AP Literature Key Terms Flashcards

5562980624	allegory	a prose or poetic narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrates multiple levels of meaning and significance (a narrative that has many levels of meaning)	0
5562993110	allegory example	animal farm is a political allegory for events that occurred in Russia like the communist revolution, each animal actually represents a person (Napoleon=Stalin)	1
5563020939	alliteration	the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually heard in closely proximate stress syllables (sequential repetition of a similar initial sound in closely proximate stress syllables)	2
5563028671	alliteration example	Closed my lids, and kept them close, And the balls like pulses beat; For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky Lay like a load on my weary eye, And the dead were at my feet. - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge	3
5563045808	allusion	a reference to a literary or historical event, person, or place	4
5565787698	allusion example	The Rime of the Ancient Mariner themes in Frankenstein: Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" tells the story of an ancient mariner who kills an albatross and brings upon himself and his ship's crew a curse. The ancient mariner travels the world, unburdening his soul, telling his story to whomever needs to hear it. Shelley alludes to the poem several times. Robert Walton in Frankenstein is similar to the Wedding Guest from "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," with Victor Frankenstein playing the role of the mariner. As the mariner feels compelled to share his story to one who needs to hear it, so does Victor. The explicit theme in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," that love conquers all, is a clue as to how the tragedy that occurs in Frankenstein's life could have been avoided.	5
5565810422	anaphora	the regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses	6
5565815772	anaphora example	"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens starts with following lines: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."	7
5565831523	anecdote	a brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature	8
5565834879	anecdote example	when Raskolnikov's mother relays the story of Dounia's misfortune in town with Svidrigailov in her letter in crime and punishment	9
5566075746	antagonist	any force that is in opposition to the main character, or protagonist	10
5566079394	antagonist example	In the Harry Potter series, Voldemort is the main antagonist (you know why)	11
5566098290	antithesis	the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas	12
5566106546	antithesis example	it was the best of times, it was the worst of times - Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens HAMLET: To be, or not to be, that is the question— Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer The Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them? (Hamlet by William Shakespeare)	13
5566141548	apostrophe	an address or invocation to something that is inanimate	14
5566145853	apostrophe example	Now, time, I roll you up, I deposit you in my bait box and I am off to fish with your long line the fishes of the dawn! (Ode to Age by Pablo Neruda)	15
5566166056	archetype	recurrent designs, patterns of action, character types, themes or image which are identifiable in a wide range of literature	16
5566176555	archetype example	Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz the theme of love (pretty universal)	17
5566179117	assonance	a repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually those found in stressed syllables of close proximity	18
5566190081	assonance example	"Hear the mellow wedding bells" -The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe	19
5714636187	attitude	the sense expressed by the tone of voice of a piece of writing; the feelings the author holds towards his subject, the people in his narrative, the events, the setting or even the theme. It might even be the feeling he holds for the reader.	20
5714636188	attitude example		21
5714636189	ballad	a narrative poem that is, or originally was, meant to be sung. Repetition and refrain (recurring phrases or phrases) characterize the ballad.	22
5714639492	ballad example	It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. 'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp'st thou me? ("The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge) "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is a famous epic poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and is an excellent ballad example. The above excerpt is the first stanza of the long poem, and features some key aspects of ballads, such as the four-line quatrain and the rhyme scheme of ABCB. The poem tells the story of an old sailor who has returned from his voyaging and wants to share the terrible things he has encountered on the high seas. Bobby burns	23
5714639493	blank verse	the verse form that most resembles common speech, blank verse consists of unrhymed lines in iambic pentameter	24
5714782248	blank verse example	Something there is that doesn't love a wall. That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun; (Mending Walls by Robert Frost) This poem has no proper rhyme scheme. However, there is consistent meter in 10 syllables of each line. It is following iambic pentameter pattern with five feet in each line. Only the first line is written in trochee pattern.	25
5714936318	caricature	a depiction in which a character's characteristics or features are so deliberately exaggerated as to render them absurd	26
5714959529	caricature example	Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. (Animal Farm by George Orwell) The above quote from George Orwell's satire Animal Farm comprises the last few lines of the novel. Orwell wrote Animal Farm to criticize the Russian political leaders who promised one thing—communism and equality for all—and delivered a very different thing—a very segregated society in which there was too much work and not enough food. The final few lines show how Orwell used caricature examples brilliantly to equate humans and pigs. In the logic of the novel, the humans are the bad guys and the pigs becoming like them shows their corruption. Yet, in the way Orwell writes it the caricature clearly shows how the real Russian leaders were themselves greedy pigs.	27
5714959530	connotation	what is suggested by a word, apart from what it explicitly describes, often referred to as the implied meaning of a word	28
5715012121	connotation example	George Orwell's allegorical novel "Animal Farm" is packed with examples of connotation. The actions of the animals on the farm illustrate the greed and corruption that arose after the Communist Revolution of Russia. The pigs in the novel connote wicked and powerful people who can change the ideology of a society. In addition, Mr. Jones (the owner of the farm), represents the overthrown Tsar Nicholas II; and Boxer, the horse, represents the laborer class etc.	29
5715012122	consonance	the repetition of a sequence of two or more consonants, but with a change in the intervening vowels, such as pitter-patter, pish-posh	30
5715025591	consonance example		31
5715051555	couplet	two rhyming lines of iambic pentameter that together present a single idea or connection	32
5715057358	couplet example	literally the end of any sonnet	33
5715060233	denotation	a direct and specific meaning, often referred to as the dictionary meaning of a word	34
5715067508	denotation example	I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald) This famous quote is spoken by Daisy, who is talking about her daughter. It is a quote that is often misunderstood because readers only look at the denotation of the word "fool." Many readers assume that Daisy wishes her daughter to be foolish because that's all that women can hope to achieve. Instead, Daisy is speaking from her own painful experience of not being a fool and being aware of the vast injustices of women's lot in life. Only by being a fool would a woman remain ignorant of her substandard rights.	35
5715067509	dialect	the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group of people	36
5715075306	dialect example	Walter: Reckon I have. Almost died first year I come to school and et them pecans — folks say he pizened 'em and put 'em over on the school side of the fence. (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee) also seen in Huck Finn	37
5715078850	dramatic monologue	a monologue set in a specific situation and spoken to an imaginary audience, AKA soliloquy	38
5715580278	dramatic monologue example	But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief... O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek! (Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare) This is a famous balcony scene when Romeo hides in the garden of Capulet, and waits for the glimpse of his beloved Juliet, who comes out on the balcony, and then Romeo uses monologue by sharing his thoughts with the audience.	39