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AP Language and Composition Vocabulary Flashcards

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6688171772Expletivenoun, a profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger0
6688171773Asyndetonnoun, the omission of conjunctions like "and" or "but" where they would normally be used to make a speech more dramatic and effective by speeding up its rhythm and pace. This is a rhetorical device.1
6688171774Polysyndetonnoun, using several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in `he ran and jumped and laughed for joy'), a rhetorical device opposite to asyndeton.2
6688171775Understatementnoun, a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said. You make an understatement when you say a lot less than you could. If you say "We didn't do our best" when your team loses 56 to 0, that's quite an understatement.3
6688171776Litotesnoun, understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary). "He's not the brightest bulb in the lamp," meaning "He's dumb" Or "She's no beauty queen" meaning "She's ugly"4
6688171777Parallelismnoun, similarity by virtue of corresponding. Parallelism is used in sentence construction to give matching structure. In the sentence, "I like to read, dancing, and fighting off Zombie attacks," the parts of the list are not parallel. You can revise the sentence for parallelism: "I like to read, to dance, and to fight off Zombie attacks."5
6688171778Chiasmusnoun, inversion in the second of two parallel phrases, a rhetorical technique that involves a reversal of terms, such as "It's good to be lucky, but it's lucky to be good."6
6688171779Zeugmanoun, rhetorical use of a word to govern two or more words though only one of the two thoughts should make literal or grammatical sense. For example, you could use the zeugma, "I lost my keys and my temper." In Greek, zeugma means "a yoking," as in yoking one word to two ideas.7
6688171780Antithesisnoun, exact opposite, An antithesis wouldn't exist without a thesis because it works as a comparison. Though the counterculture was strong in America in 1968, voters elected Richard Nixon, the antithesis of a hippie.8
6688171781Anaphoranoun, repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Used to show emphasis in speech or writing, anaphora is a popular tool for politicians, religious leaders, lyricists, and poets.In Martin Luther King Jr's most famous speech, he said "I have a dream" eight different times.9
6688171782Epistrophenoun, repetition of the ends of two or more successive sentences, verses, etc. Similar to Anaphora but at the end of sentences, you can use epistrophe as a rhetorical device when you give a speech, to emphasize your ideas. One example is President Barack Obama's repetition, at the end of sentence after sentence, of the phrase "Yes, we can."10
6688171783Anadiplosisnoun, repetition of the final words of a sentence or line at the beginning of the next. Part of another figure of speech Chiasmus, every anadiplosis does not necessarily reverse its structure like it is done in chiasmus. "Forget what you want to remember, and remember what you want to forget," is an example of chiasmus (as it involves a reversal of structure in the second clause) and anadiplosis as word "remember" marks the end of one clause and the start of the subsequent clause. "The land of my fathers and my fathers can have it." is an example of anadiplosis involving a typical repetition of the word "my father" but, unlike chiasmus, the structure of the final clause is not reversed.11
6688171784Conduplicationoun, Figure of repetition in which the key word or words in one phrase, clause, or sentence is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases; repetition of a key word over successive phrases or clauses. ex. "I answered their questions truthfully, including questions about my private life -- questions no American citizen would ever want to answer."12
6688171785Epanalepsisnoun, rhetoric, a repetition of a word or a phrase with intervening words setting off the repetition, sometimes occurring with a phrase used both at the beginning and end of a sentence, as in Only the poor really know what it is to suffer; only the poor.13
6688171786HypophoraHypophora is a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question. Commonly, a question is asked in the first paragraph and then the paragraph is used to answer the question. In hypophora, the writer first poses a question and then answers that question immediately such as in this example, "What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured." while in Rhetorical question, the answer is not provided by the writer since it does not require an answer. Such as, ".....For if we lose the ability to perceive our faults, what is the good of living on?"14
6688171787Rhetorical QuestionA rhetorical question is asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected. A rhetorical question may have an obvious answer but the questioner asks rhetorical questions to lay emphasis to the point. In literature, a rhetorical question is self-evident and used for style as an impressive persuasive device. "O Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?", "It's too hot today. Isn't it?", "The actors played the roles well. Didn't they?"15
6688171788ProcatalepsisProcatalepsis is a figure of speech which is also known as prebuttal or prolepsis in which the speaker or writer gives response to the objection of an opponent in his speech by repeating his objection. It could also be that he responds to his own objection in order to strengthen his argument by using counterarguments. Once the speakers bring attention to a possible rebuttal, they immediately refute or discredit it, for the fear that people may get confused. "I know what you're going to say...'That if they look at it properly they'll see that it wasn't our fault. But will they look at it properly? Of course they won't. You know what cats they are...", "I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and it was indeed the principal design in offering it to the world."16
6688171789MetabasisA transition or change from one subject to another. Consists of a brief statement of what has been said and what will follow. It might be called a linking, running, or transitional summary, whose function is to keep the discussion ordered and clear in its progress: ex. Now that I have made this catalogue of swindles and perversions, let me give another example of the kind of writing that they lead to. --George Orwell17
6688171790DistinctioFigure of explication in which an introductory reference to a word's meaning is made (e.g., "by x I mean", "which is to say that", "that is") followed by a further elaboration of that word's meaning; explicit definition of or elaboration upon the meaning or meanings of a particular word or set of words. "A team of Minot airmen was dispatched to the base Weapons Storage Area to pick up and transport two pylons to a Barksdale B-52 aircraft. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "pylon," for our purposes today, a pylon is a self-contained package of six cruise missiles that can be quickly mounted to the wing of a B-52."18
6688171791AmplificationA rhetorical device used to embellish a sentence or statement by adding further information. Increase readability and worth of the statement or sentence. It is usually used when a simple sentence is abrupt and cannot convey the desired implications. Writers then use amplification to make structural additions and give further meanings by describing and repeating a certain statement or idea. "Mr. and Mrs. Veneering were bran-new people in a bran-new house in a bran-new quarter of London. Everything about the Veneerings was spick and span new. All their furniture was new, all their friends were new, all their servants were new, their place was new, . . . their harness was new, their horses were new, their pictures were new, they themselves were new, they were as newly-married as was lawfully compatible with their having a bran-new baby..."19
6688171792Scesis OnomatonFigure of repetition in which a set of two or more different words having the same (or very nearly the same) meaning occurs within the same sentence; a successive series of words or phrases whose meanings are generally equivalent. "America is all about opportunity. That's why my parents came to America more than 40 years ago. And that's why most of your parents came here generations ago in search of an opportunity, a chance, a fair shake."20
6688171793ApophasisRhetoric. denial of one's intention to speak of a subject that is at the same time named or insinuated, as "I shall not mention Caesar's avarice, nor his cunning, nor his morality.", mentioning something by saying it will not be mentioned (as in "we won't discuss his past crimes")21
6688171794Metanoia (correctio)A self-correction. It's when a writer or speaker deliberately goes back and modifies a statement that they just made, usually either to strengthen it or soften it in some way. Metanoia involves correcting a statement just made - when an author corrects a much earlier statement, it isn't metanoia. "To help or, at least, to do no harm.", "I have my shortcomings, through my own fault and through my failure to observe the admonitions of the gods - and I may almost say, their direct instructions."22
6688171795AporiaAn expression of insincere doubt. When the writer or speaker pretends, briefly, not to know a key piece of information or not to understand a key connection. After raising this doubt, the author will either respond to the doubt, or leave it open in a suggestive or "hinting" manner. When an aporia is phrased in the form of a question, it's called a rhetorical question. "You see, we believe that 'We're all in this together' is a far better philosophy than 'You're on your own.' So who's right?" We all know that he believes the Democratic philosophy is better, and he goes on to make his argument for that position. The aporia is a way of setting up the argument.23
6688171796Similenoun, a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with `like' or `as'). Use a simile when describing a comparison between two fundamentally different things, such as: "His voice was smooth, like butter in a warm pan."24
6688171797Analogynoun, drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect. When you draw an analogy between two things, you compare them for the purpose of explanation. The movie character Forest Gump made a silly analogy famous: "Life is like a box of chocolates." If a scientist explains that the earth's forests function as its lungs, we understand the analogy to mean that both trees and lungs take in important elements from the air.25
6688171798MetaphorA figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity. You make an analogy between two things to show how one resembles the other in some way. When a character from Shakespeare calls the world his oyster, that's his boastful way of saying that all the riches of the world are his for the taking, like plucking a pearl from an oyster shell.26
6688171799CatachresisCatachresis is a figure of speech in which writers use mixed metaphors in an inappropriate way to create rhetorical effect. Often, it is used intentionally to create a unique expression. Catachresis is also known as an exaggerated comparison between two ideas or objects. "Tis deepest winter in Lord Timon's purse; that is, one may reach deep enough, and find little", "A man that studies revenge keeps his own wounds green...."27
6688171800SynecdocheSynecdoche is a figure of speech in which you use a part of something to stand for the whole thing (or vice versa). If your parents buy you a car and you say that you just got a new set of wheels, you're using synecdoche — you're using the wheels, which are part of a car, to refer to the whole car. The word "bread" refers to food or money as in "Writing is my bread and butter" or "sole breadwinner". The phrase "gray beard" refers to an old man, The word "sails" refers to a whole ship, The word "suits" refers to businessmen, The word "boots" usually refers to soldiers.28
6688171801MetonymyIt is a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. In a metonymy, on the other hand, the word we use to describe another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is not a part of it. For example, "Crown" which means power or authority is a metonymy. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."29
6688171802PersonificationPersonification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel they have the ability to act like human beings. Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn't it so?, The wind whispered through dry grass, The flowers danced in the gentle breeze, Time and tide waits for none.30
6688171803HyperboleHyperbole is a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. Praising your favorite sports team is one thing, but if you call the team the most incredible group of humans ever to walk the earth, then you're going overboard and indulging in hyperbole.31
6688171804AllusionAllusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text. The main thing to remember is that an allusion is a brief hint or a quick mention. It's meant to bring to mind a particular subject, but it always avoids getting into it in great depth.32
6688171805EponymEponym is a name of a legend or real person that writers associate with some other person, object, institution or thing. Simply, we can define it as a famous person whose name is given to someone else, such as Homer has derived the name of ancient epic "The Odyssey" from a major character, Odysseus. Saxophone was given the name of Sax, a surname of family from Belgium, which was skilled at making musical instruments.33
6688171806OxymoronOxymoron is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, e.g. "cruel kindness" or "living death". However, the contrasting words/phrases are not always glued together. The contrasting ideas may be spaced out in a sentence, e.g. "In order to lead, you must walk behind." "the shackles of love straiten'd him His honour rooted in dishonored stood And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true"34
6688171807EpithetEpithet is a descriptive literary device that describes a place, a thing or a person in such a way that it helps in making the characteristics of a person, thing or place more prominent than they actually are. Also, it is known as a by-name or descriptive title. The noun epithet is a descriptive nickname, such as "Richard the Lionhearted," or "Tommy the Terrible."35
6688171808HyperbatonHyperbaton has been derived from a Greek word that means inversion in the arrangement of common words. It can be defined as a rhetorical device in which the writers play with the normal position of words, phrases and clauses in order to create differently arranged sentences, but which still suggest a similar meaning. "Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall..."36
6688171809ParenthesisParenthesis is a qualifying or explanatory sentence, clause or word that writers insert into a paragraph or passage. However, if they leave it out, even then grammatically the it does not affect the text that is correct without it. Writers mark them off by round and square brackets or by commas, dashes, little lines and brackets. As far as its purpose is concerned, this verbal unit provides extra information, interrupts syntactic flow of words, and allows the readers to pay attention on explanation. you must sympathize with the reader's plight (most readers are in trouble about half the time) but never seek to know the reader's wants. "you must sympathize with the reader's plight (most readers are in trouble about half the time) but never seek to know the reader's wants."37
6688171810AlliterationA stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series. An important point to remember here is that alliteration does not depend on letters but on sounds. So the phrase not knotty is alliterative, but cigarette chase is not. But a better butter makes a batter better, A big bully beats a baby boy, Dunkin' Donuts, Best Buy, "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea."38
6688171811OnomatopoeiaA word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting. In addition to the sound they represent, many onomatopoeic words have developed meanings of their own. For example, "whisper" not only represents the sound of people talking quietly, but also describes the action of people talking quietly. "Hark, hark! Bow-wow. The watch-dogs bark! Bow-wow. Hark, hark! I hear The strain of strutting chanticleer Cry, 'cock-a-diddle-dow!'"39
6688171812ApostropheIn literature, apostrophe is a figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation "O". A writer or a speaker, using an apostrophe, detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech. Apostrophe used in literature is an arrangement of words addressing a non-existent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings. "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." Macbeth has a strange vision of a dagger and talks to it as if it were another person.40
6688171813EnthymemeAn argumentative statement in which the writer or the speaker omits one of the major or minor premises, does not clearly pronounce it, or keeps this premise implied. The omitted premise in enthymeme remains understandable even if is not clearly expressed. For instance, "Where there is smoke, there is fire." (The hidden premise: The smoke causes fire.) This is known as truncated or rhetoric syllogism. Its purpose is to influence the audience and allow them to make inferences. They can be easily recognized, as these statements comes after "because." "[M]y parents decide to buy my brothers guns. These are not 'real' guns. They shoot 'BBs,' copper pellets my brothers say will kill birds. Because I am a girl, I do not get a gun."41
6688171814ClimaxAs a stylistic device, the term climax refers to a literary device in which words, phrases and clauses are arranged in an order to increase their importance within the sentence. "This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." OR Climax is that particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point. Climax is a structural part of a plot and is at times referred to as a crisis. It is a decisive moment or a turning point in a storyline at which the rising action turns around into a falling action. Thus, a climax is the point at which a conflict or crisis reaches its peak that calls for a resolution or conclusion.42
6688171815DiacopeThis literary device is a repetition of a phrase or word broken up by other intervening words. For instance, a very popular example of diacope is in William Shakespeare' Hamlet, "to be, or not to be!" In this line, you can notice that the speaker has repeated a phrase "to be" which is separated by another phrase "or not." "You held me down, but I got up,You hear my voice, you hear that sound... You held me down, but I got up Get ready 'cause I've had enough I see it all, I see it now."43
6688171816AntimetaboleAntimetabole is a literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order. You like it; it likes you" and "Fair is foul and foul is fair." When a sentence is repeated after reversing it so as to convey an idea or stress on a point, it is called chiasmus. In an antimetabole the words and grammatical structure is also reversed because just reversing the meaning is not enough. All the antimetaboles are chiasmus, but not all instances of chiasmus are antimetaboles. "You stood up for America, now America must stand up for you."44
6688171817AntiphrasisAntiphrasis is a figurative speech in which a phrase or word is employed in a way that is opposite to its literal meaning in order to create an ironic or comic effect. It is the use of phrases or words in their opposite sense than the real meaning. "Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money-and a woman-and I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. Pretty, isn't it....." (Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder and Raymond). Here, the speaker is making ironic statement by using opposite sense of the word pretty. He has committed murder, yet he describes his act "pretty".45
6688171818EpizeuxisIt is defined as a rhetorical device in which the words or phrases are repeated in a quick succession after each other for emphasis. It is also called diacope. Epistrophe is the repetition of the words at the end of successive sentences such as "Where now? Who now? When now...,". Whereas, anaphora is the reverse of epistrophe; it is a repetition of the words and phrases at the beginning of successive sentences. Epizeuxis, is less refined but, it makes a very strong impact. Epizeuxis is the repetition of words in succession within a same sentence such as "The horror, the horror." "And my poor fool is hanged! No, no, no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more, Never, never, never, never!"46
6688171819AposiopesisA rhetorical device that can be defined as a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer breaks off abruptly and leaves the statement incomplete, as if the speaker is not willing to state what is present in his mind due to being overcome by passion, excitement or fear. In a piece of literature, it means to leave a sentence unfinished so that the reader could determine his own meanings. "Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll - She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat...."47
6688171820AnacoluthonA stylistic device defined as a syntactic deviation and interruption within a sentence from one structure to another. In this interruption, the expected sequence of grammar is absent. The grammatical flow of sentences is interrupted in order to begin more sentences. "I will have such revenges on you both, That all the world shall-I will do such things, What they are, yet I know not....." This excerpt can be considered as one of the good anacoluthon examples as there is interruption from one sentence to another and such interruption is done to attract the readers' attention.48
6688171821EnumeratioEnumeration is a rhetorical device used for listing the details or a process of mentioning words or phrases step by step. In fact, it is a type of amplification or division in which a subject is further distributed into components or parts. The writers use enumeration to elucidate a topic to make it understandable for the readers. It also clarifies the ambiguity that may be created in the minds of the readers. "W]hen we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"49
6688171822Antanagoge(Rhet.) A figure which consists in answering the charge of an adversary, by a counter charge. Not being able to answer the accusation of an adversary, a person instead makes a counter allegation or counteracting an opponent's proposal with an opposing proposition in one's own speech or writing.50
6688171823ParataxisA rhetorical term in which phrases and clauses are placed one after another independently, without coordinating or subordinating them through the use of conjunctions. It is also called additive style. Parataxis is sometimes used as asyndeton in which the phrases and clauses are coordinated without conjunctions. "Veni, vidi, vici" or, "I came, I saw, I conquered." There are no conjunctions or joining words used. The phrases are used equally. That means phrases are placed with equal status. Opposite of Hypotaxis51
6688171824HypotaxisHypotaxis is subordination of one clause to another, or when the clauses are coordinated or subordinated to one another within sentences. Hypotaxis is defined as a grammatical arrangement of constructs that work in the same way, but they play unequal role in a sentence. It helps in defining the exact meaning of a clause. "One December morning near the end of the year when snow was falling moist and heavy for miles all around, so that the earth and the sky were indivisible, Mrs. Bridge emerged from her home and spread her umbrella." The remaining clauses explain the first/main clause. These subordinated clauses help in recounting the individual thought expressed in the beginning.52
6688171825SententiaFigure of argument in which a wise, witty, or pithy maxim or aphorism is used to sum up the preceding material. "I think that if women aspired higher, took on the problems involved, that they might find surprising support from men. 'Time marches on.'"53
6688171826ExemplumExemplum is a rhetorical device that is defined as a short tale, narrative, or anecdote used in literary pieces and speeches to explain a doctrine or emphasize a moral point. They are generally in the forms of legends, folktales and fables. An exemplum clarifies and proves a point. "In Flaundres whylom was a company, Of yonge folk, that haunteden foley, As ryot, hasard, stewes, and tavernes, Wher-as, with harpes, lutes, and giternes,...." Talks about how greed can destroy everything and how it is the cause of all evil. In this story, nobody got to claim the most coveted treasure since the characters involved ended up killing each other. Can be real or fictional.54
6688171827PleonasmIt is a rhetorical device which can be defined as the use of a second or more words (phrase) to express an idea. These words are redundant such as in the following examples of pleonasm, "burning fire" and "black darkness." Sometimes, pleonasm is also called tautology, which is the repetition of words. "Let me tell you this, when social workers offer you, free, gratis and for nothing..."55
6688171828AssonanceTakes place when two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds. "Men sell the wedding bells." The same vowel sound of the short vowel "-e-" repeats itself in almost all the words excluding the definite article. The words do share the same vowel sounds but start with different consonant sounds unlike alliteration that involves repetition of the same consonant sounds.56
6688171829Dirimens CopulatioA rhetorical term for a figure by which one balances one statement with a contrary, qualifying statement (sometimes conveyed by "not only ... but also" clauses). "But wait, there's more!"57
6688171830SymploceFigure of repetition that combines Anaphora and Epistrophe in which the first and last word or words in one phrase, clause, or sentence are repeated in one or more successive phrases, clauses, or sentences; repetition of the first and last words in a clause over successive clauses. "Let us let our own children know that we will stand against the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let us stand up and talk against it."58
6688171831AppositiveWhen a noun or word is followed by another noun or phrase that renames or identifies it. This is a literary device that appears before or after a noun or noun phrase. It is always used with commas. We can define it as a noun phrase or a noun that defines or explains another noun, which it follows. Writers place elements like noun phrases side by side where one element serves to define the other, and one is in apposition to the other. "We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages." In this line, "the condemned cells" is a noun phrase, while "a row of sheds" is an appositive that explains this noun phrase. Restrictive Appositive- Gives essential information to identify the phrase or noun in apposition and clarifies the meaning of a phrase but if the appositive is removed, the meaning of the entire sentence changes. Commas are not necessarily used. Non-Restrictive Appositive- Gives non-essential or extra information, which is not important to identify the phrase or noun in apposition and is often used with commas. "Christmas Eve afternoon we scrape together a nickel and go to the butcher's to buy Queenie's traditional gift, a good gnawable beef bone." A restrictive appositive is clarifying and describing a noun "traditional gift of Queenie." Here this literary device has appeared after noun.59

AP Language Set 7 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
6005717239abatebecome less in amount or intensity0
6005721489chicanerythe use of tricks to deceive someone1
6005726629latentpotentially existing but not presently evident or realized2
6005731810aberrantmarked different from an accepted norm3
6005737268coagulatechange from a liquid to a thickened or solid state4
6005739801dissolutionseparation into component parts5
6005744469garrulousfull of trivial conversation6
6005747328laudpraise, glorify, or honor7
6005749454codathe closing section of a musical composition8
6005754320dissonancedisagreeable sounds9
6005756365goadstab or urge on as if with a pointed stick10
6005759631lethargicdeficient in alertness or activity11
6005763347abscondrun away, often taking something or somebody along12
6005766424cogentpowerfully persuasive13
6005770828distendcause to expand it by internal pressure14
6005775915gougean impression in a surface, as made by a blow15
6005780549leveean embankment built to prevent a river from overflowing16
6005787028abstemiousmarked by temperance in indulgence17
6005788959distillundergo condensation18
6005791569grandiloquentlofty in style19

Vocabulary 1- AP Literature Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7337159885Brazenshameless, bold, imprudent, confidence0
7337165671Compunctionremorse, repentance, contrition, doubt1
7337170877Dina continuous noise2
7337176477Edictauthority, command, force3
7337180559Indiscretioninaction, irresponsible, mistake4
7337186465Perquisitesan included advantage, benefit, bonus5
7337191940Sepulchera grave, tomb, or burial, a place of such6
7337194956Supplianthumbly asking, a bigger, petitioner7
7337198814Tumultsudden uproar, disorder, riot8
7337204052Maraudingraiding or ravaging an area9

AP Literature Tone Words Flashcards

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5795137959AcerbicSour or bitter in taste (bitter)0
5795137960AloofRemote in manor (careless)1
5795137961ApprehensiveIn fear or dread of possible evil or harm (reluctant)2
5795137962ApatheticShowing little or no emotion or animation (emotionless)3
5795137963AmbivalentUncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow (undecisive)4
5795137964AudaciousDisposed to venture or take risks (adventurous)5
5795137965BanalRepeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse (familiar)6
5795137966BellicoseHaving or showing a ready disposition to fight (hostile)7
5795137967BrusqueMarked by rude or peremptory shortness (snobby/ rude)8
5795137968BucolicDevoted to raising sheep or cattle (caring)9
5795137969CallousHaving calluses10
5795137970CandidOpenly straightforward and direct without secretiveness (Direct/ frank)11
5795137971CapriciousDetermined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity (arrogant)12
5795137972ConciliatoryMaking or willing to make concessions13
5795137973CondescendingCharacteristic of those who treat others with arrogance (rude)14
5795137974ContemptuousExpressing extreme scorn15
5795137975CausticCapable of destroying or eating away by chemical action16
5795137976CautionaryServing to warn17
5795137977CholericCharacterized by anger18
5795137978ChurlishHaving a bad disposition; surly19
5795137979CynicalBelieving the worst of human nature and motives20
5795137980DemoralizedMade less hopeful or enthusiastic21
5795137981DemureAffectedly shy especially in a playful or provocative way (flirtatious)22
5795137982DiffidentShowing modest reserve23
5795137983DilatoryWasting time24
5795137984DisdainfulShowing arrogant superiority to those one views as unworthy25
5795137985DidacticInstructive, especially and excessively26
5795137986DerisiveExpressing contempt or ridicule27
5795137987Earnestcharacterized by a firm, humorless belief in one's opinion28
5795137988Ebulliantjoyously unrestrained29
5795137989EclecticSelecting what seems best of various styles or ideas30
5795137990EffusiveUttered with unrestrained enthusiasm31
5795137991EnervatingCausing weakness or debilitation32
5795137992ElegaicResembling or characteristic of a lament for the dead (mournful)33
5795137993EmpatheticShowing comprehension of others' states34
5795137994EmpheralAnything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day35
5795137995EruditeHaving or showing profound knowledge36
5795137996EsotericUnderstandable only by an enlightened inner circle37
5795137997EuphoricExaggerated feeling of well-being or elation38
5795137998FacetiousCleverly amusing in tone39
5795137999FatuousDevoid of intelligence (dumb)40
5795138000ForthrightNot serious in content or attitude or behavior (arrogant/childish)41
5795138001FlippantShowing inappropriate levity (inappropriate jokes)42
5795138002FrivolousNot serious in content or attitude or behavior (trying to be funny at the wrong time)43
5795138003GaucheLacking social polish (unrefined uncultivated)44
5795138004InaneDevoid of intelligence (stupid)45
5795138005IncredulousNot disposed or willing to believe; unwilling to believe (unbelieving)46
5795138006IncensedAngered at something unjust or wrong47
5795138007IncisiveDemonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions48
5795138008IndignantAngered at something unjust or wrong49
5795138009IndolentDisinclined to work or exertion (lazy)50
5795138010IneffableDefying expression or description (astonishing)51
5795138011IntimateMarked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity (close relationship)52
5795138012JejuneLacking interest or significance or impact (boring or childish)53
5795138013JocundFull of or showing high-spirited merriment (extremely happy)54
5795138014JovialFull of or showing high-spirited merriment (extremely happy)55
5795138015LaudatoryFull of or giving praise56
5795138016LoquaciousFull of trivial conversation (talkative)57
5795138017LugubriousExcessively mournful (extremely sad)58
5795138018MacabreShockingly repellent; inspiring horror59
5795138019MaliciousHaving the nature of threatening evil (evil)60
5795138020MiasmicFilled with vapor (Mirage)61
5795138021MordantHarshly ironic or sinister (rudely sarcastic)62
5795138022MoroseShowing a brooding ill humor63
5795138023MyopicUnable to see distant objects clearly64
5795138024NihilisticRelating to a complete rejection of moral values and beliefs65
5795138025NuanceA subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude (passive aggressive)66
5795138026ObsequiousAttempting to win favor from influential people by flattery (brown noser)67
5795138027OdiousUnequivocally detestable68
5795138028OminousThreatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments (sketchy future)69
5795138029OmnipotentHaving unlimited power70
5795138030PatronizingCharacteristic of those who treat others with arrogance (treating others with arrogance)71
5795138031PedanticMarked by a narrow focus on or display of learning72
5795138032PejorativeExpressing disapproval73
5795138033PerniciousExceedingly harmful74
5795138034PithyConcise and full of meaning (meaningful)75
5795138035PompousPuffed up with vanity76
5795138036PoignantKeenly distressing to the mind or feelings77
5795138037ProvocativeServing or tending to excite or stimulate (stimulative)78
5795138038PuerileDisplaying or suggesting a lack of maturity79
5795138039QuizzicalPerplexed80
5795138040ReconditeDifficult to penetrate81
5795138041ReticentReluctant to draw attention to yourself (timid)82
5795138042ReverentFeeling or showing profound respect or veneration83
5795138043ReflectiveCapable of physically throwing back light or sound84
5795138044RibaldHumorously vulgar (crass)85
5795138045SardonicDisdainfully or ironically humorous86
5795138046SeductiveTending to entice into a desired action or state87
5795138047SentimentalMarked by tender, romantic, or nostalgic emotion88
5795138048SpeciousPlausible but false (false hope)89
5795138049SuccinctBriefly giving the gist of something (summary)90
5795138050SuperciliousHaving or showing arrogant superiority to (pompous)91
5795138051TimorousTimid by nature or revealing timidity92
5795138052UbiquitousBeing present everywhere at once (over used)93
5795138053UnctuousUnpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating (flattering)94
5795138054VehementMarked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions (extremely emotional)95
5795138055VisceralRelating to or affecting the internal organs (inward feelings)96
5795138056VitriolicHarsh, bitter, or malicious in tone97
5795138057VolatileLiable to lead to sudden change or violence (vicious/ dangerous)98
5795138058ZealousMarked by active interest and enthusiasm (enthusiastic)99

AP Language: Figurative Language Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
5874656229Simile Definition- comparison using "like" or "as", must be 2 unlike objects.0
5874656230Simile Example- "Trump is as orange as a cheeto."1
5874656231Personification Definition- gives human qualities to objects/non-living objects. - gives power to the thing being personified.2
5874656232Personification Example- "The painting spoke to me."3
5874656233Metaphor Definition- comparison of 2 unlike things by saying one thing is the other.4
5874656234Metaphor Example- "Her eyes were 2 bright stars in the heavens."5
5874656235Implied Metaphor Definition- comparing 2 unlike things by giving one the attributes of the other.6
5874656236Implied Metaphor Example- "His voice cascaded through the hallways." (rather than his voice was a cascade in the hallways)7
5874656237Metonymy Definition- an entity is referred to by one of it's associations.8
5874656238Metonymy Example- "school called & said we're having a snow day." - in reality, the principal called but you're associating the principal w/ the school.9
5874656239Synedoche Defnition- a part of something that is used to refer to the whole.10
5874656240Synedoche Example- Saying you bought a "new set of wheels" when you bought a car.11
5874656241Pun Definition- the use of a word that suggests two of it's meanings or the meaning of a homonym.12
5874656242Pun Example- "I would tell you a chemistry joke but all my good ones argon".13
5874656243Onomatopoeia Definition- the word is the sound.14
5874656244Onomatopoeia Example- BAM!! wham! SNAP!!!15
5874656245Hyperbole Definition- to make an exaggeration, an intentional overstatement for dramatic effect. - should be obvious.16
5874656246Hyperbole Example"I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."17
5874656247Litotes Definition- intentional understatement for ironic effect.18
5874656248Litotes Example- "The woman's singing was atrocious, heinous, and inexorably penetrating. It bothered me same."19
5874656249Irony Definition- words are meant to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.20
5874656250Irony Example- saying "oh wonderful" after failing an exam.21
5874656251Oxymoron Definition- words that have apparently contradictory meanings are placed near each other, usually to describe something.22
5874656252Oxymoron Example- "jumbo shrimp", "bittersweet".23
5874656253Dichotamous Definition- dual nature, can be shown through paradoxes & oxymorons.24
5874656254Rhetorical Question Definition- a question that expects no response, should be very obvious.25
5874656255Rhetorical Question Example- "Do I really look that dumb to you?"26
5874656256Paradox Definition- a statement that contradicts itself, is illogical, or defies intuition, yet still has some truth.27
5874656257Paradox Example- "I always lie."28
5874656258Apostrophe Definition- when a speaker breaks off & directs their exclamation to an imaginary thing or abstract concept.29
5874656259Apostophe Example- "Where O'Death, thy sting? Where, O'Death, thy victory?" (Paul in 1st Corinthians)30
5874656260Periphrasis Definition- substituting a description for a proper name.31
5874656261Periphrasis Example- Calling someone w/ red hair "carrot-top".32

ap language Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
6157968143allegorya story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.-noun- ex)truman show0
6157982401alliterationIt is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.-noun- ex) pam peeled pineapples1
6157992580allusionan expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly-noun. Ex) this plan is going down like the titanic2
6197678534ambiguityquality of being open to more than one interpretation-noun-ex)3
6197687084antecedentThe word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.ex) the car he wanted to buy was a green one4
6197700256atmospherea type of feeling that readers get from narrative based on details such as settings, background, objects, foreshadowing5
6197721707apostrophea punctuation mark used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters or numbers-noun. Ex)oh love, where have you gone6
6197742688aphorismnoun-statement of the truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner-ex) the journey of a thousands miles begins with one single step.7
6197756981analogya comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it-ex) the pond was as smooth as a mirror8
6197776501clausenoun-units of grammar that contain at least one predicate (verb) and subject9
6197800902colloquialadjective- used in ordinary of familiar conversation not formal or literary10
6197812310conceitnoun-a fanciful expression in writing or speech, an elaborate metaphor11
6197836749dictionnoun-a style of speaking/ writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer-ex) the gentlemen were irritated.12
6197860135didacticadjective-teach us something, intended to teach-ex) treat others how you want to be treated.13
6197881243euphemismnoun- An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant-ex) maybe you should increase the number of showers you take. nice way of saying someone smells.14
6197905832extended metaphorA comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.15
6197913018genrenoun-literary technique, tone, content, or length that are categorized-Ex) fiction, poetry, science fiction16
6197990452homilysermon or speech that a religious person or priest delivers17
6197999705hyperbolenoun-exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally-ex) I'll die if i don't see you.18
6657957007ad hominem argumentan argument that attacks the opposing speaker or another person rather than addressing the issues at hand-ex)personal attacks. like trump in the debate vs hillary.19
6657962700apotheosisa character or thing is elevated to such a high status that it appears godlike.-ex) superman is loved and worshiped by all.20
6657968634appositivea word or phase that follows a noun or pronoun for emphasis or clarify.-ex) henry, the kind of england, declared a new law.21
6657985736assonancea type of internal rhyming in which vowel sounds are repeated.-ex) that cat sat back. the pots rocky pocked surface.22
6657993895asyndetonoccurs when the conjunctions such as and or but that would normally connect a string or phase.-ex) I came, I saw. I conquered.23
6658019359attitudefeeling of a piece of writing or subject.-ex)i hate the new teacher.24
6658039791bathosfalse or forced emotion that is often humorous-ex) a clown smoking. it makes you feel bad but it is humorous because of the clown.25
6658074724contrastshows both what a thing is and what it is not-ex) light and dark.26
6658084160elegiacan elegy is work that expresses sorrow-ex) today is the they day Sally lost her father.27
6658088770ethosis giving creditably to writings, ect.-ex) trust me i'm a doctor.28
6658101995expositionwriting or speech that is suppose to explain-ex) a book can explain the importance of friendship29
6658122549fictionnot real, has been created of imagined.-ex) dragons, fairytales, magical lands30
6658702658figurative languageall uses of language that imply an imaginative comparison.Ex) personification, simile, hyperbole31
6658712393foreshadowinga purposeful hint placed in a work of literature-ex) someone getting injured may foreshadow that character's death later32
6658716622grammara set of rules that specify how a given language is used effectively.ex) verb, noun, adjective33
6658722069imageryconnects to the five sense to help visualize-ex) this early morning you can hear the beautiful birds chirping.34
6658724275ironya situation where the outcome that is opposite of what was expected-ex) i'm going to win the race. in reality I lost35
6658728702juxtapositionwhen two contrasting things are placed next to each other for comparison.-ex) a sign that expresses healthy eating by a McDonald billboard.36
6658731648logosappeal to audience by using logic.-ex) one in five women are sexually assaulted.37
6658735056metaphorA comparison without using like or as.ex) the sky is the limit.38
6658751109metonymyA figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it.-ex)crown=royalty39
6658753310mooddominant feelings of a work, scene, or event-ex) outside it looked gloomy and blue. very sad sentence40
6658763013onomatopoeiaA word that imitates the sound it represents.-ex) boom, crash, puff,stomp41
6658764476overviewa brief a summary-ex) overall in the story the kids learning about nursing42
6658766233oxymoronA figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.-ex)lets run to get to class on time "no running in the halls, and don't be late".43
6658769665pacingspeed of a story's action, dialogue, or narration.-ex) beginning, middle, and end44
6658772997paradoxA statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.45
6658780874parallelismPhrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other-ex) i will...,i will..., i will...46
6658784367parodyA work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.-ex) Saturday night live47
6658785104pathosAppeal to emotion-ex) sad dog commercials48
6658786372persona grammatical term that describes the relationship of a writer or speaker-ex) i, me, we49
6658795330personathe character created by the voice and narration of the speaker text.50
6659044290personificationA figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes-ex) the dog screamed for help.51
6659045575point of viewThe perspective from which a story is told52
6659046540puna play on words53
6659048370repetitionthe reiteration of a word or phrase for emphasis-ex) i will sleep, i will eat, i will shower54
6659052115rhertoricart and logic of a written or spoken arguement55
6659057986rhetorical strategyThe way an author organizes words, sentences, and overall argument in order to achieve a particular purpose56
6659064691rhetorical devicesliterary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression-ex) logos, pathos, ethos57
6659066656rhetorical questionA question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer-ex) is the sky blue?58
6659068150satireA literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.59
6659069376selection of detailspecific words, incidents, images, or events the author uses to create a scene or narrative-ex) topic sentences, details60
6659077659simileA comparison using "like" or "as".ex) she can run as fast as a cheetah61
6659078904speakernarrator of the story, poem, or drama-ex) first, third, second person62
6659081397syllogismA form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.63
6659082205symbolA thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.-ex) a rose can represent love64
6659083822synonymA word that has the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another word-ex) big, large, massive, huge65
6659085724syntaxSentence structure-ex)and, parallelism66
6659087342tensionis a feeling of excitement and expectation the reader or audience feels67
6659091305texturedescribes the way the elements of a work of prose or poetry are joined together68
6659097584themeCentral idea of a work of literature-ex) friendship, family, heroism69
6659099733toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.-ex) sarcasm, angry, serious70
6659101055understatementthe presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.-ex) i got a ticket today that cost $500 but its no big deal.71
6659103026voicerefers to two different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence's subject and verb (active and passive voice). The second refers to the total "sound" of a writer's style.72
6659108204zeugmarefers to a particular breech of sense in a sentences.73

2016 AP Language Terms Review Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4401740650Anecdotea short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident0
4401746446Dictionword choice (Be sure to precede this with an adjective, like "colloquial diction" or "violent diction.")1
4401748804Denotationthe straightforward (dictionary) definition of a word2
4401756393Euphemisma more agreeable word substituted for an unpleasant one ("touched" instead of "crazy"; "passed away" instead of "died")3
4401769089Colloquialismslang and use of familiar expressions4
4401774927Connotationemotional overtones of a word (poison, victim, seized or gently, brutally, softly, harshly)5
4401785436Figurative Languagelanguage not to be taken literally6
4401855137Allusionreference to history, mythology, or literature7
4401858725Analogyillustration of an idea by means of a more familiar idea that is similar or parallel8
4401865872Apostropheaddressing an absent figure or abstraction9
4401871338Extended metaphora metaphor defined with several examples ("Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul/And sings the tune--without words/And never stops at all." Emily Dickinson)10
4401887665Hyperboleextreme exaggeration (adj. form: hyperbolic)11
4401893535Imageryany description that appeals to one of the five senses12
4401896367Juxtapositionthe placing of two unlike things close together for effect13
4401907053Oxymoronconjoining contradictory terms (jumbo shrimp, "hideous luxuriance"--Nathaniel Hawthorne)14
4401919518Paradoxstatement that seems impossible or not true but proves true ("And I like large parties. They're so intimate."--Fitzgerald)15
4401935658Understatementminimalizes a fact (A person who just got a 5 on the AP Language exam says, "I did alright.")16
4401980329Modes of Discoursethe categories of delivery: narration, description, exposition, and persuasion17
4401985928Narrationaccount of an event18
4401987761Descriptionpictures a place or object or setting19
4401987762Expositionexplains events; can include classification, comparison/contrast, definition, or analysis20
4401989695Persuasionone of the major types of composition whose purpose is to convince others of the wisdom of a certain line of action21
4402009861Rhetoricthe deliberate exploitation of eloquence for the most persuasive effect in public speaking or writing22
4402801828Shiftchange in position; movement (as in tone shift, shift in point of view)23
4402805713Satirewriting that exposes the failings (vice or folly) of individuals, institutions, or societies to ridicule and scorn in order to change it24
4402815129Inferenceinformation derived by reasoning25
4402816662Invectivethe harsh denunciation of some person or thing in abusive speech or writing26
4402819215Parodyimitation of serious work or style in a ridiculous manner (Saturday Night Live)27
4402825580Lampoonimitation in writing (humorous) harsh satire directed toward an individual or thing28
4402833359Sarcasmtechnique that ridicules through caustic language29
4402835523Styleblend of choices about diction, syntax, and figurative language unique to individuals30
4402842596Syntaxthe way in which words or phrases are ordered and connected to form sentences; or the set of grammatical rules governing such an order31
4402849174Antecedentword referred to by a pronoun32
4402850809Clausegroup of words with a subject and verb; can be independent or subordinate (dependent)33
4402856575Antithesisa balance of opposites; opposition, or contrast, of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel order34
4402880653Loose sentencesentence in which the main idea comes first (aka cumulative sentence)35
4402886305Periodic sentencesentence in which the main idea comes last36
4402889375Pacingrate at which the text develops (slow, fast, hurried) based on length and arrangement of sentences37
4402893783Parallelismthe arrangement of similarly constructed clauses or sentences suggesting some correspondence between them38
4402900473Repetitionrepeating a word for emphasis39
4402902530Tonewriter's attitude toward the subject and audience--created by diction, details, images, language, and syntax40
4402910897Levels of dictionformal, standard, and informal41
4402918113Formal diction--used when addressing a highly educated audience (scholarly journals, etc.) --EX: edify, optate, beguile42
4402922486Standard diction--used when addressing a well-educated audience (college papers, mass publications) --EX: learn, choose, mislead43
4402935154Informal diction--used when addressing a familiar or specific audience (personal letters, emails, texts) --Includes slang44

AP Literature Terms Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7360795891AbstractThe opposite of concrete. These terms and statements describe ideas, concepts, and qualities. Love, hate, persistence, and agony are examples. Can you put it in a jar? If you can't, it's probably abstract. The more intangible a term or statement, the more general, the more associated with the intellect, the more abstract it is likely to be.0
7360816304ActA major division in the action of a play or drama. Are generally divided into scenes. Ancient Romans dramatists divided plays into five acts.1
7360831394ActionThe events or unfolding events in a narrative. It is what happens in the plot of the literary work, including what the characters say or do , to advance the story2
7363788520Aesthetic DifferenceA separation between the audience and the work of art that is necessary for the audience to recognize and appreciate the work as an aesthetic object. Distance does not imply complete detachment. It allows the audience to view the work free from overly personal identifications and experience its contents fully and freely.3
7363856575AllegoryThe concrete presentation of an abstract idea with at least two levels of meaning- the surface story line and and the political, philosophical, or religious meaning. Examples: John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and George Orwell's Animal Farm.4
7363953959AlliosisPresenting alternatives: "You can eat well or you can sleep well." While such structure often results in the logical fallacy of the false dichotomy or the either/or fallacy, it can create a cleverly balanced and artistic sentence.5
7363984314AlliterationThe repetition of sounds in a sequence of words. It generally refers to repeated initial consonant sounds: "Peter picks a peck of pickled peppers."6
7364010155AllusionAn indirect reference, often to a person, event, statement, or work. Enrich meaning through the connotations they carry.7
7364022350AmbiguityLack of clarity or uncertainty in meaning. May be intentional or unintentional, and the richness and complexity of literary works depend to a great extent on it, which can be used to create alternate meanings or levels of meaning.8
7376729701AmplificationA rhetorical figure involving a dramatic ordering of words, often emphasizing some sort of expansion or progression, whether conceptual, valuative, poetic, or even with regard to word length. "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!"9
7376729702AnacoluthonIntentional disruption of syntax to create intensity, excitement, confusion. "Swear here as before that you never shall note that you know aught of me."10
7376729703AnagnorisisThe moment in a drama when the protagonist discovers something that either leads to or explains a reversal of fortune. Basically, the protagonist gains some crucial knowledge that he or she did not have.11
7376729704AnalepsisThe evocation in a narrative of scenes or events that took place at an earlier point in the story (flashback). It can disrupt the chronological flow, involve memory or dream suddenly recounted by a narrator, or add information.12
7376729706AnapestA metrical foot in poetry that consists of three syllables: two unstressed followed by a stressed (⌣⌣'). Sounds like DEE-DEE-DUM. Anapestic words would include: contradict, interfere, elegy.13
7376729707AnaphoraAn exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences, a type of parallelism.14
7376729708AnapodotonDeliberately creating a sentence fragment by the omission of a clause: "If only you came with me!" Good writers never use sentence fragments? Ah, but they can. And they do. When appropriate.15
7376729709AnecdoteA brief account of some interesting or entertaining and often humorous incident. It relates a particular episode that illustrates a single point.16
7376729710AntagonistThe character pitted against the protagonist. When evil or cruel, a villain.17
7376729711AntanaclasisThe stylistic scheme of repeating a single word, but with a different meaning each time. From Shakespeare: "for many a thousand widows/ Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands; Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down." Or, "Police police police."18
7376729712AnticlimaxRhetorical descent, usually sudden, from a higher to a lower emotional point--from a topic or tone with greater drama or significance to one with less impact or importance. Typically results in disappointment or reversal of expectations. An example would be the last ten chapters of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.19
7376729713AntiheroA protagonist who does not exhibit the typical qualities of the traditional hero. Instead of being grand or admirable (brave, honest, magnanimous) an antihero can be ordinary, petty, or a criminal. Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.20
7376729714AntimetaboleRepetition in reverse order: "One should eat to live, not live to eat." Or, "You like it; it likes you." The witches in Macbeth chant, "Fair is foul and foul is fair."21
7376729715AntithesisA rhetorical figure in which two ideas are directly opposed. Totalitarianism and freedom are antithetical concepts.22
7376729716AphorismA concise, pointed, epigrammatic statement that purports to reveal a truth or principle. They can be attributed to a specific person. "All you need is love" (The Beatles). "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (William Shakespeare). Once a statement is so widely known that authorship is lost, it is called a proverb. "It takes a village to raise a child." A statement that gives behavioral advice is called a maxim. "The early bird gets the worm."23
7376729717AposiopesisA figure of speech wherein a sentence is deliberately broken off and left unfinished, the ending to be supplied by the imagination, giving an impression of unwillingness or inability to continue. An example would be the threat "Get out, or else—!" This device often portrays its users as overcome with passion (fear, anger, excitement) or modesty. Typically indicated by ellipses (...) or a dash (--).24
7376729718ApostropheWhen a character speaks to a character or object that is not present or is unable to respond. The object, if not human, is usually personified.25
7376729719ArchetypeThe original model from which something is developed or made; in literary criticism, those images, figures, character types, settings, and story patterns that, according to Carl Jung, are universally shared by people across all cultures. Examples: The snake, the flood, the savior, the blonde guy wearing white with a square jaw and chiseled pecs who shows up at just the right time.26
7376729720AssonanceRepetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.27
7376729721AsyndetonUsing no conjunctions to create an effect of speed or simplicity: Veni. Vidi. Vici. "I came. I saw. I conquered." (As opposed to "I came, and then I saw, and then I conquered.") Been there. Done that. Bought the t-shirt.28
7376729722AtmosphereThe general feeling created for the reader by a work at a given point. Established through elements such as imagery, setting, and sound. Not the same as tone, which is the author's attitude toward the reader, audience, or subject matter.29
7376729723AubadeA lyric poem delivered at dawn, usually by lovers who must part. Generally a joyful announcement of the new day after an evening of "adult together time."30
7376729724BalladA poem that recounts a story--generally some dramatic episode--in the form of a song.31
7376729725BildungsromanA novel that recounts the development of an individual from childhood or adolescence to maturity, to the point at which the protagonist recognizes his or her place in the world. Examples: Great Expectations, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Invisible Man, The Outsiders, The Spider-Man story.32
7376729726Blank VerseName for unrhymed iambic pentameter. An iamb is a metrical foot in which an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable. In iambic pentameter there are five iambs per line making ten syllables.33
7376729727CacophonyHarsh, unpleasant, or discordant sounds. Opposite of euphony. An example of discordant sounds found in poetry would be Hart Crane's poem "The Bridge" (1930), which uses it to communicate the chaos and evil in the industrial world: The nasal whine of power whips a new universe....Where spouting pillars spoor the evening sky, Under the looming stacks of the gigantic power house, Stars prick the eyes with sharp ammoniac proverbs, New verities, new inklings in the velvet hummed, Of dynamos, where hearing's leash is strummed34
7376729737CaesuraA pause in a line of poetry. It is dictated by natural speaking rhythm, not meter.35
7376729738CanonA body of written works accepted as authoritative or authentic.36
7376729739CatachresisA term referring to the incorrect or strained use of a word.37
7376729740CatharsisThe emotional effect a tragic drama has on its audience.38
7376729741CharacterA figure in a literary work. A flat character is defined by a single idea or quality. A round character has the three-dimensional complexity of a real person.39
7376729742ClicheAn expression used so often (and often out of context) that it has lost its original impact. Ex: "Under the weather" for being ill and "show me the money" for greedy enthusiasm.40
7376729743ClimaxThe turning point in the plot or the high point of action.41
7376729744ColloquialInformal, conversational language. Colloquialisms are phrases or sayings that are indicative of a specific region.42
7376729745ConcreteOpposite of abstract. Refer to specific people, places, events, or things. If you can put it in a jar (even if it is painful), it is concrete.43
7376729746Confessional PoetryA contemporary poetic mode in which poets discuss matters relating to their private lives. These poets use intimate detail and often psychoanalytic terms to describe their most painful experiences. Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath are are pioneers of this style.44
7376729747ConflictA confrontation or struggle between opposing characters or forces in the plot of a narrative work, from which the action emanates and around which it revolves.45
7376729748ConnotationAn idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing, ie. Bat=evil.46
7376729749ConsonanceThe repetition of consonant sounds in a phrase or line of poetry. The consonant sound may be at the beginning, middle, or end of the word.47
7376729750ContractionRemoves an unstressed syllable and in order to maintain the rhythmic meter of a line. This practice explains some words frequently used in poetry such as th' in place of the, o'er in place of over, and 'tis or 'twas in place of it is or it was.48
7376729751ConventionAn understanding between a reader and a writer about certain details of a story that does not need to be explained.49
7376729752CoupletTwo rhyming lines in poetry.50
7376729753DactylA metrical foot in poetry that consists of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. Most nursery rhymes are dactylic: "Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, Baker's man."51
7376729755DenotationA word's literal meaning(s), independent of any connotations; the dictionary definition of a word.52
7376729756DenouementThe final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot.53
7376729757Deus Ex MachinaTerm that refers to a character or force that appears at the end of a story or play to help resolve conflict. Word means "god from a machine." In ancient Greek drama, gods were lowered onto the stage by a mechanism to extricate characters from a seemingly hopeless situation. The phrase has come to mean any turn of events that solve the characters' problems through an unexpected and unlikely intervention.54
7376729758DialogueConversation between two or more characters in a literary work.55
7376729759DictionA speaker or author's word choice. The general type or character of language used in speech or in a work of literature.56
7376729760DidacticInstructive or providing information for a particular purpose. "Teachy."57
7376729761DissonanceHarsh, discordant sounds.58
7376729762DomesticityAn aspect of patriarchal, nineteenth-century doctrine of separate spheres, according to which a woman's place was in the privacy of the home, whereas a man's place was in the wider, public world.59
7376729763EkphrasisLiterary representation of a response to a visual work or art, such as a painting or sculpture.60
7376729764Elektra ComplexThe desire a female child feels toward the male parent, from the ancient Greek legend of Elektra, who convinced her brother to kill their mother to avenge their father's murder.61
7376729765ElegyA poem or song composed especially as a lament for a deceased person.62
7376729766EnallageIntentionally misusing grammar to characterize a speaker or to create a memorable phrase. Boxing manager Joe Jacobs, for instance, became immortal with the phrase, "We was robbed!" Or, the editors of Punch magazine might tell their British readers, "You pays your money, and you takes your chances."63
7376729767End RhymeRhyme that occurs at the end of lines in verse. The last word of the line rhymes with the last word of another line.64
7376729768End-Stopped LineA line of poetry whose meaning is complete in itself and that ends with a grammatical pause marked by punctuation.65
7376729769English (Shakespearean) SonnetA 14-line sonnet consisting of three quatrains with a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef, followed by a couplet, gg.66
7376729770EnjambmentA poetic statement that spans more than one line.67
7376729771EpigraphA passage printed on the first page of a literary work, taken from earlier texts, to establish the tone or theme of what follows.68
7376729772EpilogueThe concluding section of a work.69
7376729773EpiphanySudden enlightenment or realization, a profound new outlook or understanding about the world usually attained while doing everyday mundane activities.70
7376729774Epistolary NovelA novel that tells its story through letters written from one character to another. Ex: Perks of Being a Wallflower71
7376729775EpistropheRepetition of a concluding word or endings: "He's learning fast; are you earning fast?" When it focuses on sounds rather than entire words, we normally call it rhyme.72
7376729776EpithetAn adjective or phrase applied to a noun to accentuate a certain characteristic. Ex: The Founding Fathers; Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, that Mr. Rogers-looking fool.73
7376729777EuphonyA succession of words which are pleasing to the ear. These words may be alliterative, utilize consonance or assonance, and are often used in poetry but also seen in prose. Opposite of cacophony.74
7376729778EuphemismThe act of substituting a harsh, blunt, or offensive comment for a more politically accepted or positive one.75
7376729779FableA usually short narrative making an edifying or cautionary point and often employing as characters animals that speak and act like humans.76
7376729780Falling ActionIn a tragedy, the portion of the plot that follows the climax or the crisis and that leads to or culminates in the catastrophe. In other genres, it leads to the resolution of the plot.77
7376729781Figurative LanguageSpeech or writing that departs from literal meaning in order to achieve a special effect or meaning. Speech or writing employing figures of speech.78
7376729782FoilA character that by contrast underscores or enhances the distinctive characteristics of another.79
7376729783FootThe metrical length of a line is determined by the number of feet it contains. Monometer: One foot, Dimeter: Two feet, Trimeter: Three feet, Tetrameter: Four feet, Pentameter: Five feet, Hexameter: Six feet, Heptameter: Seven feet, The most common feet have two to three syllables, with one stressed.80
7376729784ForegroundingGiving prominence to something in a literary work that would not be accentuated in ordinary discourse. An example would be Zora Neale Hurston's "foregrounding of language and culture in her fiction, dramatizing vernacular ways of speaking that are so independent, dynamic, and expressive that they cross over, challenge, and transform mainstream dialects."81
7376729785ForeshadowingIntroducing into narrative material that prepares the reader for future events, actions, or revelations. Foreshadowing often helps to create mood and atmosphere.82
7376729786FormalismA style of literary criticism from the 30s. It's what we do for AP: the literary work is an object in its own right. We analyze what's on the page, not the author's life or social forces. This allows us to deal with any piece of literature, whether we are familiar with the context or author or not.83
7376729787Frame StoryA story that contains another story or stories. Usually explains why the interior story or stories are being told.84
7376729788Free VersePoetry that lacks a regular meter, does not rhyme, and uses irregular line lengths. Writers of free verse disregard traditional poetic conventions and rely instead on parallelism, repetition, and the ordinary cadences and stresses of everyday discourse.85
7376729789Freytag's PyramidGustav Freytag's conception of the typical structure of a five-act play: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, catastrophe.86
7376729790GenreThe classification of literary works on the basis of their content, form, or technique. Ex: Prose/Poetry, Epic/Drama/Lyric,Comedy/Tragedy/Pastoral/Satire87
7376729792GothicA genre characterized by a general mood of decay, suspense, and terror; action that is dramatic and generally violent or otherwise disturbing; loves that are destructively passionate; and landscapes that are grandiose, if gloomy or bleak. Ex: Edgar Allan Poe, Dracula, Frankenstein.88
7376729793GrotesqueStrangely unusual things, bizarre or unnatural combinations of characteristics or images.89
7376729794HagiographyOriginally a biography recounting a saint's life. Now it can refer to writing about a revered individual. Ex: "Michael Jordan's hagiographers were unwilling to admit he was a style trainwreck."90
7376729795HamartiaAn error in judgment made by a tragic hero that brings about the suffering, downfall, and often death of that hero.91
7376729796Harlem RenaissanceAn intellectual and cultural movement of the 1920s centered in Harlem, then a predominantly African American section of New York City. Commonly dated 1919-1937. Significant writers include: Langston Hughes, WEB DuBois, Jean Toomer, Zora Neale Hurston, Dorothy West, Nella Larsen, Countee Cullen.92
7376729797HendiadysThe expression of an idea by the use of usually two independent words connected by and (as nice and warm) instead of the usual combination of independent word and its modifier (as nicely warm).93
7376729798Hero/HeroineSynonymous with protagonist, is the main character of the work.94
7376729799HubrisUsed in Greek tragedies, refers to excessive pride that usually leads to a hero's downfall.95
7376729800Hypallage.Also known as a transferred epithet, is the trope in which a modifier, usually an adjective, is applied to the "wrong" word in the sentence. The word whose modifier is thus displaced can either be actually present in the sentence, or it can be implied logically. The effect often stresses the emotions or feelings of the individual by expanding them on to the environment. Ex: "restless night," "clumsy helmet," "happy morning."96
7376729801HyperbatonA generic term for changing the normal or expected order of words. "One ad does not a survey make." The term comes from the Greek for "overstepping" because one or more words "overstep" their normal position and appear elsewhere. For instance, Milton in Paradise Lost might write, "High on a throne of royal gold . . . Satan exalted sat." In normal, everyday speech, we would expect to find, "High on a throne of royal gold . . . Satan sat exalted."97
7376729802HyperboleA figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or comic/dramatic effect.98
7376729803IambA metrical foot in poetry that consists of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. Ex: afloat, respect, in love.99
7376729804IdyllA narrative work, usually short, descriptive, and composed in verse that depicts and exalts pastoral scenes and themes. The simple shepherd's life is a typical subject. Often composed from the viewpoint of a "civilized" society that longs for something more primal, natural, or innocent.100
7376729805ImageryThe use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas.101
7376729806In Medias ResA literary technique of beginning the narrative in the middle of the action. Used to "hook" the reader or audience.102
7376729807Interior MonologueA literary technique for rendering stream of consciousness by reproducing a character's mental flow. Presents thoughts, emotions, and sensations as experienced by the character.103
7376729808Internal RhymeA rhyme that occurs within a line of verse. Ex: "They took some honey and plenty of money/Wrapped in a five-pound note."104
7376729809IntertextualityThe condition of interconnectedness among texts, or the concept that any text is an amalgam of others, either because it exhibits signs of influence or because its language inevitably contains common points of reference with other texts through such things as allusion, quotation, genre, style, and even revisions.105
7376729810InversionAn intentional digression from ordinary word order which is used to maintain regular meters. For example, rather than saying "the rain came" a poem may say "came the rain". Meters can be formed by the insertion or absence of a pause.106
7376729811IronyWhen one thing should occur, is apparent, or in logical sequence, but the opposite occurs. A man in the ocean might say, "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink."107
7433595639Cosmic IronyWhen a higher power toys with human expectations108
7433589570Verbal IronyWhen one thing is said, but something else, usually the opposite, is meant.109
7433587591Dramatic IronyWhen the audience or reader knows something characters do not know.110
7376729812Italian (Petrarchan) SonnetA poem with fourteen lines. This sonnet subdivides into two quatrains and two tercets (or an octave which presents a problem and a sestet which ponders a solution). Rhyme scheme is typically ABBAABBA followed by CDCDCD or a (variation).111
7376729813LitotesA trope that involves making an affirmation by negating its opposite. "Not unkind" means "kind." "Not bad" usually means "good."112
7376729814Loose SentenceA complex sentence in which an independent clause is followed by one or more other elements. It is syntactically complete on the front end. Are less formal, more conversational, and more common in English than periodic sentences.113
7376729815MeiosisA trope involving deliberate understatement, usually for comic, ironic, or satiric effect. Typically involves characterizing something in a way that, taken literally, minimizes its gravity. Ex: "One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day."114
7376729816MetaphorA figure of speech that associates two distinct things without using a connective word. Ex: "That child is a wet napkin."115
7376729817MetaplasmusA type of neologism in which misspelling a word creates a rhetorical effect. To emphasize dialect, one might spell dog as "dawg." To emphasize that something is unimportant, we might add -let or -ling at the end of the word, referring to a deity as a "godlet", or a prince as a "princeling." To emphasize the feminine nature of something normally considered masculine, try adding -ette to the end of the word, creating a smurfette or a corvette. To modernize something old, the writer might turn the Greek god Hermes into the Hermenator. Likewise, Austin Powers renders all things shagedelic. The categories following this entry are subdivisions of this. I remember these by thinking about adding PEP.116
7376729818ProsthesisAdding an extra syllable or letters to the beginning of a word: Shakespeare writes in his sonnets, "All alone, I beweep my outcast state." He could have simply wrote weep, but beweep matches his meter and is more poetic. Too many students are all afrightened by the use of this. Creates a poetic effect, turning a run-of-the-mill word into something novel.117
7376729819EpenthesisAdding an extra syllable or letters in the middle of a word. Shakespeare might write, "A visitating spirit came last night" to highlight the unnatural status of the visit. More prosaically, Ned Flanders from The Simpsons might say, "Gosh-diddly-darn-it, Homer."118
7376729820ProparalepsisAdding an extra syllable or letters to the end of a word. For instance, Shakespeare in Hamlet creates the word climature by adding the end of the word temperature to climate (1.1.12). The wizardly windbag Glyndwr (Glendower) proclaims that he "can call spirits from the vasty deep" in 1 Henry IV (3.1.52).119
7376729821AphaeresisDeleting a syllable from the beginning of a word to create a new word. For instance, in King Lear, we hear that, "the king hath cause to plain" (3.1.39). Here, the word complain has lost its first syllable. In Hamlet 2.2.561, Hamlet asks, "Who should 'scape whipping" if every man were treated as he deserved, but the e- in escape has itself cleverly escaped from its position!120
7376729822SyncopeDeleting a syllable or letter from the middle of a word. For instance, in Cymbeline, Shakespeare writes of how, "Thou thy worldy task hast done, / Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages" (4.2.258). In 2 Henry IV, we hear a flatterer say, "Your lordship, though not clean past your youth, hath yet some smack of age in you, some relish of the saltness of time" (1.2.112). Here, the -i- in saltiness has vanished to create a new word. Is particularly common in poetry, when desperate poets need to get rid of a single syllable to make their meter match in each line.121
7376729823ApocopeDeleting a syllable or letter from the end of a word. In The Merchant of Venice, one character says, "when I ope my lips let no dog bark," and the last syllable of open falls away into ope before the reader's eyes (1.1.93-94). In Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare proclaims, "If I might in entreaties find success--/ As seld I have the chance--I would desire / My famous cousin to our Grecian tents" (4.5.148). Here the word seldom becomes seld.122
7376729824MeterThe measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by accentual rhythm, syllabic quantity, or the number of syllables in a line.123
7376729825MetonymyThe use of a word or phrase to stand in for something else which it is often physically associated. ie. Hollywood for US cinema, the Crown for UK government, the White House, City Hall.124
7376729826MoodThe general feeling created for the reader by a work at a given point. Established through elements such as imagery, setting, and sound. Is not the same as tone, which is the author's attitude toward the reader, audience, or subject matter.125
7376729827MotifA recurrent, unifying element in an artistic work, such as an image, symbol, character type, action, idea, object, or phrase.126
7376729828MythA traditional anonymous story, originally religious in nature, told by a particular cultural group in order to explain a natural or cosmic phenomenon. Distinguished from legends (adventures of a human cultural hero like Robin Hood) and fables (which have a moral, didactic purpose and often feature animals).127
7376729829NarratorA speaker through whom an author presents a narrative. Classified by point of view:first-person--the author, the protagonist, another character, a witness to the action. "I'm on the ramp." Are also classified by whether or not they are intrusive (opinionated), unintrusive (detached), reliable, unreliable, self-conscious or self-effacing.128
7376729831Second-personThe narrator refers to the reader as "you," making the reader a part of the story. "You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy. You are at a nightclub talking to a girl with a shaved head. The club is either Heartbreak or the Lizard Lounge."129
7376729832Third-person omniscientEach and every character is referred to by the narrator as "he", "she", "it", or "they." An omniscient narrator has knowledge of all times, people, places, and events, including all characters' thoughts.130
7376729833Third-person limitedA limited narrator may know absolutely everything about a single character and every piece of knowledge in that character's mind, but the narrator's knowledge is "limited" to that character — that is, the narrator cannot describe things unknown to the focal character.131
7376729834NovelA lengthy fictional prose narrative.132
7376729835NovellaA shorter fictional prose narrative that ranges from 50-100 pages in length.133
7376729836OccupatioLiterally "seizing," the rhetorical figure of bringing up and responding to a counterpoint before the opponent has the chance to make it. Ex: "Now mom, I know you're going to say that if I join the Dungeons and Dragons club it may damage my social life, but Sheila and Tracy are already members!" This is opposed to apophasis, where the rhetorician feigns unwillingness to discuss a topic he or she is interested in.134
7376729837OctaveAn eight-line stanza. More specifically, the first eight lines of an italian sonnet. May pose a question or a dilemma that the sestet answers.135
7376729838OdeA relatively long, serious, and usually meditative lyric poem that treats a noble subject in a dignified or calm manner.136
7376729839Oedipus ComplexThe desire a young child feels for the opposite-sex parent and the hostility the child correspondingly feels toward the same-sex parent. Based on the Greek legend of Oedipus, who blinds himself after discovering that he killed his dad and then married his mother.137
7376729840OnomatopoeiaWords that seem to signify meaning through sound effects. Ex: Hiss, sizzle, pop, moo, purr, quack, beep.138
7376729841OtherA person or category of people seen as different from the dominant social group. Almost any ideology involves the classification of some group as the Other, often by virtue of race, class, gender, sexuality, or other characteristic. This practice often results in marginalization and oppression of that group.139
7376729842ParableA short, realistic, but usually fictional story told to illustrate a moral or religious point or lesson; a type of allegory.140
7376729843ParadoxA statement that seems self-contradictory, but expresses an underlying truth. Ex: "It became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it." Or, from the Tao Te Ching: "My words are easy to know and practice, but there is no one in the world who is able to know and practice them."141
7376729844ParalipsisA rhetorical figure involving a speaker's assertion that he or she will not discuss something that he or she in fact goes on to discuss.142
7376729845Parataxis/Paratactic StyleA sequence of sentences bearing only a loose logical relation to one another. Elements within those sentences tend to be joined by simple conjunctions (like and) that do little to show or explain causal or temporal relations. Another way to think about it is that all of the sentences carry the same weight. Ex: "There were no rooms at the inn. We drove farther until we found a hotel. It was raining heavily and we got soaked on the way to the door. Our socks stank of mildew. We ate dinner there and talked little."143
7376729846PastoralA literary mode historically and conventionally associated with shepherds and country living.144
7376729847PentameterA line of verse with five metrical feet. The most common line length in English verse. Ex: "Deer walk | upon | our moun | tains, and | the quail |"145
7376729849Periodic SentenceA complex sentence that is not syntactically complete until its very end. The opposite of a loose sentence.146
7376729850PeriphrasisA roundabout way of speaking or writing. The term is often used pejoratively to designate pompous or wordy writing. Ex: Ronald Reagan once called a lie a "terminological inexactitude."147
7376729851PersonificationA figure of speech in which human characteristics are bestowed upon anything nonhuman.148
7376729852PlotThe arrangement and interrelation of events in a narrative work, chosen and designed to engage the reader's attention and interest, while also providing a framework for the exposition of the author's message or theme.149
7376729853Poetic DictionThe choice and phrasing of words deemed suitable for verse. Ex: "Ere," "thrice," "thou."150
7376729854Poetic JusticeThe idea that virtuous and evil actions are ultimately dealt with justly, with virtue rewarded and evil punished."151
7376729855Poetic LicenseThe linguistic liberty taken by poets in composing verse. They can do unusual things, break rules, etc.152
7376729856Point of ViewThe vantage point from which a narrative is told.153
7376729857PolysyndetonThe use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in "he ran and jumped and laughed for joy"). It is a stylistic scheme used to achieve a variety of effects: it can increase the rhythm of prose, speed or slow its pace, convey solemnity or even ecstasy and childlike exuberance. Another common use of it is to create a sense of being overwhelmed, or in fact directly overwhelm the audience by using conjunctions, rather than commas, leaving little room for a reader to breathe. Ex: "We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other." --Ernest Hemingway154
7376729858Postcolonial LiteratureThe body of literature written by authors with roots in countries that were once colonies established by European nations. Postcolonial Theory explores the situation of colonized peoples both during and after colonization.155
7376729859Postmodernist LiteratureA term referring to radically experimental works produced after WWII. Much of postmodernist writing reveals and highlights the alienation of individuals and the meaninglessness of human existence.156
7376729860Prose PoemA brief, rhythmic composition blending prose and verse, ranging from several lines to several pages. Are written in sentences and do not have line breaks.157
7376729861ProtagonistThe main character of a work; usually the hero or heroine, but sometimes an antihero.158
7376729862QuatrainA stanza containing four lines.159
7376729863RefrainA phrase, line, or lines that recur(s) throughout the poem or song. It may vary slightly, but is usually exactly the same. When it is meant to be repeated or sung by a group of people, it is called a chorus.160
7376729864ResolutionThe culmination of a fictional plot.161
7376729865RhymeAn echoing of similar sounds in words.162
7376729866Rhyme SchemeThe pattern of rhyme in a poem or stanza.163
7376729867RhythmThe measured flow of words, signifying the basic beat or pattern in language that is established by stressed syllables, unstressed syllables, and pauses.164
7376729868Rising ActionThe part of a drama that follows the inciting moment and precedes the climax. During this, the plot becomes more complicated and the conflict intensifies.165
7376729869Round CharacterCharacters which are fully developed, with the complexity and depth associated with real people. They can surprise readers convincingly and have full-blown personalities complete with contractions and quirks that make it difficult to describe them reductively.166
7376729870SatireA literary genre or mode that uses irony, wit, and sometimes sarcasm to expose humanity's vices and foibles. Corrective ridicule.167
7376729871ScansionThe analysis of poetic meter, the more or less regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables found in verse.168
7376729872SettingThe combination of place, historical time, and social milieu that provides the general background for the characters and plot of a literary work.169
7376729873SestetAny six-line poem or stanza. More specifically, the last six lines of an Italian sonnet, which typically answer or resolve the question or problem posed in the octave.170
7376729874SibilanceA type of alliteration involving repetition or the consonant s or other letters and letter combinations such as c (cent), ch (chalet), sh (shade), and z (zip).171
7376729875SimileA figure of speech comparing two distinct things using like or as. If you want to nerd out, like connects the vehicle (image used to represent the subject) and the tenor (subject). In "that child is like a cylcone," child is the tenor and cyclone is the vehicle.172
7376729877SoliloquyA monologue delivered by a character while alone on the stage that reveals inner thoughts, emotions, or information that the audience needs to know.173
7376729878StanzaA grouped set of lines in a poem., usually separated from other such clusters by a blank line.174
7376729879Stream of ConsciousnessA literary technique featuring the mental flow of one or more characters. This flow is more determined by free association than by logic or grammatical rules. May seem fragmented, illogical, or inchoherent.175
7376729880StressThe emphasis placed on a syllable. In the last name "Freeburg," the first syllable is stressed.176
7376729881StyleThe way in which a literary work is written. Produced by the message the author communicates to the plus how the author chooses to present it.177
7376729882SurrealismA literary and artistic movement whose proponents view the unconscious mind as the source of imaginative expression and who seek to liberate the mind from the constraints of reason, convention, self-censorship, and conscious control. Characterized by unusual sequencing and syntax, free association, fantastic/nightmarish images, and the juxtaposition of jarringly incongruous elements. Maya Deren's film Meshes of the Afternoon is a great visual example.178
7376729883SymbolSomething concrete that stands for something larger and/or more complex--often an idea or a range of interrelated ideas, attitudes, and practices. The Golden Arches represent McDonald's, and to much of the world, American culture.179
7376729884SynesthesiaThe condition where one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another. Ex: "heavy silence," "icy tone," "red hot."180
7376729885SynecdocheA figure of speech where a part of something represents the whole. Ex: calling a car your "wheels," referring to the violins and cellos as "the strings," senior citizens as "greyheads," football as "pigskin," etc.181
7376729886SyntaxThe arrangement--the ordering, grouping, and placement--of words within a phrase, clause or sentence. One of two components of diction (the other is vocabulary). Consider the differences between these examples: "I rode across the meadow" and "Rode I across the sea of grass."182
7376729887TercetA group of three lines of verse.183
7376729888TextureA term referring to the surface details or elements of a work. Includes: imagery, meter, rhyme, alliteration, euphony, etc.184
7376729889ThemeThe statements that a text seems to be making about its subject. Is usually a "big" idea: suffering, freedom, happiness, death, morality.185
7376729890ThesisThe position taken by someone expostulating on a particular topic with the intent of proving that position plausible or correct. A claim.186
7376729891ThrenodyA song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person.187
7376729892ToneThe attitude of an author toward the reader, audience, or subject matter of a literary work.188
7376729893TragedyA serious drama, written in prose or verse, that typically ends in disaster and that focuses on a character who undergoes unexpected personal reversals.189
7376729894Tragic FlawA character trait in a tragic hero or heroine that brings about his or her downfall. Arrogance (hubris) is a common trait.190
7376729895TrocheeA metrical foot in poetry that consists of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.191
7376729896Unreliable NarratorA narrator who, intentionally or unintentionally, fails to provide an accurate report of events or situations and whose credibility is therefore compromised.192
7376729897VerisimilitudeThe apparent truthfulness and credibility of a fictional literary work. Works that achieve this seem believable to the reader or audience because they mesh with human experience or accord with conventions that enable a suspension of disbelief.193
7376729898VillanelleA French verse form consisting of nineteen lines grouped in five tercets followed by a quatrain and involving only two rhymes, with the rhyme scheme aba aba aba aba aba abaa.194
7376729899ZeugmaA rhetorical figure where one word or phrase governs or modifies two or more words or phrases. Ex: "Mary likes chocolate, John vanilla." "Lust conquered shame; audacity, fear; madness, reason."195
7401123920ProsodyConcerns the measure in which poems are written. There are three kinds of poems, prosodically speaking: poems in counted lines (where lines have regular number of beats) poems in free verse (where lines have irregular number of beats) poems in prose (usually a short symbolic paragraph)196

AP Language: Review Set 1 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
4360866098Polysyndeton: repeating conjunctions in close succession."Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"0
4360879788Epistrophe: the repetition of a word or group of words at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences."Of the people, by the people, for the people"1
4360882844EuphonyA pleasing arrangement of sounds2
4360884685Synaesthesia: the use of one kind of sensory experience to describe another."Heard melodies are sweet."3
4360887722Colloquialism: an informal or slang expression, especially in the context of formal writing."All the other lads there were / Itching to have a bash."4
4360895665MoodThe atmosphere of a work of literature; the emotion created by the work.5
4360897566EuphemismSaying "ethnic cleansing" instead of "genocide."6
4360899457NarratorThe person (sometimes a character) who tells a story; the voice assumed by the writer. Not necessarily the author (but it can be).7
4360902627Personification: the use of human characteristics to describe animals, objects, or ideas."The moon smiled down at us as we sat by the river."8
4360905053PersonaThe character an author assumes in a written work.9
4360906378VoiceAn author's individual way of using language to reflect his or her own personality and attitudes. An author communicates this through tone, diction, and sentence structure.10
4360908883EpithetAn adjective or phrase that describes a prominent or distinguishing feature of a person or thing.11
4360911897ForeshadowingIn Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, the nightmares Lockwood has the night he sleeps in Catherine's bed prefigure later events in the novel.12
4360912848Synechdoche: a figure of speech in which a part of an entity is used to refer to the whole."The ship was crewed by fifty hands."13
4360917368IronyA technique of detachment that draws awareness to the discrepancy between words and their meanings, between expectation and fulfillment, or, most commonly, between what is and what seems to be.14
4360919831Parallelism: the use of similar grammatical structures or word order in two or more sentences, clauses, to suggest a comparison or contrast between them."Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream."15
4360925139RhetoricThe art of persuasion, or the art of speaking or writing well. This involves the study of how words influence audiences.16
4360926694ToneThe author's attitude toward the subject or characters of a story or poem, or toward the reader.17
4360929652Analogy: a comparison based on a specific similarity between things that are otherwise unlike, or the inference that if two things are alike in some ways,they will be alike in others."Asking the wealthy nations of the world to feed the impoverished nations is like asking people on a full lifeboat to take on more passengers."18
4360934754Paradox: a statement that seems absurd or even contradictory but that often expresses a deeper truth."And all men kill the thing they love."19
4360939617Hyperbole: excessive overstatement or conscious exaggeration of fact."My teacher is a total psychopath."20
4360942565Asyndeton"I came, I saw, I conquered."21
4360944301FoilA character who illuminates the qualities of another character by means of contrast.22
4360947256Simile: a comparison of two unlike things through the use of like or as."My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose."23
4360954106Allegory: a narrative in which literal meaning corresponds directly with symbolic meaning and there is usually a "message."In the stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne, characters, objects, and events often symbolize moral qualities.24
4360960833SyntaxThe way the words in a piece of writing are put together to form lines, phrases, or clauses; the basic structure of a piece of writing.25
4360966481Aphorism: a concise expression of insight or wisdom."[F]or there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."26
4360968374Litotes: deliberate understatement, in which an idea or opinion is often affirmed by negating its opposite."He is not unfriendly."27
4360971751Antithesis: the contrasting of ideas by the use of parallel structure in phrases and clauses."Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more."28
4360986862Metonymy: a figure of speech in which something is referred to by one of its attributes.Referring to business people as "suits."29
4360989581Ellipsis: a figure of speech in which a word or short phrase is omitted but easily understood from the context.Romeo loves Juliet and Juliet, Romeo.30
4360993733Deductive reasoning: reasoning in which one derives a specific conclusion from something generally or universally understood to be true."Firefighters are usually brave and friendly. Jim Potter is a firefighter. So, he is probably brave and friendly."31
4360997875RefutationThe process of proving something wrong by argument or evidence.32
4361005851Cliche: an expression that has been used so frequently, it has lost its expressive power."Turn over a new leaf."33

AP Literature - Key Terminology Master Flashcards

Key terms in AP English Literature and Composition from the Kaplan study guide.

Terms : Hide Images
3947053378allegorya prose or poetic narrative in which the characters, behavior, or setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning or significance0
3947053379allusiona reference to a literary or historical event, person, or place1
3947053380anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses2
3947053381archetypesrecurrent designs, patterns of action, character types, themes, or images which are identifiable in a wide range of literature3
3947053382colloquialordinary language, the vernacular4
3947053383conceita comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, particularly a piece of extended metaphor within a poem5
3947053384connotationwhat is suggested by a word, apart from what it implicitly describes6
3947053385elegya poetic lament upon the death of a particular person, usually ending in consolation7
3947053386expositionthat part of the structure that sets the scene, introduces or identifies characters, and establishes the situation at the beginning of a story or play8
3947053387extended metaphora detailed or complex metaphor that extends over a long section of a work, also known as a conceit9
3947053388fablea legend or short story often using animals as characters10
3947053389falling actionthat part of plot structure in which the complications of the rising action are untangled; also known as the denouement11
3947053390farcea play or scene in a play or book that is characterized by broad humor, wild antics, and often slapstick or physical jokes12
3947053391foreshadowingto hint at or to present an indication of the future beforehand13
3947053392formal dictionlanguage that is lofty, dignified, and impersonal14
3947053393genrea type or class of literature such as epic or narrative poetry or belles lettres15
3947053394hyperboleoverstatement characterized by exaggerated language16
3947053395idylla short poem describing a country or pastoral scene, praising the simplicity of rustic life17
3947053396informal dictionlanguage that is not as lofty or impersonal as formal diction; similar to everyday speech18
3947053397in medias res"in the midst of things"; refers to opening a story in the middle of the action, necessitating filling in past details by exposition or flashback19
3947053398ironya situation or statement characterized by significant difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant20
3947053399juxtapositionthe location of one thing as being adjacent or juxtaposed with another, to create a certain effect21
3947053400limited point of viewa perspective confined to a single character, whether a first person or a third person22
3947053401messagea misleading term for theme; the central statement or idea of a story, misleading because it suggests a simple, packaged statement that pre-exists and for the simple communication of which the story was written23
3947053402metaphorone thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy between them24
3947053403metonymya figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something: "The White House announced today," "The pen is mightier than the sword."25
3947053404mooda feeling or ambiance resulting from the tone of the piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view26
3947053405motifa recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event27
3947053406narrative structurea textual organization based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework28
3947053407narratorthe character who "tells" the story, or in poetry, the persona29
3947053408omniscient point of viewalso called unlimited focus; a perspective that can be seen from one character's view, then another's, then another's and can be moved at any time30
3947053409oxymorona figure of speech that combines to apparently contradictory elements: "jumbo shrimp," "deafening silence"31
3947053410parablea short fictional story that illustrates an explicit moral lesson through the use of analogy32
3947053411paradoxa statement that seems contradictory but may actually be true: "fight for peace"33
3947053412parallel structurethe use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts: "Jane likes reading, writing, and skiing," NOT "Martha takes notes quickly, thoroughly, and in a detailed manner."34
3947053413parodya work that imitates another work for comic effect by exaggerating the style and changing the content of the original35
3947053414periodic sentencea sentence that is not grammatically complete until the end: "The child, who looked as if she were being chased by demons, ran."36
3947053415personificationtreating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human qualities37
3947053416personathe voice or figure of the author who tells and structures the story and who may or may not share the values of the actual author (e.g. adult Scout in 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Watson in 'Sherlock Holmes')38
3947053417plotthe arrangement of the narration based on the cause-effect relationship of the events39
3947053418protagonistthe main character in a work, who may or may not be heroic40
3947053419quatraina poetic stanza of four lines41
3947053420realismthe practice in literature of attempting to describe nature and life without idealism and with attention to detail42
3947053421refraina repeated stanza or line(s) in a poem or song43
3947053422rhetorical questiona question that is simply asked for stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered44
3947053423rhymethe repetition of the same or similar sounds, most often at the ends of lines45
3947053424rising actionthe development of action in a work, usually at the beginning46
3947053425satirea literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure47
3947053426settingthe time and place of the action in a story, poem, or play48
3947053427stereotypea characterization based on conscious or unconscious assumptions that some aspect, such as gender, age, ethnic or national identity, religion, occupation, marital status, and so on, are predictable accompanied by certain character traits, action, and even values49
3947053428Everyman charactermain character that actually represents all people50
3947053429stock charactercharacter who appears in a number of stories or plays such as the cruel stepmother, the femme fatale, etc.51
3947053430structurethe organization or arrangement of the various elements in a work52
3947053431stylea distinctive manner of expression53
3947053432symbola person, place, thing, event, or pattern in a literary work that designates itself and at the same time figuratively represents or "stands for" something else54
3947053433syntaxthe way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences55
3947053434themea generalized, abstract paraphrase of the inferred central or dominant idea or concern of a work56
3947053435tonethe attitude a literary work takes toward its subject and theme57
3947053436tragedya drama in which a character (usually good and noble and of high rank) is brought to a disastrous end in his or her confrontation with a superior force due to a fatal flaw in his or her character58
3947053437turning pointthe third part of plot structure, the point at which the action stops rising and begins falling or reversing; also called the climax59

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