashcards

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8261061558AllegoryA literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions0
8261061559BalladA poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas1
8261061560comprehensivecovering or including everything2
8261061561liddeda removable or hinged cover for closing the opening, usually at the top, of a pot, jar, trunk, etc.; a movable cover. 2. an eyelid. 3. a restraint, ceiling, or curb, as on prices or news.3
8261061562panoramicdenoting an unobstructed and comprehensive view; N. panorama: unbroken view of a wide area4
8261061563SnobbishLooking down on others as inferior; arrogant5
8261061564felicitous(adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy6
8261061565Reptillianpurported reptilian humanoids that play a prominent role in fantasy,7
8261061566incongruousout of place; having parts that are not in harmony or that are inconsistent8
8261061567harmoniousable to get along together well; combining different elements that blend pleasingly; melodious9
8261061568judicious(adj.) using or showing good judgment, wise, sensible10
8261061569melodiouscontaining or constituting or characterized by pleasing melody11
8261061570intricacymarked by elaborately complex detail12
8261061571complexitythe quality of being intricate and compounded13
8261061572statelinessimpressiveness in scale or proportion14
8261061573commendationa notice of approval or recognition15
8261061574Deceitdishonesty, deception16
8261061575exultationa feeling of extreme joy17
8261061576introspectivecontemplating one's own thoughts and feelings18
8261061577self analysisA systematic effort at self understanding conducted without the aid of a professional.19
8261061578Vegetativereproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants20
8261061579AnalystSomeone who studies data21
8261061580Agedstate of being old22
8261061581PreambleAn introduction to a speech or piece of writing23
8261061582PrologueA speech, passage, or event coming before the main speech or event24
8261061583ProtagonistMain character25
8261061584provocativetending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing desire or appetite; irritating, annoying26
8261061585turbulentdisorderly, riotous, violent; stormy27
8261061586nippychilly, chilling.28
8261061587TrivialUnimportant29
8261061588StormyInclement30
8261061589CrucialExtremely important31

AP Language Terminology Flashcards

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8426992566AllegoryThe device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction lie hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence. A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.0
8426992567AlliterationThe repetition of sounds, especially initial consonants in tow or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells). Although the term is not used frequently in the multiple-choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.1
8426992568AllusionA direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.2
8426992569Ambiguity (am-bi-gyoo-i-tee)The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.3
8426992570AnalogyA similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging. Ex. He that voluntarily continues ignorance is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces, as to him4
8426992571Anaphora (uh-naf-er-uh)One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.5
8426992572AnecdoteA short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person6
8426992573Antecedent (an-tuh-seed-nt)The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP Language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.7
8426992574Antithesis (an-tih-theh-sis)Figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed, usually through parallel structure; a contrasting of opposing ideas in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences. Antithesis creates a definite and systematic relationship between ideas.8
8426992575AphorismA terse statement of know authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author's point.9
8426992576ApostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect is to give vent to or display intense emotion, which can no longer be held back:10
8426992577Asyndeton (uh-sin-di-tuhn)consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. This can give the effect of unpremeditated multiplicity, of an extemporaneous rather than a labored account. Asyndetic lists can be more emphatic than if a final conjunction were used.11
8426992578AtmosphereThe emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere forshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood.12
8426992579Chiasmus (kahy-az-muhs)(From the Greek word for "criss-cross," a designation baed on the Greek letter "chi," written X). Chiasmus is a figure of speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words.13
8426992580Clausea grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can sand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element to the other. You should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing.14
8426992581Colloquial/colloquialism (kuj-loh-kwee-uhl)The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.15
8426992582CoherenceA principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible. Words, phrases, clauses within the sentence; and sentences, paragraphs, and chpters in larger pieces of writing are the unit that by their progressive and logical arrangement, make for coherence.16
8426992583ConceitA fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made.17
8426992584Connotation- The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.18
8426992585DenotationThe strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion attitude, or color.19
8426992586Diacoperepetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase: word/phrase X, . . ., word/phrase X.20
8426992587DictionRelated to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you should be able to describe an author's diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author's purpose. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author's style.21
8426992588Didactic (dahy-dak-tik)From the Greek, didactic literally means "teaching." Didactic works have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.22
8426992589EnumeratioFigure of amplification in which a subject is divided into constituent parts or details, and may include a listing of causes, effects, problems, solutions, conditions, and consequences; the listing or detailing of the parts of something.23
8426992590Expletive (ek-spli-tiv)Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the expletive.24
8426992591Euphemism (yoo-fuh-miz-uhm)From the Greek for "good speech," euphemisms are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. The euphemism may be sued to adhere to standards of social or political correctness or to add humor or ironic understatement.25
8426992592ExpositionIn essays, one of the four chief types of composition, the others being argumentation, description, and narration. The purpose of exposition is to explain something. In drama, the exposition is the introductory material, which creates the tone, gives the setting, and introduces the characters and conflict.26
8426992593Extended metaphorA metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout the work.27
8426992594Figurative language- Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.28
8426992595Figure of speechA device used to produce figurate language. Many compare dissimilar things. Figures of speech include apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonymy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement.29
8426992596Generic conventionsThis term describes traditions for each genre. These conventions help to define each genre; for example, they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing. On the AP language exam, try to distinguish the unique features of a writer's work from those dictated by convention.30
8426992597GenreThe major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, genre is a flexible term; within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called genres themselves. For example, prose can be divided into fiction (novels and short stories) or nonfiction (essays, biographies, autobiographies, etc). Poetry can be divided into lyric, dramatic, narrative, epic, etc. Drama can be divided into tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, etc. ON the AP language exam, expect the majority of the passages to be from the following genres: autobiography, biography, diaries, criticism, essays, and journalistic, political, scientific, and nature writing.31
8426992598Homily (hom-uh-lee)This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.32
8426992599Hyperbole (hahy-pur-buh-lee)A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Hyperboles often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, hyperbole produces irony.33
8426992600HypophoraFigure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one's own question(s). A common usage is to ask the question at the beginning of a paragraph and then use the paragraph to answer it. You can use hypophora to raise questions which you think the reader obviously has on his/her mind and would like to see formulated and answered.34
8426992601ImageryThe sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imager y uses terms related to the five senses; we refer to visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory imagery. On a broader and deeper level, however, one image can represent more than one thing. For example, a rose may present visual imagery while also representing the color in a woman's cheeks and/or symbolizing some degree of perfection (It is the highest flower on the Great Chain of Being). An author may use complex imagery while simultaneously employing other figure s of speech, especially metaphor and simile. In addition, this term can apply to the total of all the images in a work. ON the AP exam, pay attention to how an author creates imagery and to the effect of this imagery.35
8426992602Inference/inferTo draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. When a multiple-choice question asks for an inference to be drawn from a passage, the most direct, most reasonable inference is the safest answer choice. If an inference is implausible, it's unlikely to be the correct answer. Note that if the answer choice is directly stated, it is not inferred and is wrong. You must be careful to note the connotation - negative or positive - of the choices.36
8426992603Invectivean emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attach using strong, abusive language.37
8426992604Irony/ironicThe contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. In general, there are three major types of irony used in language; (1) In a verbal irony, the words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) true meaning. (2) In situational irony, events turn out the opposite of what was expected. What the characters and the readers think ought to happen. (3) In dramatic irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction, but know to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work. Irony is used for many reasons, but frequently, it's used to create poignancy or humor.38
8426992605Juxtaposition (juhk-stuh-puh-zish-uhn)When two words, phrases, images, ideas are placed close together or side by side for comparison or contrast.39
8426992606Litotes (lahy-toh-teez)From the Greek word "simple" or "plain." Litotes is a figure of thought in which a point is affirmed by negating its opposite. It is a special form of understatement, where the surface denial serves, through ironic contrast, to reinforce the underlying assertion.40
8426992607Loose sentencea type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by wdependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many loose sentences often seems informal, relaxed, and conversational. Generally loose sentences create loose style.41
8426992608MetaphorA figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful.42
8426992609Metonymy (mi-ton-uh-mee)A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name." Metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. A news release that claims "the White House declared" rather that "the President declared" is using metonymy. The substituted term generally carries a more potent emotional response.43
8426992610MoodThis term has two distinct technical meanings in English writing. The first meaning is grammatical and eals with verbal units and a speaker's attitude. The indicative mood is used only for factual sentences. For example, "Joe eats too quickly." The subjective mod is used to express conditions contrary to fact. For example, "If I were you, I'd get another job." The imperative mood is used for commands. For example, "Shut the door!" The second meaning of mood is literary, meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. In this usage, mood is similar to tone and atmosphere.44
8426992611NarrativeThe telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.45
8426992612Onomatopoeia (on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh)A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur. If you not eexamples of onomatopoeia in an essay passage, note the effect.46
8426992613OxymoronFrom the Greek for "pointedly foolish," an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness." This term does not usually appear in the multiple-choice questions, but there is a chance that you might find it in an essay. Take note of the effect which the author achieves with this term.47
8426992614ParadoxA statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.48
8426992615ParallelismAlso referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase. A famous example of parallelism begins Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity . . ." The effects of parallelism are numerous, but frequently they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm.49
8426992616ParodyA work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. As comedy, parody distorts or exaggerated distinctive features of the original. As ridicule, it mimics the work by repeating and borrowing words, phrases, or characteristics in order to illuminate weaknesses in the original. Well-written parody offers enlightenment about the original, but poorly written parody offers only ineffectual imitation. Usually an audience must grasp literary allusion and understand the work being parodied in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the newer work. Occasionally, however, parodies take on a life of their own and don't require knowledge of the original50
8426992617Pedantic (puh-dan-tik)An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.51
8426992618Periodic sentenceA sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. For example: "Ecstatic with my AP score, I let out a loud, joyful shout!" The effect of a periodic sentence is to add emphasis and structural variety. It is also a much stronger sentence than the loose sentence.52
8426992619PersonificationA figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions. Personification is used to make these abstractions, animal, or objects appear more vivid to the reader.53
8426992620Polysyndeton (paulee-sin-dih-tawn)Figure of addition and emphasis which intentionally employs a series of conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) not normally found in successive words, phrases or clauses; the deliberate and excessive use of conjunctions in successive words or clauses. The effect is a feeling of multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up - a persistence or intensity.54
8426992621Predicate adjectiveOne type of subject complement is an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb. It is an the predicate of the sentence, and modifies, or describes, the subject.55
8426992622Predicate nominativeA second type of subject complement - a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that names the subject. It, like the predicate adjective, follows a linking verb and is located in the predicate of the sentence.56
8426992623ProseOne of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and non-fiction, including all its forms. In prose the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the poet determines the length of the line57
8426992624RepetitionThe duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.58
8426992625RhetoricFrom the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.59
8426992626Rhetorical modesThis flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. The four most common rhetorical modes and their purposes are as follows: (1) The purpose of exposition (or expository writing) is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion. The AP language exam essay questions are frequently expository topics. (2) The purpose of argumentation is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader. Persuasive writing is a type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action. (3) The purpose of description is to re-create, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described. Sometimes an author engages all five senses in description; good descriptive writing can be sensuous and picturesque. Descriptive writing may be straightforward and objective or highly emotional and subjective. (4) The purpose of narration is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events. This writing mode frequently uses the tools of descriptive writing. These four modes are sometimes referred to as mode of discourse.60
8426992627Rhetorical Question [erotesis]- differs from hypophora in that it is not answered by the writer because its answer is obvious or obviously desired, and usually just a yes or no answer would suffice. It is used for effect, emphasis, or provocation, or for drawing a conclusionary statement from the fact at hand.61
8426992628SarcasmFrom the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony is a device, but not all ironic statements are sarcastic, that is, intended to ridicule. When well done, sarcasm can be witty and insightful; when done poorly, it's simply cruel62
8426992629SatireA work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. Regardless of whether or not the work aims to reform human behavior, satire is best seen as a style of writing rather than a purpose for writing. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively the satirist: irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm. The effects of satire are varied, depending on the writer's goal, but good satire, often humorous, is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition.63
8426992630SemanticsThe branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another64
8426992631StyleThe consideration of style has two purposes: (1) An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. Some authors' styles are so idiosyncratic that we can quickly recognize works by the same author (or a writer emulating that author's style)/ Compare, for example, Jonathan's Swift to George Orwell or William Faulkner to Ernest Hemingway. We can analyze and describe an author's personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the author's purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace, incisive, or laconic, to name only a few examples. (2) Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, we can see how an author's style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance of the Victorian period, or a literary movement, such as the romantic, transcendental or realist movement.65
8426992632Subject complementThe word (with any accompanying phrases) or clauses that follows a linking verb and complements, or completes, the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it or (2) describing it. The former is the technically a predicate nominative, the latter a predicate adjective. Multiple-choice questions.66
8426992633Subordinate clauseLike all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, the subordinate clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, the subordinate clause depends on a main clause, sometimes called an independent clause, to complete its meaning. Easily recognized key words and phrases usually begin these clauses 0 for example: although, because, unless, if even though, since, as soon as, while who, when , where, how and that.67
8426992634Syllogism (sil- uh-jiz-uhm)From the Greek for "reckoning together, " a syllogism (or syllogistic-reasoning or syllogistic logic is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the firs one called "major" and the second, "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion. A frequently cited example proceeds as follows;68
8426992635Symbol/symbolismGenerally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else. Usually a symbol is something concrete - such as object, action, character, or scene - that represents something more abstract. However, symbols, and symbolism can be much more complex. One system classifies symbols in three categories: (1) Natural symbols are objects and occurrences from nature to represent ideas commonly associated with them (dawn symbolizing hope or a new beginning, a rose symbolizing love, a tree symbolizing knowledge). (2) Conventional symbols are those that have been invested with meaning by a group (religious symbols such as a cross or Star of David; national symbols, such as a flag or an eagle; or group symbols, such as a skull an crossbones for pirates or the scales of justice for lawyers). (3) Literary symbols are sometimes also conventional in the sense that they are found in a variety of works and are generally recognized. However, a work's symbols may be more complicated as is the whale in Moby Dick and the jungle in Heart of Darkness. On the AP exam, try to determine what abstraction an object is a symbol for and to what extent it is successful in representing that abstraction.69
8426992636Synecdoche (si-nek-duh-kee)is a type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole, the whole for a part, the genus for the species, the species for the genus, the material for the thing made, or in short, any portion , section, or main quality for the whole or the thing itself (or vice versa).70
8426992637SyntaxThe way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is similar to diction, but you can differentiate them by thinking of syntax as the groups of words, while diction refers to the individual words. In the multiple-choice section, expect to be asked some questions about how an author manipulates syntax. In the essay section, you will need to analyze how syntax produces effects.71
8426992638ThemeThe central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually theme is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the theme may be directly stated, especially in exposityr or argumentative writing.72
8426992639ThesisIn expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or a group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position. Expository writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proved the thesis.73
8426992640ToneSimilar to mood, tone describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both. Tone is easier to determine in spoken language than in written language. Considering how a work would sound if ti were read aloud can help in identifying an author's tone. Some words describing tone are playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, ornate, sardonic, and somber74
8426992641TransitionA word or phrase that links different ideas. Used especially, although not exclusively, in expository and argumentative writing, transitions effectively signal a shift from one idea to another. A few commonly used transitional words or phrases are furthermore, consequently, nevertheless, for example, in addition, likewise, similarly and on the contrary. More sophisticated writers use more subtle means of transition. We will discuss these methods later.75
8426992642UnderstatementThe ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic. Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole.76
8426992643UndertoneAn attitude that may lie under the ostensible tone of the piece. Under a cheery surface, for example, a work may have threatening undertones. William Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper" from the Songs of Innocence has a grim undertone.77
8426992644WitIn modern usage, intellectually amazing language that surprises and delights. A witty statement is humorous, while suggesting the speaker's verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks. Wit usually uses terse language that makes a pointed statement. Historically, wit originally meant basic understanding. Its meaning evolved to include speed of understanding, and finally (in the early seventeenth century), it grew to mean quick perception including creative fancy and a quick tongue to articulate an answer that demanded the same quick perception.78
8426994780Zeugmaa figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses (e.g., John and his license expired last week ) or to two others of which it semantically suits only one (e.g., with weeping eyes and hearts ).79

AP Language literary terms- examples Flashcards

Here are 140 literary terms every AP 11 student should know!

Terms : Hide Images
4896817851EthosAppeals to an audience's sense of morality/trust; Achieved by projecting an image of credibility which supports the speaker's position0
4896817852PathosAppeals to an audience's sense of emotion; Achieved by evoking a passionate response which supports the speaker's position1
4896817853LogosAppeals to an audience's sense of intellect; Achieved by providing valid and relevant facts which support the speaker's position2
4896817854ClassicismArt or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures3
4896817855AntecedentThe word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.4
4896817856Active VoiceThe subject of the sentence performs the action5
4896817857DenotationThe literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations6
4896817858ConnotationImplied meaning rather than literal meaning7
4896817859DictionWord choice, particularly as an element of style8
4896817860Abstract LanguageLanguage describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people or places.9
4896817861AnalogyA comparison to a directly parallel case10
4896817862AphorismA terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle11
4896817863AllusionAn indirect reference to something with which the reader is supposed to be familiar12
4896817864AmbiguityAn event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way13
4896817865Concrete LanguageLanguage that describes specific, observable things, peoples or places, rather than ideas or qualities14
4896817866ColloquialOrdinary or familiar type of conversation; vernacular15
4896817867AllegoryA story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts16
4896817868ApostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity.17
4896817869AnecdoteA brief recounting of a relevant episode18
4896817870Adage:A folk saying with a lesson19
4896817871AttitudeRevealed through diction, figurative language, and organization20
4896817872AnnotationExplanatory notes added to a text to explain, clarify, or prompt further thought.21
4896817873AppositiveA word or group or words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning22
4896817874DidacticA term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking23
4896817875HyperboleExaggeration24
4896817876EpigramA short poem with a clever twist at the end, or a concise and witty statement25
4896817877Figurative LanguageThe opposite of "literal language"; writing that is not meant to be taken literally26
4896817878EpigraphA quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of theme.27
4896817879HomilyThis term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.28
4896817880GenreThe major category into which a literary work fits.29
4896817881ImageryWord or words that create a picture in the reader's mind.30
4896817882Verbal IronyWhen you say something and mean the opposite/something different31
4896817883JargonThe diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity32
4896817884VernacularLanguage or dialect of a particular country, language or dialect of a regional clan or group, plain everyday speech.33
4896817885SimileUsing words such as "like" or "as" to make a direct comparison between two very different things.34
4896817886IronyWhen the opposite of what you expect to happen does35
4896817887IdiomA common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.36
4896817888ExplicationThe act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text.37
4896817889EllipsisThe deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.38
4896817890EuphemismA more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.39
4896817891MetaphorMaking an implied comparison, not using "like," "as," or other such words.40
4896817892GothicWriting characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death.41
4896817893InvectiveAn emotional violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.42
4896817894Situational IronyFound in the plot of a book, story, or movie43
4896817895Suspension of disbeliefThe demand made that the reader accept the incidents recounted in the literary work44
4896817896ObjectivityAn author's stance that distances himself from personal involvement.45
4896817897OxymoronWhen apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox.46
4896817898ParadoxA seemingly contradictory statement which is actually true.47
4896817899RhetoricThe art of effective communication.48
4896817900AntithesisTwo opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure.49
4896817901ParodyAn exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes.50
4896817902Passive VoiceThe subject of the sentence receives the action.51
4896817903PedanticObserving strict adherence to formal rules or literal meaning at the expense of a wider view.52
4896817904SarcasmA generally bitter comment that is ironically worded53
4896817905PersonaThe fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.54
4896817906JuxtapositionPlacing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.55
4896817907RomanticismArt or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature.56
4896817908ParallelismSentence construction which places equal grammatical construction near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.57
4896817909MoodThe atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice.58
4896817910AnaphoraRepetition or a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row59
4896817911SemanticsThe study of actual meaning in languages--especially the meanings of individual words and word combinations in phrases and sentences60
4896817912Rhetorical QuestionA question not asked for information but for effect.61
4896817913SatireA work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect.62
4896817914ClauseA grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.63
4896817915Compound SentenceContains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses.64
4896817916Complex SentenceContains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.65
4896817917Balanced SentenceOne in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale.66
4896817918Interrogative SentenceSentences incorporating interrogative pronouns.67
4896817919ThemeThe central idea or message of a work.68
4896817920SentenceA group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.69
4896817921Simple SentenceContains one independent clause.70
4896817922Loose SentenceA complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and the subordinate clause follows.71
4896817923Compound - Complex SentenceContains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.72
4896817924Declarative SentenceStates an idea73
4896817925Periodic SentenceWhen the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence.74
4896817926Imperative SentenceIssues a command75
4896817927LitotesA particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used.76
4896817928TransitionSmooth movement from one paragraph (or idea) to another.77
4896817929UnderstatementThe ironic minimizing of fact, presents something as less significant than it is.78
4896817930SyntaxGrammatical arrangement of words.79
4896817931ThesisThe sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.80
4896817932StyleThe choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes81
4896817933SymbolAnything that represents or stands for something else.82
4896817934ClaimA statement or assertion that is open to challenge and that requires support83
4896817935Parenthetical phrase/ideaInterrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or added detail.84
4896817936Rhetorical modesDescribe the variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. Four of the most common are exposition, argumentation, description, and narration.85
4896817937KairosThe opportune time and/or place, the right or appropriate time to say or do the right or appropriate thing.86
4896817938ArgumentationThe interdisciplinary study of how conclusions can be reached through logical reasoning; that is, claims based, soundly or not, on premises. It includes the arts and sciences of civil debate, dialogue, conversation, and persuasion.87
4896817939CaricatureThe exaggeration of specific features of appearance or personality88
4896817940ConceitA comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a piece of literature.89
4896817941DescriptionThe picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch; one of the four modes of discourse.90
4896817942MetonymyA figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing, is referred to by something closely associated with it.91
4896817943NarrationThe act of telling a story, whether in prose or in verse, and the means by which that telling is accomplished.92
4896817944ProseThe ordinary form of spoken and written language whose unit is the sentence, rather than the line as it is in poetry. The term applies to all expressions in language that do not have a regular rhythmic pattern.93
4896817945InferenceInterpreting or drawing a conclusion.94
4896817946Generic conventionsTraditions for each genre. These help to define each genre; they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing; the unique feature of a writer's work from those dictated by convention.95
4896817947Extended metaphorA sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit, developed throughout a piece of writing.96
4896817948ExpositionThe immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information necessary for understanding the plot; also, explanation; one of the four modes of discourse.97
4896817949Independent clauseA clause that can stand by itself, also known as a simple sentence; contains a subject and a predicate; it makes sense by itself.98
4896817950Subordinate clauseAlso called a dependent clause—will begin with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun and will contain both a subject and a verb. This combination of words will not form a complete sentence. It will instead make a reader want additional information to finish the thought.99
4896817951AsyndetonA figure of speech in which one or several conjunctions are omitted from a series of related clauses.100
4896817952AlliterationSequential repetition of similar sounds101
4896817953AssonanceRepetition of identical or similar vowel sounds102
4896817954Begging the questionPloy where the arguer sidesteps questions or conflicts, evading or ignoring the question103
4896817955CanonThat which has been accepted as authentic104
4896817956ConsonanceRepetition of two or more consonants105
4896817957ConventionAccepted manner, model, or tradition106
4896817958Deductive reasoningArgument in which specific statements/conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement from general to specific107
4896817959DialectLanguage and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group of people108
4896817960ElegyPoetic lamentation upon a death of a particular person109
4896817961EpistropheRepetition of a phrase at the end of a sentence "Where now? Who now? When now?" by Samuel Beckett110
4896817962EulogySpeech in prose in praise of a deceased person111
4896817963Inductive reasoningArgument in which general conclusions are drawn from specific facts112
4896817964OnomatopoeiaWords that sound like what it desscribes The rustling leaves kept me awake.113
4896817965PersonificationGiving human qualities to abstract idea/nonhuman object114
4896817966Point of viewRelation of narrator/author to the subject115
4896817967RealismDescribing nature/life without idealization116
4896817968Rebuttal/refutationCountering of anticipated arguments117
4896817969SynecdocheWhen part is used to signify a whole "gray beard" refers to an old man.118
4896817970AnachronismAn event, object, custom, person, or thing that is out of order in time Act 2 Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar": "Brutus: Peace! Count the clock. Cassius: The clock has stricken three." The time in this play dates back to 44 AD. Mechanical clocks mentioned in dialogue had not been invented yet but were present in Shakespeare's time.119
4896817971AuthoritySupport for an argument that is based on recognized experts in the field120
4896817972BurlesqueBroad parody; whereas parody will imitate and exaggerate a specific work, this will take an entire style or form (such as myth) and exaggerate it into ridiculousness121
4896817973CacophonyHarsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose122
4896817974CoherenceQuality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle123
4896817975ConundrumA riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem124
4896817976DiscourseSpoken or written language, including literary works; the four traditionally classified modes are description, exposition, narration, and persuasion125
4896817977DissonanceDeliberate use of inharmonious words, phrases or syllables intended to create harsh sounding effects, which makes the reading uncomfortable and it adds emotional depth to a situation or moment.126
4896817978EuphonyA succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose127
4896817979ExemplumA brief tale used in medieval times to illustrate a sermon or teach a lesson128
4896817980Figures of speechExpressions, such as similes, metaphors, and personification, that make imaginative, rather than literal, comparisons or associations129
4896817981FolkloreTraditional stories, songs, dances, and customs that are preserved among a people; usually precedes literature, being passed down orally from generation to generation until recorded by scholars130
4896817982Ad hominem argumentFrom the Latin meaning "to or against the man," this appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather than intellect131
4896817983HubrisThe excessive pride or ambition that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings of impending doom, eventually causing his or her downfall132
4896817984MotifMain theme or subject of a work that is elaborated on in the development of the piece; a repeated pattern or idea133
4896817985ParableA short tale that teaches a moral; similar to but shorter than an allegory134
4896817986PersuasionA form of argumentation, one of the four modes of discourse; language intended to convince through appeals to reason or emotion135
4896817987RegionalismAn element in literature that conveys a realistic portrayal of a specific geographic locale, using the locale and its influences as a major part of the plot136
4896817988StereotypeA character who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group and who lacks individuality137
4896817989SubjectivityA personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions138
4896817990ZeugmaUsing a single verb to refer to two different objects in an ungrammatical but striking way, or artfully using an adjective to refer to two separate nouns, even though the adjective would logically only be appropriate for one of the two. Also exploiting multiple shades of meaning in a single word or phrase. "It was the knife that, a moment later, cut off her scream. And her head." (Robert Bloch, Psycho) "Where the washing is not put out, nor the fire, nor the mistress". (Henry David Thoreau, Walden)139
4897345867DiazeugmaA zeugma whose only subject governs multiple verbs. "We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." John F. Kennedy140

AP Literature Vocab #3 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
8024845667solicitouseager and attentive often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive0
8024845668diffidenttimid, lacking self confidence1
8024845669catharsispurification that brings emotional relief2
8024845670dubiousfull of doubt, uncertain3
8024845671parodysatirical imitation4
8024845672ExpediteTo speed up or ease the progress of5
8024845673ReproveCriticize mildly6
8024845674ColloquialConversational, informal in language7
8024845675SanctimoniousPretending to be devout, affecting religious feeling8
8024845676RedundantUnnecessarily repetitive, excessively wordy9
8024845677BurgeonTo expand, to flourish10
8024845678PlatitudeA dull or trite remark or cliché11

AP Literature Vocabulary Terms Flashcards

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7168885707EpicA long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds . It tells the story of the life of an Assyrian king, Gilgamesh. Like all other epics, the narrative of this epic revolves around the themes related to gods, human beings, mortality, legacy and seduction. Like other epics, it is also composed in a grand style. -The Epic of Gilgamesh (~2000 BCE)0
7168852101First Person NarrationThe story is told from the point of view of a character in the story Classic novels that have used first person are To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sun Also Rises, Catcher in the Rye, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Lolita. It can also be found in today's popular writing, such as the The Hunger Games trilogy.1
7168852102Third Person NarrationLiterary narration from a viewpoint beyond that of any one individual character "He is just what a young man ought to be," said she, "sensible, good humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! -- so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!" Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice2
7168852103Omniscientknowing everything; having unlimited awareness or understanding The narrator in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, is an omniscient one, who scrutinizes the characters and narrates the story in a way that shows the readers that he has more knowledge about characters than they have knowledge about themselves.3
7168853122Limited omniscientNarrator shares the thoughts and feelings of one character "Harry had taken up his place at wizard school, where he and his scar were famous ...but now the school year was over, and he was back with the Dursleys for the summer, back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly...The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelfth birthday. Of course, his hopes hadn't been high?" - "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling4
7168853123Free indirect discoursetype of third-person narration that slips in and out of characters' consciousness. "The muddy streets were gay. He strode homeward, conscious of an invisible grace pervading and making light his limbs. In spite of all he had done it. He had confessed and God had pardoned him. His soul was made fair and holy once more, holy and happy. It would be beautiful to die if God so willed. It was beautiful to live in grace a life of peace and virtue and forbearance with others." -James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man5
7168885689Objective Narratortells a story without describing any character's thoughts, opinions, or feelings; instead, it gives an objective, unbiased point of view. In fiction, Ernest Hemingway's "The Killers" is told by an objective observer who communicates only the actions and words of the characters, leaving readers to infer their thoughts and emotions.6
7168885690Unreliable narratoran untrustworthy or naive commentator on events and characters in a story J. D. Salinger's cynical teenage narrator openly admits he's "the most terrific liar you ever saw" at the start of the story. His opinions about the world seem skewed by adolescent angst (he's a precocious protagonist with an immature streak), but Salinger makes us question Caulfield's stability at the end of the story. -Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye7
7168885691Protagonistthe main character in a literary work In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the protagonist experiences terrible events because of his indecisiveness, which troubles him while murdering his evil uncle. So, Hamlet's struggle in dealing with the antagonist is what precedes the story.8
7168885692Hero/Heroinesomeone who fights for a cause Odysseus is well-known for his brilliance, versatility, wit, and ingenuity - so much so that the epithet "Odysseus the cunning" is used for his character. He is the best example of a larger-than-life-figure type of a classical hero. -Homer's epic "Odyssey."9
7168885693Tragic Hero/Heroinea literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. Aristotle has used his character Oedipus as a perfect example of a tragic hero, as he has hubris such that he is blind to the truth. He refuses to listen to wise men, such as Tiresias, who predicts that Oedipus has killed his father, Laius. He is tragic because he struggles against the forces of his fate, and pitiable due to his weakness, which arouses fear in the audience. -Oedipus, Oedipus Rex (By Sophocles)10
7168885694AntagonistA character or force in conflict with the main character King Creon in Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone". Here, the function of the antagonist is to obstruct the main character's progress through evil plots and actions. Antigone, the protagonist, struggles against King Creon, the antagonist, in her effort to give her brother a respectable burial.11
7168885695AntiheroA protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero. Jay Gatsby is one of the most famous examples of antihero in literature. He wants to see himself as a hero, and early on in his life he renames himself Gatsby rather than his given name, Gatz. -The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald12
7168885696FoilA character who acts as a contrast to another character MERCUTIO: Romeo, Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh, Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied. Cry but "Ay me!" Pronounce but "love" and "dove." -Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare This is an example of foil in which the two characters are good friends, yet have one very important difference. Romeo is a romantic person, hopelessly romantic in Mercutio's opinion. Mercutio, on the other hand, is witty and not at all romantic13
7168885697Stock CharacterStereotypical character The evil stepmother in the tale of Cinderella is a prime example of a stock character.14
7168885698Dynamic characterA character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action Hamlet, Hamlet (by William Shakespeare) Throughout the play, Hamlet is worried about life and death, and it is this apprehension that makes him a dynamic character.15
7168885699Static characterA character that does not change from the beginning of the story to the end Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice (By Jane Austen) He plays a vital role in the novel by making efforts to get Darcy and Elizabeth together, and contributes comedy to the story; however, his character does not change.16
7168885700Flat characterA character who is not very well developed; has few identifiable characteristics She remains passive, never acts on her own until she becomes a victim herself. -Gertrude from Hamlet (William Shakespeare)17
7168885701Round characterA character who has many different character traits For instance, in the movie "Shrek," the main character says "'Ogres are like onions," which means that, what appears to them is not the only truth.18
7168885702direct characterizationThe author directly states a character's traits "The first thing Rainsford's eyes discerned was the largest man Rainsford had ever seen - a gigantic creature, solidly made and black bearded to the waist. -The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell19
7168885703Indirect CharacterizationAuthor subtly reveals the character through actions and interactions. Cathy was chewing a piece of meat, chewing with her front teeth. Samuel had never seen anyone chew that way before. And when she had swallowed, her little tongue flicked around her lips. Samuel's mind repeated, "Something—something—can't find what it is. Something wrong," and the silence hung on the table. -East of Eden by John Steinbeck The indirect characterization forces the reader to understand this passage as an allusion to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, thereby inferring Cathy's deep-rooted sinfulness.20
7168885704AllegoryA literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractionsts "All animals are equal but a few are more equal than others." The animals on the farm represent different sections of Russian society after the revolution. For instance, the pigs represent those who came to power following the revolution -Animal Farm by George Orwell21
7168885705Bildungsromana novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education. This is a coming-of-age story of a character, Stephen Dedalus. Following his life story detailing boarding school, his choice of religious dedication, and innovative life as an artist. -"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce22
7168885706ComedyA humorous work of drama William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is a good example of a romantic comedy, presenting young lovers falling comically in and out of love for a brief period. Their real world problems get resolved magically, enemies reconcile and true lovers unite in the end.23
7168885708Farcean extremely ridiculous situation Just like a typical farce that contains basic elements like mockery of upper class, disgraceful physical humor, absurdity and mistaken identities, this novel also contains demonstrates these features of a farce. The most absurd thing in this is the fact that Miss Prism commits a blunder by leaving her manuscript in perambulator and instead putting her child into her handbag. Oscar Wilde's novel, The Importance of Being Earnest24
7168885709Free Verse Poetryno repeating patterns of syllables, no rhyme, conversational, modern Barely tolerated, living on the margin In our technological society, we were always having to be rescued On the brink of destruction, like heroines in Orlando Furioso Before it was time to start all over again. There would be thunder in the bushes, a rustling of coils,....... The whole thing might not, in the end, be the only solution........ Came plowing down the course, just to make sure everything was O.K.... About how to receive this latest piece of information. -Soonest Mended by John Ashbury In this poem, there is no regular rhyme scheme and rhythm; it is without poetic constraints, but with a flow that gives it a natural touch.25
7168885710Lyric PoemA type of poem characterized by brevity, compression, and the expression of feeling. "Turn back the heart you've turned away Give back your kissing breath Leave not my love as you have left The broken hearts of yesterday But wait, be still, don't lose this way... Accept my love, live for today." -Italian Sonnet by James DeFord This is an example of a sonnet, using fourteen lines with a metrical pattern of iambic pentameter. The poem is about feelings of love for a beloved. It tells how it is worth staying with one another instead of leaving.26
7168885711Parodya work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner Shakespeare wrote "Sonnet 130" in parody of traditional love poems common in his day. He presents an anti-love poem theme in a manner of a love poem mocking the exaggerated comparisons they made: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks;"27
7168885712Romancean extended narrative about improbable events and extraordinary people in exotic places This 14th century romance, whose writer is still unknown, revolves around the bravery of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur, who accepts the challenge from the Green Knight. Sir Gawain beheads the knight, but the knight goes away reminding him that he would appear again. In this struggle, Sir Gawain shows his true nature of bravery, chivalry, and courage when tested by a lady, as he stays in the castle of that very knight. -Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Author Unknown)28
7168885713Satireusing humor to expose something or someone to ridicule Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock is an example of poetic satire in which he has satirized the upper middle class of eighteenth century England. It exposes the vanity of young fashionable ladies and gentlemen and the frivolity of their actions. For example, Pope says about Belinda after losing her lock of hair: "Whether the nymph shall break Diana's law, Or some frail china jar receive a flaw, Or stain her honor, or her new brocade"29
7168885714stream-of-consciousnesswriting that imitates the sometimes unpredictable workings of the mind James Joyce successfully employs the narrative mode in his novel "Ulysses" which describes the day in life of a middle-aged Jew, Mr. Leopold Broom, living in Dublin, Ireland. Read the following excerpt: "He is young Leopold, as in a retrospective arrangement, a mirror within a mirror (hey, presto!), he beholdeth himself. That young figure of then is seen, precious manly, walking on a nipping morning from the old house in Clambrassil to the high school, his book satchel on him bandolier wise, and in it a goodly hunk of wheaten loaf, a mother's thought." These lines reveal the thoughts of Bloom. He thinks of the younger Bloom. The self-reflection is achieved by the flow of thoughts that takes him back to his past.30
7168885715TragedyA serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character Shakespeare, the most popular of all playwrights, knew the Greek tragedy style well and he used several Greek themes but modified them to his own purpose. He intentionally violates the unity of action and mixes tragic actions with comical. Examples of tragedy written by Shakespeare include: Hamlet Othello King Lear31
7168885716Alliterationthe repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words From Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea." In the above lines we see alliteration ("b", "f" and "s") in the phrases "breeze blew", "foam flew", "furrow followed", and "silent sea".32
7168885717Anaphorathe repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses Richard II, Act 2, Scene 1 (By William Shakespeare) "This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings [. . .] This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land," Here, Shakespeare does not disappoint us in the use of anaphora. The repetition of the word "this" creates an emotional effect on the readers, particularly those who are English. Further, it highlights the significance of England. The repetition of the word "dear" shows the writer's emotional attachment to the land, and expects to elicit a similar response from the readers as well.33
7168885718Antithesisa person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" we notice antithesis in characters of "Mark Antony" and "Marcus Brutus". Brutus is portrayed as a "noblest of Romans" close to Caesar and a person who loved Rome and Caesar. Antony, on the contrary, is shown as a man with evil intentions of harming Caesar and taking charge of Rome. These antithetical characters highlight the conflict in the play.34
7168885720ApostropheA locution that addresses a person or personified thing not present.William Shakespeare makes use of an apostrophe in his play "Macbeth": "Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee! I have thee not, and yet I see thee still." In his mental conflict before murdering King Duncan, Macbeth has a strange vision of a dagger and talks to it as if it were another person.35
7168885721AssonanceRepetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (By Robert Frost) Try to recognize the use of assonance in Robert Frost's poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening: "He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dar and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."36
7168885722Clichéa worn-out idea or overused expression They all lived happily ever after. Read between the lines Fall head over heals Waking up on the wrong side of the bed The quiet before the storm Between the devil and the deep blue sea37
7168885723ConsonanceRepetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity. Just like the poem "T was later when the summer went" by Emily Dickson: 'T was later when the summer went Than when the cricket came, And yet we knew that gentle clock Meant nought but going home. 'T was sooner when the cricket went Than when the winter came, Yet that pathetic pendulum Keeps esoteric time.38
7168885724EpithetA descriptive name or phrase used to characterize someone or something "Here of a Sunday morning My love and I would lie, And see the coloured counties, And hear the larks so high About us in the sky." -Brendon Hills by A.E Housman Here, "coloured" is an epithet used to describe the pleasant and beautiful spring season in those countries where the poet wishes to enjoy his beloved's company.39
7168885725Hyperboleexaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "People moved slowly then. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go,, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County." -To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee This is an example of hyperbole because Lee is over exaggerating the peoples want or urge to stay in Maycomb County instead of going elsewhere.40
7168885726UnderstatementThe ironic minimizing of fact, presents something as less significant than it is. "'I've got a nice place here,' he said, his eyes flashing about restlessly. Turning me about by one arm, he moved a broad flat hand along the front vista, including in its sweep a sunken Italian garden, a half acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub-nosed motor-boat that bumped the tide offshore." -The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald This is an example of an understatement because Tom Buchanan simply calls his estate "nice" even though its obviously more than "nice". Instead of boasting he allows the place to speak for itself.41
7168885727EnjambmentIn poetry, the use of successive lines with no punctuation or pause between them "April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow, feeding A little life with dried tubers." -The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot This is an example of enjambment because throughout the poem only two lines have punctuation. The rest are enjambed.42
7168885728EuphemismAn indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant "For the time being," he explains, "it had been found necessary to make a readjustment of rations." -Animal Farm by George Orwell This is an example of an euphemism because its taking a bad situation, cutting rations, and making it seem like its just changing the amount verses completely cutting rations.43
7168885729CaesurasA pause or break within a line of poetry "I'm nobody! || Who are you? Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us || - don't tell! They'd banish || - you know!" -I'm Nobody! Who Are You? by Emily Dickinson The Caesuras in this piece cause it to have an uneven rhythm which conveys the depth of idea.44
7168885730SimileA comparison using "like" or "as" "I would have given anything for the power to soothe her frail soul, tormenting itself in its invincible ignorance like a small bird beating about the cruel wires of a cage." -Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad This is an example of a simile because the helplessness of the soul is being compared with a bird in a cage, beating itself against the merciless wires to be free.45
7168885731Conceit metaphoran extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic passage or entire poem. By juxtaposing, usurping and manipulating images and ideas in surprising ways, a conceit invites the reader into a more sophisticated understanding of an object of comparison. "Thou counterfeit'st a bark, a sea, a wind; For still thy eyes, which I may call the sea, Do ebb and flow with tears; the bark thy body is, Sailing in this salt flood; the winds, thy sighs; Who, raging with thy tears, and they with them, Without a sudden calm, will overset Thy tempest-tossed body." -Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare This is a good example because he compares Juliet to a boat in a storm. The comparison is an extended metaphor where he compares her eyes to a sea, her tears to a storm, her sighs to the stormy winds and her body to a boat in a storm.46
7168885732Dead metaphora comparison that is overused. "Oh, if the economy, the elderly could leap above what binds them- bound toward bounty" -Leaps and bounds by Linda Varsell Smith This is a dead metaphor poem because it uses "leaps and bounds" in a way that is not usually seen.47
7168885733extended metaphorA metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. "Bobby Holloway says my imagination is a three-hundred-ring circus. Currently I was in ring two hundred and ninety-nine, with elephants dancing and clowns cart wheeling and tigers leaping through rings of fire. The time had come to step back, leave the main tent, go buy some popcorn and a Coke, bliss out, cool down."-Seize the Night. Bantam, 1999- Dean Koontz Here, it can be seen that the "circus" has been compared to the author's "imagination."48
7168885734mixed metaphora metaphor that is used incorrectly by combining two contrasting expressions. "Mr. Speaker, I smell a rat. I see him floating in the air. But mark me, sir, I will nip him in the bud."- Boyle Roche in the Irish Parliament Utilized several different metaphors in order to get the point across.49
7168885735Metonymythe substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."- Julie's Ceaser- Shakespeare Mark Anthony uses "ears" to say that he wants the people present there to listen to him attentively. It is a metonymy because the word "ears" replaces the concept of attention.50
7168885736Synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa "At midnight I went on deck, and to my mate's great surprise put the ship round on the other tack. His terrible whiskers flitted round me in silent criticism."- The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad The word "whiskers" mentioned in the above lines refers to the whole face of the narrator's mate.51
7168885737Paradoxa statement that seems contradictory but is actually true "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others".- Animal Farm by George Orwell This statement seems to not make any sense. However, on closer examination, it gets clear that Orwell points out a political truth. The government in the novel claims that everyone is equal but it has never treated everyone equally. It is the concept of equality stated in this paradox that is opposite to the common belief of equality.52
7168885738OxymoronA figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. "the shackles of love straiten'd him His honour rooted in dishonoured stood And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true"- Lancelot and Elaine By Alfred Lord Tennyson We clearly notice the use of oxymoron in the phrases "shackles... straiten'd," "honour... dishonor," "faith unfaithful," and "falsely true".53
7168885739Synesthesiadescribing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound") "The butterfly and I had lit upon, Nevertheless, a message from the dawn, That made me hear the wakening birds around, And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground..."- A Tuft of Flowers by Robert Frost In the above excerpt, the speaker reveals a blend of sensory experiences that the speaker is experiencing. The speaker's visual sense and his sense of hearing make him aware of his surroundings.54
7168885740Connotationan idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. "Hie thee, gentle Jew. The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind."- "The Merchant of Venice" by Shakespeare The word "Jew" has a negative connotation of wickedness, while "Christian" demonstrates positive connotations of kindness.55
7168885741DenotationThe dictionary definition of a word "And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again. We keep the wall between us as we go. To each the boulders that have fallen to each."- Mending Wall by Robert Frost In the above lines, the word "wall" is used to suggest a physical boundary, which is its denotative meaning, but it also implies the idea of an emotional barrier.56
7168885742Run-On /Fused Sentencewhen a writer has connected two main clauses with no punctuation. A main clause makes a complete thought, so you should not find two of them smashed together in a single sentence. "My God the cigar what would your mother say if she found a blister on her mantel just in time too look here Quentin we're about to do something we'll both regret I like you liked you as soon as I saw you I says he must be ..."- "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner This excerpt is a perfect example of fused run-on sentences, where we find neither commas nor use of conjunction that could separate the clauses and gives clarity to this passage.57
7168885743Comma SpliceTwo sentences joined incorrectly by a comma instead of a conjunction, period, or semicolon "By day the goldfinches dip in yellow light, by night the frogs sing the song that never goes out of favor."- A Report in the Spring by E.B. White This example also has a comma splice that needs correction. Simply using the coordinating conjunction "and," or a semi-colon, can correct the comma splice.58
7168885744Sentence Fragmenta sentence missing a subject or verb or complete thought "Late afternoon. The sky hunkers down, presses, like a lover, against the land. Small sounds. A far sheep, faint barking. Time to drive on, toward Strathpeffer, friends, a phone call from my father.-"Culloden," Only the Dance by Judith Kitchen This is an intentional use of sentence fragments in order to show the rhythmic phrasing.59
7168885745Allusionan indirect reference "The two knitting women increase his anxiety by gazing at him and all the other sailors with knowing unconcern. Their eerie looks suggest that they know what will happen (the men dying), yet don't care"- "Heart of Darkness" by Conrad This alludes to "Moirae" or Fates as visualized in Greek Mythology. The thread they knit represents human life. The two women knitting black wool foreshadows Marlow's horrific journey in the "Dark Continent".60
7168885746JuxtapositionPlacement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..." - "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens In order to give us an idea of the factors responsible for the French Revolution, Dickens uses Juxtaposition throughout the novel in which the have not's and the haves are put side by side to highlight the presence of severe disparity and discord in the then French society that paved the way for the revolution. By examining the given juxtaposition, readers can vividly imagine the calamitous atmosphere before the revolution and understand its need at that time.61
7168885747PersonificationAttribution of a lifelike quality to an inanimate object or idea "I hied me away to the woods — away back into the sun-washed alleys carpeted with fallen gold and glades where the moss is green and vivid yet. The woods are getting ready to sleep — they are not yet asleep but they are disrobing and are having all sorts of little bed-time conferences and whisperings and good-nights."- The Green Gables Letters by L. M. Montgomery The lack of activity in the forest has been beautifully personified as the forest getting ready to sleep, busy at bed-time chatting and wishing good-nights, all of which are human customs.62
7168885748Anthropomorphismattributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object (Personification) "My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me, I do not know these nice distinctions myself. To me they are only fine large words meaning nothing. My mother had a fondness for such; she liked to say them, and see other dogs look surprised and envious, as wondering how she got so much education.... When I was well grown, at last, I was sold and taken away, and I never saw her again. She was broken-hearted, and so was I, and we cried; but she comforted me as well as she could...."- A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain The protagonist of the story is a dog that is telling the story. It is describing his life as a puppy. The story is told from the loyal pet's perspective. The dog possesses human traits like emotions, shame, fear, anguish, happiness and hopelessness.63
7168885749ImageryDescription that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) . Consider an example from Act I, Scene V: "O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear ..."- Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare Romeo praises Juliet by saying that she appears more radiant than the brightly lit torches in the hall. He says that at night her face glows like a bright jewel shining against the dark skin of an African. Through the contrasting images of light and dark, Romeo portrays Juliet's beauty.64
7168885750visual imageryDescribing what one would see "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep ... "- Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost Robert Frost uses visual imagery in these lines of his famous poem as, "the woods are lovely, dark and deep."65
7168885751Auditory ImageryDescribing what one would hear "Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft, And gathering swallows twitter in the skies."- To Autumn by John Keats The animal sounds in the above excerpt keep appealing to our sense of hearing. We hear the lamb bleating and the crickets chirping. We hear the whistles of the redbreast robin and the twitters of swallows in the skies. Keats call these sounds the song of autumn.66
7168885752kinesthetic imageryan image that represents movement. "I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze."- Daffodils by William Wordsworth This is a very good example of imagery in Wordsworth's Daffodils. The poet uses the sense of sight to create a host of golden daffodils beside the lake. Their fluttering and dancing also refers to the sight.67
7168885753Olfactory imagerySense of smell "Brookfield he had liked, almost from the beginning. He remembered that day of his preliminary interview—sunny June, with the air full of flower scents and the plick-plock of cricket on the pitch. Brookfield was playing Barnhurst, and one of the Barnhurst boys, a chubby little fellow, made a brilliant century. Queer that a thing like that should stay in the memory so clearly."- Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton This is an excellent example of the use of imagery in Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton. First the word sunny refers to the visual imagery. The flower scent refers to the sense of smell, and then the plick-plock refers to the sense of hearing.68
7168885754gustatory imageryimagery of taste "I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet so cold." - "This is just to say" by William Carlos Williams Hes describing the taste of plums and how they feel69
7168885755situational ironya contrast between what the audience and a character expect and what actually happens The whole story of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" presents a case of the situational irony. Dorothy moves to the wizard in order to find a way to go her home just to learn that she was capable of doing so persistently. Scarecrow wished to become intelligent, but he discovers himself a perfect genius. Woodsman considers himself as not capable of love; nevertheless he learns that he has a good heart. Lion appears as a coward and then turns out to be an extremely fearless and courageous.- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum70
7168885756Verbal IronyA figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant "She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me".- Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen We can find many finest examples of this form of irony in Pride and Prejudice. In this example, we relish ironic flavor of Darcy's statement that we later figure out that the woman whom he finds unsuitable to dance with, in reality, finds her place in his heart.71
7168885757dramatic ironythe contrast between what a character expects and what the audience knows is true "To be able to be free from care, quite free from care; to be able to play and romp with the children; to be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it!"- A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen Nora is delightedly looking forward to those moments when she would be able to pay off her debts to Krogstad. This reflects that she would be free. However, her speech shows the use of dramatic irony when the readers know that her freedom is, in fact, a bondage, which she comes to realize by the end of the story.72
7168885758Foreshadowingthe use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot "The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees... Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door."- The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes The above lines are entirely filled with melancholic tone and foreshadowing. The very first line calls wind "a torrent of darkness," where darkness is a foreshadowing danger. The depiction of night and weather as 'darkness' foretells the coming of a dark tale.73
7168885759MoodFeeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader "The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly on."- "Pickwick Papers" by Charles Dickens The depiction of idyllic scenery imparts a serene and non-violent mood to the readers.74
7168885760Motifa distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition In Shakespeare's Hamlet, we find a recurring motif of incest accompanied by incestuous desires of some characters. Laertes speaks to his sister Ophelia in a way that is sexually explicit. Hamlet shows obsession for Gertrude's sexual life with Claudius has an underlying tone of an incestuous desire. Besides, there is a motif of hatred for women that Hamlet experiences in his relationship with Gertrude and Ophelia. Hamlet expresses his disgust for women in Scene 2 of Act I: "Frailty, thy name is woman"75
7168885761Symbolanything that stands for or represents something else "Ah Sunflower, weary of time, Who countest the steps of the sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveler's journey is done;"- Ah Sunflower by William Blake Blake uses a sunflower as a symbol for human beings, and "the sun" symbolizes life. Therefore, these lines symbolically refer to their life cycle and their yearning for a never-ending life.76
7168885762Contextual Symbolcan be a setting, character, action, object, name, or anything else in a work that maintains its literal significance while. suggesting other meanings. Such symbols go beyond conventional symbols; they gain their symbolic. meaning within the context of a specific story. "In the spring, I asked the daisies If his words were true, And the clever, clear-eyed daisies Always knew. Now the fields are brown and barren, Bitter autumn blows, And of all the stupid asters Not one knows."- Wild Asters by Sara Teasdale In the above lines, "spring" and "daisies" are symbols of youth. "Brown and barren" are symbols of transition from youth to old age. Moreover, "Bitter autumn" symbolizes death.77
7168885763Cultural Symbolthe meaning of a symbol is not inherent in the symbol itself but is culturally learned. An "A+" is a cultural symbol. Think how random an A+ really is yet how much meaning it conveys. Especially as a child and likely still as a college student, when you see that A+, which is technically just a series of lines arranged in a particular manner, the first letter of our alphabet, you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. You know that symbol means that you did an excellent job, especially when compared to the symbol "F".78
7168885764ThemeCentral idea of a work of literature Love and Friendship Theme Love and friendship are frequently occurring themes in literature. They generate emotional twists and turns in a narrative, and can lead to a variety of endings: happy, sad, or bittersweet. The following are famous literary works with love and friendship themes: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen79
7168885765Thesisa statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved. Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. (One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez) The rest of the passage is based upon the afternoon before mentioned.80
7168885766Tonean attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience "This was the last fish we were ever to see Paul catch. My father and I talked about this moment several times later, and whatever our other feelings, we always felt it fitting that, when we saw him catch his last fish, we never saw the fish but only the artistry of the fisherman."- A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean The extract contains tones of loss and nostalgia; however, the characters look quite satisfied with the way things are moving forward.81

AP Literature Poetry Devices Flashcards

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2174053187figure of speechA device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things.0
2174064807tropeArtful diction; the use of language in a nonliteral way; also called a figure of speech1
2174054381apostropheA figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.2
2174058203hyperboleA figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor3
2174094698litotesA deliberate understatement for effect; the opposite of hyperbole. For example, a good idea may be described as "not half bad," or a difficult task considered "no small feat." This is found frequently in Old English poetry; "That was a good king," declares the narrator of the Beowulf epic after summarizing the Danish king's great virtues.4
2174066620ironyA device that depends on the existence of at least two separate and contrasting levels of meaning embedded in one message. Verbal ______ is sarcasm when the speaker says something other than what they really mean. In dramatic ______ the audience is more aware than the characters in a work. Situational ______ occurs when the opposite of what is expected happens. This type of ______ often emphasizes that people are caught in forces beyond their comprehension and control.5
2174278051symbolSomething in the world of the senses, including an action, that reveals or is a sign for something else, often abstract or otherworldly. A rose, for example, has long been considered a ____ of love and affection.6
2174069747metaphorA comparison that establishes a figurative identity between objects being compared. Ex. Hope is the7
2174083413allegoryAn extended metaphor in which the characters, places, and objects in a narrative carry figurative meaning. Often a ______'s meaning is religious, moral, or historical in nature. John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress and Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene are two major works in English.8
2174074534oxymoronA figure of speech consisting of two apparently contradictory terms Ex. jumbo shrimp9
2174104290paradoxAs a figure of speech, it is a seemingly self-contradictory phrase or concept that illuminates a truth. For instance, Wallace Stevens, in "The Snow Man," describes the "Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is." Alexander Pope, in "An Essay on Man: Epistle II," describes Man as "Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all." It is related to oxymoron, which creates a new phrase or concept out of a contradiction.10
2174151558antithesisContrasting or combining two terms, phrases, or clauses with opposite meanings. William Blake pits love's competing impulses—selflessness and self-interest—against each other in his poem "The Clod and the Pebble." Love "builds a Heaven in Hell's despair," or it "builds a Hell in Heaven's despite."11
2174109233personificationA figure of speech in which the poet describes an abstraction, a thing, or a nonhuman form as if it were a person. William Blake's "O Rose, thou art sick!" is one example; Donne's "Death, be not proud" is another.12
2174112216anthropomorphismA form of personification in which human qualities are attributed to anything inhuman, usually a god, animal, object, or concept. John Keats admires a star's loving watchfulness ("with eternal lids apart") in his sonnet "Bright Star, Would I Were as Steadfast as Thou Art."13
2174259832pathetic fallacyFaulty reasoning that inappropriately ascribes human feelings to nature or nonhuman objects. It is related to personification and anthropomorphism, but emphasizes the relationship between the poet's emotional state and what he or she sees in the object or objects. For instance, in William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," the speaker sees a field of daffodils "tossing their heads in a sprightly dance," outdoing the nearby lake's sparkling waves with their "glee." The speaker, in times of solitude and introspection, is heartened by memories of the flowers' joy.14
2174116317simileA direct comparison made between two unlike things, using a word of comparison such as like, as, than, such as, or resembles.15
2174292044zuegmaA figure of speech in which one verb or preposition joins two objects within the same phrase, often with different meanings. For example, "I left my heart—and my suitcase—in San Francisco." It occurs in William Shakespeare's "Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun": "Golden Lads, and Girles all must / As chimney-sweepers come to dust." Here, "coming to dust" refers to the chimney-sweeper's trade as well as the body's decay.16
2174120995metonomyA figure of speech in which a related term is substituted for the word itself. Often the substitution is based on a material, causal, or conceptual relation between things. For example, the British monarchy is often referred to as the Crown. In the phrase "lend me your ears," "ears" is substituted for "attention."17
2174124320synechdocheA figure of speech in which a part of something stands for the whole. For example, "I've got wheels" for "I have a car," or a description of a worker as a "hired hand."18
2174207059elisionThe omission of unstressed syllables (e.g., "ere" for "ever," "tother" for "the other"), usually to fit a metrical scheme. "What dire offence from am'rous causes springs," goes the first line of Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock, in which "amorous" is elided to "am'rous" to establish the pentameter (five-foot) line.19
2174132014alliterationThe repetition of initial stressed, consonant sounds in a series of words within a phrase or verse line. This need not reuse all initial consonants; "pizza" and "place" do this. Example: "We saw the sea sound sing, we heard the salt sheet tell," from Dylan Thomas's "Lie Still, Sleep Becalmed."20
2174170904consonanceA resemblance in sound between two words, or an initial rhyme; it can also refer to shared consonants, whether in sequence ("bed" and "bad") or reversed ("bud" and "dab").21
2174176802dissonanceA disruption of harmonic sounds or rhythms. Like cacophony, it refers to a harsh collection of sounds; it is usually intentional, however, and depends more on the organization of sound for a jarring effect, rather than on the unpleasantness of individual words.22
2174161580assonanceThe repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants; sometimes called vowel rhyme. See Amy Lowell's "In a Garden" ("With its leaping, and deep, cool murmur") or "The Taxi" ("And shout into the ridges of the wind").23
2174183788chiasmusRepetition of any group of verse elements (including rhyme and grammatical structure) in reverse order, such as the rhyme scheme ABBA. Examples can be found in Biblical scripture ("But many that are first / Shall be last, / And many that are last / Shall be first"; Matthew 19:30). See also John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn" ("Beauty is truth, truth beauty").24
2174146797anaphoraOften used in political speeches and occasionally in prose and poetry, it is the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines to create a sonic effect.25
2174134258allusionA brief, intentional reference to a historical, mythic, or literary person, place, event, or movement. "The Waste Land," T. S. Eliot's influential long poem is dense with allusions.26
2174141810anachronismSomeone or something placed in an inappropriate period of time. Shakespeare's placing of a clock in Julius Caesar is an example of this, because clocks had not yet been invented in the period when the play is set.27
2174138442ambiguityA word, statement, or situation with two or more possible meanings is said to be ______ . As poet and critic William Empson wrote in his influential book, "The machinations of ______ are among the very roots of poetry." A poet may consciously join together incompatible words to disrupt the reader's expectation of meaning, as e.e. cummings does in [anyone lived in a pretty how town].28
2174226962ellipsisIn poetry, the omission of words whose absence does not impede the reader's ability to understand the expression. For example, Shakespeare makes frequent use of the phrase "I will away" in his plays, with the missing verb understood to be "go."29
2174187153circumlocutionA roundabout wording, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "twice five miles of fertile ground" (i.e., 10 miles) in "Kubla Khan." Also known as periphrasis.30
2174158842aphorismA pithy, instructive statement or truism, like a maxim or adage. Ex: Benjamin Franklin's "How to get RICHES."31
2174194160complaintA poem of lament, often directed at an ill-fated love, as in Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophel and Stella XXXI." It may also be a satiric attack on social injustice and immorality; in "The Lie," Sir Walter Raleigh bitterly rails against institutional hypocrisy and human vanity "Tell men of high condition, / That manage the estate, / Their purpose is ambition, / Their practice only hate."32
2174198281conceitFrom the Latin term for "concept," a this device is an often unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor whose delights are more intellectual than sensual. In Shakespeare's "Sonnet XCVII: How like a Winter hath my Absence been," for example, "What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!" laments the lover, though his separation takes place in the fertile days of summer and fall.33
2174241367epigrapha quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.. For example, Grace Schulman's "American Solitude" opens with a quote from an essay by Marianne Moore.34
2174247172motifA central or recurring image or action in a literary work that is shared by other works and may serve an overall theme. For example, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and John Bunyan's A Pilgrim's Progress both feature the ___ of a long journey.35
2174254891neologisma new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses. Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" is filled with them, including "slithy" and "gimble."36
2174273475punWordplay that uses homonyms (two different words that are spelled identically) to deliver two or more meanings at the same time. "Ah, nothing more obscure than Browning / Save blacking," writes Ambrose Bierce in "With a Book," making a ___ on the name of poet Robert Browning and the color brown.37
2174283939synesthesiaA blending or intermingling of different senses in description. "Light laughs the breeze in her castle of sunshine," writes Emily Dickinson.38
2174268574poetic licenseA poet's departure from the rules of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary in order to maintain a metrical or rhyme scheme; can also mean the manipulation of facts to suit the needs of a poem.39

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