AP Lit Terms II

97013191	Inference	a conclusion one can draw from the presented details.
97013192	Interior monologue	a literary technique used in poetry and prose that reveals a character's unspoken thoughts and feelings. May be used by the character or presented by the narrator.
97013193	Invective	a verbally abusive attack.
97013194	Inversion	a switch in the normal word order.
97013195	Irony	an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It involves dialog and situation, and can be intentional or unplanned.
97013196	Metaphor	a direct comparison between dissimilar things. "Your eyes are stars" is an example.
97013197	Metonymy	a figure of speech that replaces the name of something with a word or phrase closely associated with it. (suits = management).
97013198	Monologue	a speech given by one character (Hamlet's "To be or not to be...").
97013199	Mood	the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect this.
97013200	Motif	the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters.
97013201	Narrator	the speaker of a literary work.
97013202	Onomatopoeia	words that sound like the sound they represent (hiss, gurgle, pop).
97013203	Oxymoron	an image of contradictory term (bittersweet, pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp).
97013204	Parable	a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson. (The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a fine example.).
97013205	Paradox	A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense, but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. The first scene of Macbeth, for example, closes with the witches' cryptic remark "Fair is foul, and foul is fair...."
97013206	Parallelism	This refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. The effects are numerous, but frequently, they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, or simply provide a musical rhythm.
97013207	Parody	a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original. It can be utterly mocking or gently humorous. It depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the original style and content.
97013208	Pathos	the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience. An appeal to emotion that can be used as a means to persuade.
97013209	Pedantic	a term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overly difficult and distant.
97013210	Periodic Sentence	places the main idea or central complete thought at the end of the complete thought, after all introductory elements. The effect of this is to add emphasis and structural variety.
97013211	Personification	the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts.
97013212	Plot	a sequence of events in a literary work.
97013213	Point-of-View	the method of narration in a literary work.
97013214	Pun	a play on words that often has a comic effect. Associated with wit and cleverness. A writer who speaks of the "grave topic of American funerals" employs this. AKA "The Henderson"
97013215	Purpose	involves intent, the reason why a writer writes. The fundamentals: to entertain, to inform, or to persuade. These are not necessarily separate or discrete; they can be combined.
97013216	Repetition	the duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern. When this is poorly done, it bores, but when it's well done, it links and emphasizes ideas while allowing the reader the comfort of recognizing something familiar.
97013217	Rhetorical Question	one that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience. (Ernest Dowson asks, "Where are they now, the days of wine and roses?")
97013218	Sarcasm	a comic technique that ridicules through caustic language. Tone and attitude may both be described as this in a given text if the writer employs language, irony, and wit to mock or scorn.
97013219	Satire	a mode of writing based on ridicule, that criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution.
97013220	Sentence structure	the different types of these are simple, compound, and complex. Also consider variation or lack of it along with any unusual devices, such as repetition or inverted word order, and any unusual word or phrase placement.
97013221	Setting	the time and place of a literary work.
97013222	Shift	in writing, a movement from one thought or idea to another; a change.
97013223	Simile	an indirect comparison that uses the words like or as to link the differing items in the comparison. ("Your eyes are like the stars.")
97013224	Structure	the organization and form of a work.
97013225	Style	the unique way an author presents his ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute.
97013226	Symbol	something in a literary work that stands for something else. (Plato has the light of the sun represent truth in "The Allegory of the Cave.")
97013227	Synecdoche	a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. ("All hands on deck" is an example.)
97013228	Syntax	the grammatical structure of prose and poetry.
97013229	Theme	the underlying ideas the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.
97013230	Thesis	simply, the main idea of a piece of writing. It presents the author's assertion or claim. The effectiveness of a presentation is often based on how well the writer presents, develops, and supports this.
97013231	Tone	refers to the author's attitude toward his subject, and often sets the mood of the piece.
97013232	Understatement	is the opposite of hyperbole; it is a deliberate minimizing done to provide emphasis or humor. In William Least Heat Moon's "Nameless, Tennessee" (p. 164), Miss Ginny Watts explains how she asked her husband to call the doctor unless he wanted to be "shut of" (rid of) her. Her husband, Thurmond, humorously replies: "I studied on it."
97013233	Voice	the total "sound" of a writer's style.
97013234	Wit	Historically, it originally meant basic understanding. Its meaning evolved to include speed of understanding, and finally (in the early seventeenth century), it grew to mean quick perception including creative fancy.