AP Literature Terms Flashcards

2865478871	allegory	a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (ex. Animal Farm, Wizard of Oz)	0
2865483080	allusion	an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it (ex. the whale in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)	1
2865486013	anaphora	the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases ("I'd Rather" in Ginsberg's Paterson)	2
2865489639	colloquialism	a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation	3
2865491987	dynamic character	a character who changes throughout the course of a story as a result of the conflicts they encounter on their journey (ex. Holden Caufield, Oliver Tate)	4
2865495754	anecdote	a short an amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person (ex. lots of Camey's teaching)	5
2865497360	aphorism	a pithy observation that contains a general truth (ex. There are no gains without pains)	6
2865498968	asyndeton	the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence (ex. "vendi, vidi, vici" meaning "I came I saw I conquered")	7
2865503069	conceit	an extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic passage or entire poem	8
2865504746	synecdoche	a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa (ex. Cleveland won by six runs, in which Cleveland means Cleveland's baseball team)	9
2955199681	apostrophe	a figure of speech the author addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or thing (ex. Oh God!)	10
2955214962	cliche	saying or idea that has been widely overused, thus using the power of its original meaning (ex. star-crossed loves in Romeo and Juliet)	11
2955224477	couplet	a pair of successive lines of meter in poetry that usually rhyme (Shakespearean sonnets have couplets)	12
2955231811	epistrophe	the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences	13
2955238181	metonymy	the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for the thing meant (ex. suits for business executives)	14
3034526780	antihero	a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional hero attributes (ex. Holden Caufield, Jack Sparrow)	15
3034529679	foil	another character who contrasts with the main character of a story, usually to highlight one of their attributes (ex. Dumbledore and Voldemort)`	16
3034533909	epic	a long poem, typically one derived from ancient or oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or history of a nation (ex. Beowulf)	17
3034539674	farce	a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay, typically including crude characterization and ludicrously impossible situations	18
3034552910	juxtaposition	the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect	19
3082542408	analogy	comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation and clarification	20
3082549479	anthropomorphism	the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a God, animal, or object	21
3082551723	cacophony	the use of words that imply harsh or strong sounds	22
3082555016	euphony	a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose	23
3082557167	euphemism	a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarassing	24
3173365590	chiasmus	figure of speech in which two or more clauses are related to each other through a reversal of structures in order to make a larger point (ex. Love is war. War is love.)	25
3173382149	direct characterization	the process by which personality of a character is revealed through descriptive phrases, adjectives, or epithets	26
3173385222	indirect characterization	the process by which personality of a character is revealed through character's speech, actions, appearance, etc.	27
3173391267	dramatic irony	irony that is inherent in speeches or situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but is not grasped by the characters in the story (ex. the audience knows that Juliet isn't dead, but Romeo doesn't)	28
3173398401	situational irony	irony involving a situation in which the actions are the opposite of what was expected or intended (ex. a firehouse burning to the ground)	29
3314329282	ad hominem	directed against a person rather than the position they are making (ex. "How can you argue your case for vegetarianism when you're eating steak?")	30
3314333829	anachronism	a thing belonging or appropriate to a period than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned	31
3314338321	doppelganger	a person that is a look-alike of another person or a double; originally meant a ghost or shadow of a person (ex. Jekyl and Hyde)	32
3314344063	ethos	credibility or ethical appeal in an arguement	33
3314345643	pathos	a quality that evokes particular feelings such as pity or sadness	34
3620844084	motif	a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition	35
3620845501	tone	the attitude of the writer toward a certain subject or audience	36
3620848082	mood	a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions	37
3620852474	logos	a literary device that can be defined as a statement sentence or argument used to convince or persuade the targeted audience by employing logic or reason	38
3620857709	didactic	a novel, play, or poem that aims to teach the audience something	39
3784402283	bildungsroman	a novel dealing with one's formative years or spiritual experience (ex. The Catcher in the Rye)	40
3784405452	cadence	term used to signal the rising and falling of the voice when reading a literary piece	41
3784416146	palindrome	a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backwards as forward (ex. racecar, mom)	42
3784427251	denouement	the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved	43
3784435417	homophone	a word that is pronounced the same way as another word but differs in meaning, and may differ in spelling (to, too, two)	44