AP Literary Terms-Mrs. V.
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| 55030530 | simile | a comparison using like or as | |
| 55030531 | metaphor | comparison not using like or as | |
| 55030532 | hyperbole | a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor | |
| 55030533 | allusion | a reference to another work of literature, person, or event | |
| 55030534 | parallelism | the repetition of similarly constructed phrases, clauses or sentences within a short section | |
| 55030535 | dramatic irony | when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't | |
| 55030536 | verbal irony | A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant | |
| 55030537 | situational irony | occurs when the outcome of a work is unexpected, or events turn out to be the opposite from what one had expected | |
| 55030538 | theme | a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work | |
| 55030539 | narrator | the one who tells the story | |
| 55030540 | point of view | the perspective from which a story is told | |
| 55030541 | symbol | something that stands for something else | |
| 55030542 | folklore | the traditions, beliefs and customs of a people | |
| 55030543 | imagery | description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) | |
| 55030544 | foreshadowing | the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot | |
| 55030545 | flashback | a scene that interrupts the action of a work to show a previous event | |
| 55030546 | digression | a departure from the main issue, subject, etc. | |
| 55030547 | direct characterization | directly telling what a character is like | |
| 55030548 | indirect characterization | the writer reveals information about a character and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him. | |
| 149196916 | allegory | a story in which the narrative or characters carry an underlying symbolic, metaphorical, or possible an ethical meaning. | |
| 149196917 | adage | a saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language. | |
| 149196918 | alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds | |
| 149196919 | anachronism | something out of place in time or history; an incongruity | |
| 149196920 | analogy | a comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things | |
| 149196921 | antagonist | a character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist produces tension or conflict | |
| 149196922 | antithesis | opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction Ex. Ask not what your country can do for you, but waht you can do for your country. | |
| 149196923 | aphorism | a concise statement of a truth or principle Ex. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. | |
| 149196924 | apostrophe | A rhetorical device in which a speaker addresses someone not present, or to a personified object or idea | |
| 149196925 | archetype | a typical or perfect example of a type | |
| 149196926 | assonance | The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines of poetry and prose | |
| 149196927 | ballad | a narrative poem that tells a story or that is sung or recited | |
| 149196928 | caesura | a pause somewhere in the middle of verse, often marked by punctuation. | |
| 149196929 | carpe diem | "seize the day" | |
| 149196930 | catharsis | a release of emotional tension | |
| 149196931 | buldingsroman (coming of age story/novel) | a tale in which a young protagonist experiences an introduction into adulthood. | |
| 149196932 | conceit | extended metaphor | |
| 149196933 | connotation | suggested or implied meaning of an expression or word | |
| 149196934 | consonance | repetition of consonant sounds within words | |
| 149196935 | couplet | a pair of rhyming lines | |
| 149196936 | denotation | The dictionary definition of a word | |
| 149196937 | denouement | the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work | |
| 149196938 | deus ex machina | the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem | |
| 149196939 | diction | word choice | |
| 149196940 | elegy | a poem or prose selection that laments the passing or death of something or someone of value | |
| 149196941 | enjambment | In poetry the use of successive lines with no punctuation or pause between them | |
| 149196942 | epic | an extended narrative poem hat tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that is generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure | |
| 149196943 | euphemism | a mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term Ex. the term "pass away" for "die" | |
| 149196944 | fable | a short tale often featuring nonhuman characters that act as people whose actions enable the author to make observations or draw useful lessons about human behavior | |
| 149196945 | figurative language | figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, personification etc. | |
| 149196946 | foil | a minor character whose personality or attitude contrasts with that of another character. Juxtaposing one character against another intensifies the qualities of both | |
| 149196947 | foreshadowing | providing hints of things to come in a story or play. | |
| 149196948 | free verse | unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern | |
| 149196949 | Gothic novel | a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action. | |
| 149196950 | heroic couplet | two rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter | |
| 149196951 | hubris | excessive pride | |
| 149196952 | kenning | A device in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities. Ex. "ring-giver" for king | |
| 149196953 | metonymy | a figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated. Ex. crown for royalty | |
| 149196954 | mock epic | a parody of traditional epic form | |
| 149196955 | montage | a quick succession of images or impressions used to express an idea | |
| 149196956 | mood | emotional tone of the work | |
| 149196957 | motif | a phrase, idea, or event that is repeted throughout a work of literature. | |
| 149196958 | muse | imaginary source of inspiration for an artist or writer | |
| 149196959 | non sequitur | a statement or idea that fails to follow logically from the one before. | |
| 149196960 | comedy of manners | deals with the vices and follies of the upper class, balancing satire and flattery | |
| 149196961 | ode | a lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful, and exalted feelings toward the subject | |
| 149196962 | omniscient narrator | a narrator with unlimited awareness, understanding, and insight of characters, setting, background, and all other elements of the story. | |
| 149196963 | onomatopoeia | the use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning | |
| 149196964 | oxymoron | a term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect Ex. jumbo shrimp | |
| 149196965 | parable | a story consisting of events from which a moral or spiritual truth may be derived. | |
| 149196966 | paradox | a statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true | |
| 149196967 | parody | an imitation of a work that is meant to ridicule its style and subject | |
| 149196968 | pastoral | a work of literature dealing with rural life | |
| 149196969 | periodic sentence | a sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main thought only at the end. | |
| 149196970 | personification | a figure of speech in which objects and animals are given human qualities. | |
| 149196971 | prosody | meter and rhythm in poetry | |
| 149196972 | pun | a humorous play on words | |
| 149196973 | quatrain | a four line poem or a four line unit of a larger poem | |
| 149196974 | realism | the depiction of people, things, and events as they really are without idealization and exaggeration | |
| 149196975 | satire | a literary style used to poke fun at, attack or ridicule, vice and foible. | |
| 149196976 | setting | the total environment for the action in a novel or play. It includes time, place, historical milieu, and social, political, and even spiritual circumstances | |
| 149196977 | sonnet | a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme | |
| 149196978 | stanza | a group of lines in a poetry combined according to subject matter, rhyme or purpose. | |
| 149196979 | style | the manner in which an author arranges words, ideas, forms sentences, and creates structure to create ideas. | |
| 149196980 | synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole Ex. 50 masts meaning 50 ships | |
| 149196981 | syntax | the organization of language into meaningful structure | |
| 149196982 | tone | the author's attitude toward the subject being written about | |
| 149196983 | verse | synonym for poetry | |
| 149196984 | villanelle | a French poem consisting lines with a prescribed pattern | |
| 149196985 | active voice | A sentence in which the verb form performs the action. Ex. The crew raked the leaves. | |
| 149196986 | passive voice | A sentence in which the subject is acted upon by the verb. Ex. The leaves were raked by the crew. | |
| 149196987 | wit | quickness of intellect | |
| 149205273 | epigram | a concise, but witty and thoughtful statement | |
| 149205274 | didactic | intended to provide instruction or to teach | |
| 149205275 | chiasmus | a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed | |
| 149205276 | asyndeton | lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses or words | |
| 149205277 | polysedton | a rhetorical term for a sentence style that employs many conjunctions | |
| 149205278 | malapropism | the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar ("The doctor wrote a subscription.") |