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AP Literature Flashcards

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5195499105Consulatethe place or building in which a consul's duties are carried out.0
5195517314phantasmagoriashifting series of illusions created by imagination1
5195520375paranoiabaseless suspicion2
5195520376vertigodizzy sensation3
5195522760affectivecausing emotion or feeling4
5195522761mislaidtemporarily misplaced5
5195526409premisea tract of land; proposition supporting conclusion6
5195535966impositionlaying a burden or duty7
5195535967psychoticmentally unstable; intensely upset8
5195538944revisionistadvocate for change/ progress9
5195542114egodistinguishing self in selfish manner10
5195547519tenuousthin or slender in form, lacking reasoning11
5195550361intelligibilitycapable of being understood12
5195550362disparatedistinct or unique13
5195552699colloquydialogue, conversation14
5195554518garnishadorn or decorate15
5195557079mediateto settle as an intermediator16
5195557080fatalisticacceptance of inevitability17
5195561540eccentricirregular, erratic18
5195561574rhetoricalused for style or effect19
5195564555juxtapositionplacing side by side to compare20
5195567923oratoricalrelating to the art or practice of public speaking21
5195582081paradigma typical example or pattern of something; a model.22
5195587464wryusing or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor; (of a person's face or features) twisted into an expression of disgust, disappointment, or annoyance.23
5195592640parallelismsyntactical similarity24
5195595219serialrepeatedly committing the same offense; story or play appearing in regular installments25
5195613895coherencehe quality of being logical and consistent.; forming a consistent whole26
5195619795impersonalnot influenced by, showing, or involving personal feelings; having no personality27
5195628335deadpandeliberately impassive28
5195656115imminentoverhanging; about to happen29
5195656116hyperboleextreme deliberate exaggeration30
5198038688Extended metaphorMetaphor extended throughout the work31
5198045423InclusionA particle recognizably distinct from the group; the state of being included32
5198045424PedanticA person obsessed with small details or academic details33

AP Literature Unit 20 Vocabulary Flashcards

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5299647724pilgrimagean act of spiritual devotion or penance in which an individual travels without material comforts to a distant holy place (Ex. Pilgrim's Progress or Canterbury Tales)0
5299647725agrarian idealismconviction that farming is an especially virtuous occupation in comparison with trade, craftsmanship, manufacturing, etc.; manifested strong in Romantic writings as one form of the American Dream motif (Ex. Virgil's Eclogues, Jefferson's Queries)1
5299647726problem playany play in which the main character faces a personal, social, political, environmental, or religious problem common to his society (Ex. Death of a Salesman: challenges of false values in a capitalistic society)2
5299647727revenge playRenaissance genre of drama; hero attempts to avenge a previous wrong by killing the perpetrator of the deed, commonly with a great deal of bloodshed and incidental violence (Ex. Hamlet)3
5299647728roman à clef(roman uh clay) narrative that represents actual historical characters and events in the form of fiction; real figures have fictitious names (Ex. Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises)4
5299647729identical rhymeuse of the same words as a "rhymed" pair; adds emphasis to a poetic passage (Ex. Keats's Isabella: "All close they met again, before the dusk / Had taken from the stars its pleasant veil, / All close they met, all eyes, before the dusk / Had taken from the stars its pleasant veil, / Close in a bower of hyacinth and musk,/ Unknown of any, free from whispering tale")5
5299647730eye rhymewords that seem to rhyme when written down because their parts are spelled similarly but are pronounced differently in modern English (Ex. Andrew Marvell: "Thy beauty shall no more be found, / Nor in thy marble vault shall sound / My echoing love song. Then worms shall try / That long-preserved virginity")6
5299647731internal audiencean imaginary listener or audience to whom a character speaks in a poem or story; might be the reader or another unnamed character (Ex. T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": "Let us go then, you and I...")7
5299647732multicultural novelnovel written by a member of or about a cultural minority group, giving insight into non-Western or non-dominant cultural experiences and values, either in the United States or abroad (Ex. Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Tan's The Kitchen God's Wife, etc.)8
5299647733mythologysystem of stories that help explain how the world works, customs and observances, rituals for sacred ceremonies, and life after death; once believed literally by ancestors but usually not believed by their descendants (Ex. Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid)9

AP Language Literary Terms Flashcards

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3839014702AllegoryA narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrates multiple levels of meaning and significance. Often a universal symbol or a personified abstraction0
3839014703AlliterationThe sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables1
3839014704AllusionA literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference in a literary work2
3839014705AnaphoraThe regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses3
3839014706AntithesisThe juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas4
3839014707AphorismA concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief5
3839014708Appeals to... authority, emotion, logicRhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in a field, or attempts to play upon the emotions, or appeals to the use of reason6
3839014709ApostropheAn address or invocation to something inanimate7
3839014710AssonanceThe repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words8
3839014711AsyndetonA syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose9
3839014712AttitudeThe sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his or her feelings for the reader10
3839014713Begging the questionAn argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evades or ignores the real question11
3839014714CanonThat which has been accepted as authentic12
3839014715ChiasmusA figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second13
3839014716ColloquialA term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area14
3839014717ConceitA comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem15
3839014718ConnotationThe implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase16
3839014719ConsonanceThe repetition of two or more consonants with a change in intervening vowels17
3839014720CritiqueAn assessment or analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre18
3839014721Deductive reasoningThe method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement from the general to the specific19
3839014722DialectThe language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group20
3839014723DictionThe specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose or effect21
3839014724DidacticWriting or speech that has an instructive purpose or a lesson; often associated with a dry, pompous presentation22
3839014725ElegyA poem or prose that laments, or meditates upon the death of a person23
3839014726EpistropheIn rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences24
3839014727EpitaphWriting in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone25
3839014728EthosIn rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator26
3839014729EulogyA speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person27
3839014730EuphemismAn indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information28
3839014731ExpositionThe interpretation or analysis of a text. Also, the opening section of a narrative or dramatic structure in which characters, setting, theme, and conflict can be revealed.29
3839014732Extended metaphorA series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they are consistently one concept, this is also known as a conceit.30
3839014733Figurative LanguageLanguage with levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, litote, etc.31
3839014734FlashbackAn earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration32
3839014735GenreA type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history33
3839014736HomilyA sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life34
3839014737HyperboleOverstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention35
3839014738ImageryAny sensory detail or evocation in a work to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Involves any or all of the five senses.36
3839014739Inductive reasoningThe method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles: movement from the specific to the general37
3839014740InferenceA conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data. Looking at the clues, learning the facts.38
3839014741IronyThe contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The intended meaning is often the opposite of what is stated, often suggesting light sarcasm.39
3839014742IsocolonParallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length40
3839014743JargonSpecialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group41
3839014744JuxtapositionThe location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose42
3839014745LitoteA figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement43
3839014746Loose SentenceA long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases44
3839014747MetaphorOne thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy. An implicit comparison or identification of one thing with another, without the use of like or as.45
3839014748MetonymyA figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something46
3839014749Mode of DiscourseThe way in which information is presented in written or spoken form. Narration, description, process analysis , and cause and effect are all types of this.47
3839014750MoodA feeling or ambience resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view. It is a "feeling" that establishes the atmosphere in a work of literature or other discourse.48
3839014751NarrativeA mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort and it is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework49
3839014752OnomatopoeiaA word capturing or approximating the sound of what is described. The purpose of these words is to make a passage more effective for the reader or listener.50
3839014753OxymoronA figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements51
3839014754ParadoxA statement that seems contradictory but may probably be true52
3839014755Parallel StructureThe use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts. In prose, recurrent syntactical similarity where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike to show that their ideas are equal in importance.53
3839014756PathosThat element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow. In argument or persuasion it tends to be the evocation of pity.54
3839014757Periodic SentenceA long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end55
3839014758PersonificationTreating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualities56
3839014759Point of ViewThe relation in which a narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse. Requires the reader to establish the historical perspective of what is being said.57
3839014760ProseThe ordinary form of written language without metrical structure in contrast to verse and poetry58
3839014761RealismAttempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail59
3839014762RebuttalAn argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered60
3839014763RhetoricThe art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking61
3839014764Rhetorical QuestionA question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered62
3839014765SarcasmA form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical. Can be light, and gently poke fun at something, or it can be harsh and mean63
3839014766SatireA literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure64
3839014767SimileA direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, using the words like or as65
3839014768StyleThe manner in which a writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure66
3839014769SymbolismUse of a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or "stands for" something else67
3839014770SynecdocheA figure of speech in which a part signifies a whole68
3839014771SyntaxThe way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Basically, sentence structure.69
3839014772ThemeThe central or dominant idea or focus of a work. The statement a passage makes about its subject.70
3839014773ToneThe attitude the narrator/author has toward the subject and theme. Based on particular stylistic devices employed by the author.71
3839014774VoiceThe acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story; the speaker's or narrator's particular "take" on an idea based on a particular passage and how all the elements of the style of the piece come together to express his/her feelings.72
3839014775ZeugmaA grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated73

AP Literature Terms - Realism through Voice Flashcards

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5072310368Realisma nineteenth-century literary movement in Europe and the United States that stressed accuracy in the portrayal of life, focusing on characters with whom middle-class readers could easily identify; in direct contrast with romanticism0
5072313347Refraina line or group of lines that are periodically repeated throughout a poem1
5072313348Rhymea similarity of accented sounds between two words, such as sad/mad; rhymes can be masculine or feminine2
5072319672Romanticisma literary, artistic, and philosophical movement that began in the eighteenth century as a reaction against neoclassicism; the focal points of the movement are imagination, emotion, and freedom, stressing subjectivity, individuality, the love and worship of nature, and a fascination with the past3
5072322060Sarcasmharsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone; less subtle than irony4
5072322062Similesa figure of speech that uses like, as, or as if to make a direct comparison between two essentially different objects, actions, or qualities; for example, "the sky looked like an artist's canvas"5
5072324559Sonneta fourteen-line lyric poem in iambic pentameter6
5072324560Stanzaa group of lines in the formal pattern of a poem7
5072324561Coupletthe simplest stanza, consisting of two rhymed lines8
5072326535Tercetthree lines, usually having the same rhyme9
5072326536Quatrainfour lines10
5072326537Cinquainfive lines11
5072329042Sestetsix lines12
5072329043Octaveeight lines13
5072329044Stereotypea character who represents a trait that is usually attributed to a particular social or racial group and lacks individuality14
5072331081Symbolismthe use of symbols, or anything that is meant to be taken both literally and as representative of a higher and more complex significance15
5072345253Synecdochea figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent a whole, such as using "boards" to mean "a stage," or "wheels" to mean "a car"16
5072345254Themethe central idea or "message" of a literary work17
5072345255Tonethe characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, and audience18
5072351667Tragic Flawthe one weakness that causes the downfall of the hero in a tragedy19
5072354794Voicethe way a written work conveys an author's attitude20

AP Language Week 12 12-07-2015 Flashcards

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3487371453orificemouth; opening0
3487374797hallowto make holy1
3487379449perditiondamnation; ruin; hell2
3487383591chaffworthless matter3
3487387598aestheticpertaining to beauty4
3487398597empiricalbased on practical experience rather than theory5
3487405373germanerelevant; fitting6
3487409895hermetictightly sealed7
3487416268meretriciousattractive in a cheap, flashy way8
3487421792querulouscomplaining; grumbling9
3487428183flaccidflabby10
3487431887hospicea shelter for travelers, orphans, or the ill or destitute11
3487436245egregiousremarkably bad; outrageous12
3487444426ratiocinateto reason; to think13
3487450043fomentto stir up; to incite14

AP Literature Flashcards

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7380391138DèbatMock debate where two characters usually personified abstractions (like soul and body) argue their respective merits0
7380413663Dialogue Poetrytype of dramatic poetry. two people speak alternately1
7380428430Dramatic Poetryworks like a narrative except it might be acted out like a soliloquy2
7380444877Dramatic Monologuespeech from a single narrator usually delivered to a silent auditor3
7380452965Realistic Narrativesare medium length and sometimes are discussed as poetic novels or short stories in verse4
7380463257Balladsare shorter narratives with song-like qualities often including rhyme and repeated refrains5
7380464713Epigrama short satirical lyric usually aimed at a specific person6
7380464714Odea long lyric in elevated language on a serious theme7
7380464715Elegya lyric on the occasion of .a death8
7380466655Narrative Poetrypoetry whose main function is to tell a story. they habe plots characters settings and point-of-view9
7380469312EpicA long narrative poem about the exploits of a hero10
7380469313Folk EpicOriginally intended for public recitation and existed in oral form for a long period of time before they were transcribed11
7380469314Literary Epicdiffer from folk epics because they are products of known authors12
7380472593Folk Balladscome from oral tradition and are anonymously authored13
7380472594Art or Literary Balladsconscious imitation of the ballad style by later poets and are generally somewhat more sophisticated14
7380537597Epigrapha brief explanatory statement or quotation15
7380542796Dedicationexplains the setting16
7380548425Genresseparate categories delineated by distinct style form and content17
7380556396Lyric poetrythe first genre, originally compromised brief poems that were meant to be sung or chanted to the accompaniment of a lyre now it is a large category that involves almost all poems18
7380576836Apostrophefigure of speech used with a non human inanimate or abstract thing is directly addressed19
7380590392Confessional poetryform of autobiographical poetry20
7380593893Narratorwho is speaking in the poem21
7380605992AuditorWho is being spoken to , the person or persons spoken to in the poem22
7380615087Oral Traditionpoems were passed down in ancient societies from generation to generation and recited for all the members of the tribe23
7380619275Dramatic Situationdetails such as setting character circumstances poem was written - these are crucial to understanding but may not be portrayed in the poem24
7380631967Occasional Versea poem that is written about or for an important event sometimes private but usually some public significance25
7380636048PersonaWho is speaking? a technical word that is often used to designated the speaker of a poem26

AP Literature and Comp Voc List Seven Flashcards

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5379981683resoluteadj. admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.0
5379981684schismnoun- a split or division between two strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.1
5379981685tediumthe state of being tedious or dull.2
5379984020urbaneADJ. (of a person, especially a man)Suave AND courteous AND refined in manner3
5379987195vitiatespoil or impair the quality or efficiency4
5380299761acquiesceAccepting, or complying to a request reluctantly but without protest.5
5380301753amitya friendly relationship.6
5380301754avocationNoun, a hobby or minor occupation.7
5380303526brevityn. short and precise use of words in writing or speech.8
5380303527cognizantadj. having knowledge or being aware of9
5380307625PERSONIFICATIONn. a figure of speech that gives something that is nonhuman human characteristics10
5380307626SIMILEn. A figure of speech that compares one thing with another thing of a different kind to make a description more emphatic or vivid11
5380307627SYMBOLa thing that represents or stands for something else bigger in concept than the actual object.12
5380309997SYNECDOCHEA figure of speech using the collective is used to represent the part, or vice versa; Substitution of a part or a substance for a whole. Ex. the soldiers unsheathed their steel. A hundred head of cattle was spread across the fields.13

AP Literature Terms Flashcards

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5608407141anaphorathe regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive phrases or clauses.0
5608407142chiasmusa reversal in the word order of words in two otherwise parallel sentences1
5608407143apostrophethe direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea.2
5608407144hyperbolea rhetorical figure in which emphasis is achieved through exaggeration3
5608407145metaphorfigurative language that describes something as though it actually were something else4
5608407146metonymythe substitution of one term for another that is generally associated with it. (ex. the crown declared that the man would be executed.)5
5608407147synecdochea figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole (ex. all hands on deck)6
5608407148onomatopoeiathe use of words that sound like a noise7
5608407149paradoxa statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory but ends up being true on some level8
5608407150parallelismthe use of similar grammatical structures or word order.9
5608407151personificationthe use of human characteristics to describe animals, things, or ideas.10
5608407152point of viewthe perspective that a narrator takes toward the events it describes11
5608407153protagonistthe central character in a story12
5608407154puna witty word-play which reveals that words with different meanings have similar or even identical sounds13
5608407155satirewriting that ridicules or holds up to contempt the faults of individuals or groups14
5608407156polysyndetonthe repetition of conjunctions in a sentence15
5608407157asyndetonthe omission of conjunctions in a sentence16
5608407158archetypea symbol found in many cultures17
5608407159dramatic ironya situation where the audience knows something that the characters on stage are not aware of18
5608407160allusiona reference to a piece of literature, character, historical figure that the author assumes the reader will recognize19
5608407161dramatic climaxthe turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy where the action turns against the protagonist20
5608407162dictionthe word choices made by a writer21
5608407163didactichaving the primary purpose of teaching or instructing22
5608407164flat (static) charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story23
5608407165dynamic (round) charactera character who undergoes a change or transformation in the course of a story24
5608407166expositionthe beginning portion of Freytag's pyramid where the background information, characters and setting are introduced25
5608407167exciting forcethe spark or complication that "gets the action going" in the play the event that sets the plot into motion26
5608407168rising actionEvents leading up to the climax27
5608407169denouement (catastrophe)The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work or the outcome of a complicated sequence of events28
5608407170omniscient narratora narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters29
5608407171themeCentral idea of a work of literature30
5608407172toneA writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.31
5608407173deus ex machinaan unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel32

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