AP Literature Terms Flashcards

7193123726	analogy	the comparison of a subject to something that is similar to it in order to clarify the subject's nature, purpose, or function	0
7193123727	allusion	a passing reference to something from literature, mythology, history, or religion	1
7193123728	anaphora	the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences	2
7193123729	antithesis	a figure of speech in which words/phrases that are parallel in structure express opposite ideas or meanings	3
7193123730	aphorism	a concise statement, which expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance	4
7193123731	apostrophe	the act of directly speaking to an absent or imaginary person, or to some abstraction	5
7193123732	asyndeton	elements in a list are presented without the use of conjunctions	6
7193123733	chiasmus	a figure of speech in which two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax, but reverse the order of the analogous words	7
7193123734	colloquialism	informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing	8
7193123735	conceit	an elaborate or fanciful comparison or idea	9
7193123736	connotation	the implied or associative meaning of a word	10
7193123737	denotation	the literal meaning of a word	11
7193123738	diction	having to do with the word choices made by the writer	12
7193123739	didactic	something which has its primary purpose to teach or instruct	13
7193123740	epiphany	a sudden overwhelming insight or observation evoked by a commonplace object or scene	14
7193123741	euphemism	an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that in considered unpleasant	15
7193123742	genre	a major category or type of literature	16
7193123743	hyperbole	intentional exaggeration for an effect	17
7193123744	imagery	broad: all references to sensory perception that a work contains or evokes (see, hear, touch, taste, smell, movement) narrow: visual description of an object or scene	18
7193123745	invective	an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack	19
7193123746	irony	a deliberate contrast between what might be expected to occur and what actually occurs	20
7193123747	metaphor	a comparison between different things which are similar in some ways	21
7193123748	metonymy	substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it	22
7193123749	onomatopoeia	a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds	23
7193123750	oxymoron	an expression in which two words contradict each other are joined	24
7193123751	paradox	an apparently contradictory statement which contains some truth	25
7193123752	parody	a humorous imitation of a serious work	26
7193123753	pathos	evocation of pity, tenderness, compassion, or sorrow	27
7193123754	personification	endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics	28
7193123755	polysyndeton	elements in a list are presented with more conjunctions than are grammatically required	29
7193123756	simile	a comparison of two different things that uses "like", "as", "resembles"	30
7193123757	symbol	an object which is something in itself yet is used to represent something else	31
7193123758	synecdoche	an expression using a term for part of a thing to represent the whole thing	32
7193123759	syntax	the manner in which words are arranged by a writer into sentences	33
7193123760	tone	the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience	34