AP English Lit terms

12243751	abstract words	words used to discuss intangible qualities like good and evil
12243752	accent	the stressed portion of a word in poetry
12243753	ad hominem argument	argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason; may attack the messenger rather than the message
12243754	aesthetic	appealing to the senses (adj.), a coherent sense of taste (n.), the study of beauty (n.)
12243755	aestheticism	devotion to the idea of beauty in art
12243756	aleatory	an alogical poem seems composed by chance
12243757	allegory	a story in which each aspect has symbolic meaning outside the story
12243758	alliteration	repetition of initial consonant sounds
12243759	allusion	reference to a famous work or figure outside the poem
12243760	amplification	repeating a word, and adding more modifiers each time
12243761	anachronism	an object misplaced in time
12243762	anacoluthon	finishing a sentence with different grammatical structure from that with which it began
12243763	analogy	a comparison, involving two or more symbolic parts, employed to clarify an action or a relationship
12243764	anapestic	metrical measurement of two unstressed syllables and then one stressed one (u u ')
12243765	anaphora	repetition of the same words at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses
12243766	anecdote	a short story
12243767	antagonist	one that contends with or opposes another
12243768	antecedent	a word, phrase, or clause that determines what a pronoun refers to
12243769	anthropomorphism	inanimate objects are given human characteristics, but no human shape
12243770	anticlimax	an action produces far smaller results than one had led to expect, comic
12243771	antihero	a protagonist who is markedly unheroic
12243772	antimetabole	reversing the order of repeated words/clauses to intensify the sentence, present alternatives, or show contrast
12243773	antiphrasis	one word irony (calling a beautiful girl "ugly)
12243774	antistrophe	repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive lines
12243775	antithesis	juxtaposition of opposites, e.g., heaven and hell
12243776	aphorism	a short and witty saying
12243777	apocopated rhyme	a cut-off rhyme; last syllable of one of the rhymes is missing (pain/gainless)
12243778	apologia	a defense of one's opinions, actions, or life (Think Socrates' The Apology)
12243779	apologue	moral fable using animals to comment on human condition
12243780	aporia	expression of doubt about conclusions
12243781	aposiopesis	stopping abruptly and leaving statement unfinished
12243782	apostrophe	speech is directed to a nonhuman object or one that is not present
12243783	appositive	a noun or phrase placed next to another noun, for the purpose of further describing
12243784	archaism	use of deliberately old-fashioned diction
12243785	archetype	the original pattern or model of which all things of a similar nature are copies
12243786	ars poetica	a poem written on the subject of poetic art, usually explaining poet's reasons for writing
12243787	aside	a speech made by an actor to the audience as though momentarily stepping outside the action on stage
12243788	assonance	the repeated use of internal vowel sounds
12243789	atmosphere	the emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene
12243790	aubade	a love song or poem greeting the dawn
12243791	ballad	a long narrative poem in regular meter and rhyme
12243792	bathos	writing that strains for grandeur it can't support
12243793	blank verse	unrhymed iambic pentameter
12243794	bildungsroman	a novel of self-development or personal formation
12243795	bombast	pretentious, exaggeratedly learned language
12243796	burlesque	broad parody that takes on a specific style and makes fun of it
12243797	cacophony	using deliberately harsh, awkward sounds
12243798	cadence	the beat or rhythm of poetry
12243799	caesura	a pause in a line of poetry (indicated or not)
12243800	camera eye narrator	third-person narrator who describes what would be visible to a camera; objective
12243801	canto	a section division in a long work of poetry
12243802	caricature	a portrait that exaggerates a facet of personality
12243803	carpe diem	the enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future
12243804	catalogue	a complete enumeration of items, arranged systematically, with descriptive details
12243805	catharsis	cleansing of emotion an audience member experiences, having lived through the experiences on stage
12243806	Chaucerian stanza	7 lines, rhyme ababbcc
12243807	chorus	the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it
12243808	classicism	a tendency to reflect he principles manifested in the art of ancient Greece and Rome
12243809	climax	the point of highest tension, or a major turning point in a play
12243810	coinage	a new word, usually invented on the spot
12243811	colloquialism	a word or phrase used in everyday conversational English
12243812	conceit	an extended metaphor, developed and expanded upon over several lines
12243813	concrete poetry	a poem wherein shape of words and lines conveys the meaning
12243814	confessional poetry	makes frank, explicit use of incidents in the poet's life
12243815	connotation	the association with a word; the word suggests/implies meaning beyond the literal
12243816	consonance	repetition of consonant sounds within words
12243817	continuous form	a poem in which lines follow each other without stanza breaks
12243818	couplet	a pair of lines ending in rhyme
12243819	dactylic	a metrical measurement of one accented syllable and two unaccented (' u u)
12243820	decorum	the attitude one should display according to his social/economic status
12243821	denotation	a word's literal meaning
12243822	denoument	conclusion, the outcome of a plot
12243823	determinism	belief that man is fated to defeat under indifferent natural forces; emphasizes vanity of free will
12243824	deus ex machina	"god from the machine" - conflicts quickly resolved at end of last act, often by sudden introduction of a power who solves all
12243825	diacope	repetition of words before and after syntactical break (We will do it, I tell you, we will do it.)
12243826	dialect	the characteristic speech of a particular region or group
12243827	diction	the author's choice of words
12243828	didactic	primary purpose is to teach
12243829	dirge	a song for the dead
12243830	dissonance	the grating of incompatible sounds
12243831	doggerel	crude, simplistic verse, often in sing-song rhyme
12243832	dramatic monologue	single speaker in literature talks to silent audience
12243833	dramatic poem	a poem that has a conflict
12243834	dualistic	two-valued, e.g., good/evil
12243835	dystopia	opposite of utopia, society where social and technological advances have served to aid corruption
12243836	elegy	poem on death or mortality
12243837	encomium	a laudatory poem for a legendary or real person
12243838	enjambment	continuation of syntax over line break
12243839	enumeratio	listing parts, cause, effect, for added emphasis
12243840	epic	a long narrative poem on a serious theme in a dignified style; often describes glorious or profound subject
12243841	epigram	a short poem intended to impart wisdom
12243842	epigraph	a quotation that is placed at the start of a work or section that expresses what will be said
12243843	epiphany	a sudden realization or comprehension of the meaning of something
12243844	epistle	a letter directed or sent to a group of people
12243845	epistrophe	repeat of same word(s) at the end of sentences
12243846	epitaph	lines that commemorate the dead at the burial place
12243847	epithalamium	a poem that is written for the bride; celebration of a wedding
12243848	epithet	a word preceding or following a name which serves to describe (fleet-footed Achilles or wine-dark sea)
12243849	epizeuxis	repetition of the same word for emphasis
12243850	eponym	substituting the name of a famous person for a description (He's a real Einstein)
12243851	eulogy	formal expression of praise, usually given at a funeral
12243852	euphemism	a word that takes the place of a more harsh or inappropriate word (physically challenged rather than crippled)
12243853	euphony	sounds blending harmoniously
12243854	euphuism	elegant Victorian prose style (filled with alliteration and similes)
12243855	exemplum	citing an example
12243856	expletive	word interrupting syntax to give emphasis to words around it
12243857	expressionism	emphasizes the life of the mind and feelings rather than the realistic external details of everyday life
12243858	eye of the poem	the central focus of the poem
12243859	eye rhyme	words that look similar, but pronounced differently (wind/find)
12243860	falling rhyme	feminine rhyme; ending with unaccented last syllable
12243861	farce	a comedy of unlikely, but possible situations
12243862	feminine rhyme	falling rhyme; ending with unaccented last syllable
12243863	figurative image	representation of one thing by another
12243864	first person narrator	character in the story who tells the tale from his/her point of view
12243865	flashback	scene that interrupts the action to show an event that happened earlier
12243866	foil	a secondary character whose purpose is to highlight the characteristics of a main character
12243867	foot	basic rhythmic unit of a line of poetry, formed by two or three syllables, stressed or not
12243868	foreshadowing	an event or statement that, in miniature, suggests a larger event that comes later
12243869	free verse	poetry without regular rhyme or meter
12243870	genre	a sub-category of literature; categorizes literature by types
12243871	gothic	use of eerie themes and images (shrieking women, ghosts)
12243872	haiku	Japanese poetry with 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables
12243873	half rhyme	words that almost rhyme; slant rhyme (dizzy/easy)
12243874	hamartia	tragic flaw or error which brings down the protagonist of a tragedy
12243875	Harlem Renaissance	flowering of African American art and music in the 1920s; center was in Harlem, New York
12243876	head rhyme	another word for alliteration
12243877	heptameter	poem of seven metrical feet
12243878	heroic couplet	a rhyming couplet in iambic pentameter
12243879	hexameter	poetic form of six metrical feet
12243880	homonyms	words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings (sale/sail)
12243881	hubris	excessive pride/ambition which leads to character's downfall
12243882	hyperbaton	departure from normal word order; a form of inversion (a personality indescribable)
12243883	hyperbole	exaggeration or deliberate overstatement
12243884	hypophora	raising a question then proceeding to answer it
12243885	iambic	a metrical foot with an unstressed first syllable and a stressed second syllable
12243886	in media res	a piece of writing that begins in the middle of the action
12243887	incongruity	the joining of opposites to create an unexpected situation
12243888	interior monologue	recording of mental talk in character's head
12243889	invective	speech/writing that abuses, denounces, attacks
12243890	inversion	switching the customary order of elements in a sentence or phrase
12243891	irony	events turn out exactly the opposite of how they might be expected; saying the opposite of what is meant
12243892	lament	a poem of sadness or grief over the death of a loved one or some intense loss
12243893	lampoon	a satire
12243894	linked rhyme	first syllable of a line echoes the last syllable of the previous line (on the rooftop/Stops the light of the cop)
12243895	literal image	concrete replication in words of an object or experience
12243896	litotes	type of understatement achieved by denying the opposite (Heat waves are not rare in summer.)
12243897	local color	use of specific details describing dialect, dress, customs, and scenery associated with a particular region
12243898	loose sentence	a sentence complete before its end (Jack loved Barbara despite her irritating laugh.)
12243899	lyric	poetry that explores the poet's personal interpretation of and feelings about the world
12243900	madrigal	a short lyric on love or pastoral themes
12243901	masculine rhyme	rhyme ending on the final stressed syllable
13036349	melodrama	cheesy theater; often emphasizes plot and action over character development
13036350	metabasis	brief summary of what has been said and what will follow
13036351	metanoia	modifies a statement by recalling it and expressing it in a better way (Max is the best of all bichons, nay of all dogs.)
13036352	metaphor	comparison or analogy that states that one thing IS another
13036353	meter	rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that make up feet
13036354	metonymy	a single characteristic used to describe something outside itself (Victory crossed the finish line)
13036355	mixed metaphor	combination of incompatible comparisons; trying to compare objects too dissimilar to carry off a comparison
13036356	mood	prevailing atmosphere created by language, tone, setting
13036357	motif	a recurring feature (e.g., name, image, phrase) in a work of literature
13036358	narrative	a story poem
13036359	naturalism	emphasis on man as animal, behaving strictly according to dictates of nature; emphasizes lack of free will; emphasizes sordid
13036360	neo-classicism	sees man as flawed and his institutions are flawed. Nature is neither good nor evil. Man needs to seek harmony with what is.
13036361	neologism	coinage; forming a new word, usually spontaneously
13036362	nonce	open form poem (shape is unique to poem) written for a special occasion
13036815	novel of manners	novel describing social habits/customs of a social group
13036816	octave	eight line stanza
13036817	ode	long poem on a serious subject that develops its theme with dignified language, intended to be sung
13036818	omniscient narrator	a third-person narrator who sees into character's heads
13036819	onomatopoeia	words that sound like what they mean
13036820	opposition	a pair of elements that contrast sharply
13036821	oxymoron	a phrase composed of opposites; a contradiction (sweet vinegar)
13036822	palinode	a poem retracting a regretted derogatory statement
13036823	parable	a story told in prose or verse that illustrates a religious or ethical idea
13036824	paradigm	a formal plan or sequence of changes which acts as a model
13036825	paradox	a statement that seems contradictory, but is not
13036826	parallelism	repeated syntactical similarities used for effect
13036827	parenthetical	a phrase set off by commas that interrupts the flow of a sentence
13036828	parody	exaggerating a specific work so that it appears ridiculous
13036829	pastoral	a poem set in tranquil nature (ideally around shepherds)
13036830	pathetic fallacy	a cliched personification of nature (rain weeps)
13036831	pentameter	a line of verse containing five metrical feet
13036832	periodic sentence	a sentence that is grammatically incomplete until its final phrase (Despite Barbara's irritation, she cut Jack's hair.)
13036833	persona	the character created by the author to narrate
13036834	personification	inanimate objects or animals take on human shape
13036835	Petrarchan sonnet	14 lines/abba abba cde cde
13036836	picaresque novel	novel about a picara or rogue and vagabond
13036837	prelude	an introductory poem to a longer work of verse
13036838	private symbol	an author's personal symbol that the reader understands through context
13036839	protagonist	the main character of a novel or play
13036840	public voice	a writer who is speaking for all people
13036841	pun	humorous use of a word in a way to suggest two or more meanings
13036842	pure rhyme	initial sounds of a word differ, and rest of the sound is identical (sing/wing)
13036843	pyrrhic	a metrical foot with two unstressed syllables
13036844	quatrain	four-line stanza
13036845	quintet	five lines of poetry with no prescribed rhyme
13036846	realism	nature is benign and there is optimism that man can rise above his own animal nature if he wills to
13036847	refrain	a line or a set of lines repeated several times in a poem
13036848	requiem	a song of prayer for the dead
13036849	rhapsody	passionate verse or section of verse, usually addressing love or praise
13037069	rhetorical question	a question that suggests an answer, and therefore doesn't need to be answered
13037070	rhetorical shift	a change in tone or attitude; key words include "but," "however," "even though," "although," "yet"
13037071	rhyme royal	ababbcc: sounds are staggered (abab) in first lines, then closely linked (bcc). First used by Chaucer.
13037072	ridicule	words intended to belittle and generate contempt/laughter
13037073	rising rhyme	masculine rhyme; rhyme ending on the final stressed syllable
13037074	romanticism	man is good by institutions and their imposed orders are evil; nature is good; man can live in harmony with nature.
13037075	saga	generally long novels, often about several generations
13037076	sarcasm	ridicule expressed in ironic praise
13037077	satire	work in which human vice or folly is attacked with irony, derision, or wit
13037078	scansion	analysis of a poem's rhythm and meter
13037079	second intensity	weak poems that could have been better
13037080	septet	7 lines of poetry
13037081	sestet	a stanza or poem of six lines, e.g., the last six lines of a sonnet
13037082	sestina	6 six-line stanzas ending with tercet; last words of each line in 1st stanza are repeated as last words in next stanza
13037083	Shakespearean sonnet	14 lines in iambic pentameter, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
13037084	simile	comparison using "as" or "like"
13037085	slant rhyme	half rhyme (home/bone)
13037086	soliloquy	speech spoken by single character on stage
13037087	sonnet	14 rhymed lines of verse in iambic pentameter
13037088	Spenserian sonnet	14 lines: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE
13037089	spondee	a metrical foot with two stressed syllables (' ')
13037090	stanza	a unit within a longer poem
13037091	stock character	standard or cliched character types
13037092	stream of consciousness	reader sees inside main character's head and is privy to all character's conscious, random thoughts
13037478	subjunctive	setting up a hypothetical situation
13037479	surrealism	allowing the subconscious or dream-like imagery to guide the poem; leaps from image to image
13037480	suspension of disbelief	demand of audience to accept stage limitations and believe
13037481	syllogism	deductive reasoning
13037482	synecdoche	a type of metaphor wherein a part stands for the whole (He asked for her hand in marriage.)
13037483	synesthesia	a mixing of senses (a blue smell)
13037484	tautology	a repetition so redundant as to be frozen with obvious foolishness
13037485	technique	styles, devices, and diction used by the author
13037486	tetrameter	a poetic line with four metrical feet
13037487	texture of poem	the sound of the poetic words in a piece
13037488	theme	general idea or insight about life that the writer wishes to convey
13037489	tone	the attitude of the poet
13037490	transcendentalism	holds that basic truths can be reached through intuition; transcends reason; the divine is in nature and people
13037491	travesty	grotesque parody
13037492	trochaic	a metrical measurement of one stressed syllable and one unstressed (' u)
13037493	trope	any figurative language
13037494	truism	a way-too obvious truth
13037495	understatement	ironic minimalizing of fact
13037496	unreliable narrator	first person narrator is crazy, very young, or not entirely credible
13037497	utopia	an idealized place
13037498	verisimilitude	how precisely the characters/events in fiction match reality
13037499	vernacular	everyday spoken language of people in a particular region
13037500	villanelle	19 lines: 5 tercets (aba) and a quatrain (abaa)
13037501	voice	associated with the basic vision of a writer, her general attitude toward the world
13037502	weak specification	imprecise, abstract language
13037503	wit	words that are intellectually amusing; delight that surprises
13037504	zeugma	word modifies two or more words for different meanings (The dance floor was square as was his personality.)