AP Literature Vocabulary Flashcards
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| 2852996510 | Allegory | a story, poem, or a picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (2 levels of meaning-- surface & deeper meaning) | 0 | |
| 2852999613 | Alliteration | the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of closely connected words | 1 | |
| 2853001356 | Allusion | an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference | 2 | |
| 2853004930 | Ambiguity | uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language (Example: I rode a black horse in red pajamas) | 3 | |
| 2853009537 | Analogy | comparison between like features of two things that are otherwise dissimilar | 4 | |
| 2853011682 | Anaphora | the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses | 5 | |
| 2853138079 | Anastrophe | the inversion of the usual order of words or clauses.. NOUNS & ADJECTIVES | 6 | |
| 2853139265 | Anecdote | a short and interesting story or an amusing event-- makes readers laugh | 7 | |
| 2853140525 | Antagonist | character or group of characters that stand in opposition to the protagonist(s); normally the "bad guy" | 8 | |
| 2853142825 | Antithesis | two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect (Example: setting foot on the moon may be a small step for man but a giant step for mankind) | 9 | |
| 2853147754 | Anthropomorphism | the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object | 10 | |
| 2853149678 | Aphorism | a statement or truth expressed in a concise matter (Example: if it's not broke, don't fix it) | 11 | |
| 2853151819 | Apposition | a relationship between two or more words or phrases in which the two units are grammatically parallel (Example: my friend Sue; the first U.S. president George Washington) | 12 | |
| 2853155068 | Assonance | when two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds (Example: men sell the wedding bells) | 13 | |
| 2853156816 | Characterization | used to highlight and explain the details about a character in a story | 14 | |
| 2853157812 | Indirect Characterization | subtle way of introducing the character. The "audience" needs to figure out the character by observing actions or what they say. | 15 | |
| 2853160800 | Direct Characterization | direct approach to building a character. Author reveals traits in a very straightforward matter. | 16 | |
| 2853162416 | Static Character | the personality of a character when introduced is the same personality when the story comes to a close | 17 | |
| 2853165950 | Dynamic Character | a character who changes throughout the course of a story as a result of the conflicts they encounter | 18 | |
| 2853168037 | Flat Character | "two-dimensional"-- relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout a story | 19 | |
| 2853169763 | Round Character | complex characters that undergo development-- sometimes to surprise the reader | 20 | |
| 2853172056 | Cliché | an expression that has been over used to the extent that it loses its original meaning (Example: lost track of time; at the speed of light) | 21 | |
| 2853185546 | Colloquialism | the use of informal words or phrases or even slang (Example: y'all, gonna, wanna) **INFORMAL | 22 | |
| 2853187592 | Comedy | a piece of work with a light and numerous characters with a happy and cheerful ending | 23 | |
| 2853188935 | Conceit | a form of a metaphor or simile that likens two very different objects (Example: marriage is like getting a root canal) ...REALLY ELABORATE | 24 | |
| 2853190658 | Conflict | a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces usually a protagonist and antagonist | 25 | |
| 2853194481 | External Conflict | the struggle between a character and an outside force such as nature or another character (Example: conflict between parents and children) | 26 | |
| 2853197233 | Internal Conflict | psychological struggle within the mind of a character; normally a lack of action | 27 | |
| 2856806673 | Connotation | refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly (Example: "wall street" literally means a street in New York, but is referred to for "wealth" and "power") | 28 | |
| 2856811690 | Couplet | literary device that has two successive rhyming lines in a verse and has the same meter to form a complete thought (Example: "The time is out of joint, o curse spite. That ever I was born to set it right.) | 29 | |
| 2856816339 | Dialect | the language used by people of a specific area, class, or any other group of people. Dialect involves spelling, sounds, grammar, and pronunciation. | 30 | |
| 2856818583 | Diction | style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or writer | 31 | |
| 2856820171 | Didactic | a novel, play, or poem that is didactic aims to teach us something. They often have morals to impart or teach us something about religion, philosophy, history, or politics. | 32 | |
| 2856836437 | Elegy | a form of literature which can be defined as a poem or song in the form of elegiac couplets, written in honor of someone deceased | 33 | |
| 2856838723 | Epic | a long narrative poem, often written about a hero | 34 | |
| 2856839993 | Epigraph | a literary device in the form of a poem, quotation, or sentence usually placed at the beginning of a document-- used as a summary, introduction, or an example to draw comparison | 35 | |
| 2856859039 | Epithet | describes a place, thing, or person in such a way that it helps in making the characteristics of a person, thing, or place more prominent than the actually are | 36 | |
| 2856862980 | Essay | a short form of literary composition based on a single subject matter, often gives personal opinion of the author | 37 | |
| 2856873702 | Argumentative Essay | a type of writing that requires a writer to defend a position on a topic using evidence to support his or her viewpoint. The writer uses several different arguments to prove his/her point | 38 | |
| 2856877209 | Persuasive Essay | an essay where the writer tries to convince his readers to adopt his position on a point of view or issue after he provides them solid reasoning | 39 | |
| 2856880308 | Cause/Effect Essay | an essay where a writer analyzes the reasons for and/or the consequences of an action, event, or decision | 40 | |
| 2856882311 | Descriptive Essay | an essay that gives description about a particular topic or describes the traits and characteristics of something or a person in detail. It allows artistic freedom and creates images in minds of readers through the use of the five senses | 41 | |
| 2856888624 | Exposition (Expository) Essay | In this essay, the writers give explanation of an idea, theme, or issue to the audience by giving their personal opinions. This essay is presented through examples, definitions, comparison, and contrast. | 42 | |
| 2856893482 | Narrative Essay | Non-fiction, but describes a story with sensory descriptions. The writers not only tell a story, but also make a point by giving reasons. | 43 | |
| 2856900336 | Explication | a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, etc. in a poem or other piece of work | 44 | |
| 2856903622 | Fable | a concise and brief story intended to provide a moral lesson at the end | 45 | |
| 2856905105 | Farce | a literary genre and the type of a comedy that makes the use of highly exaggerated and funny situations aimed at entertaining the audience (**goal is to make the audience laugh) | 46 | |
| 2856911833 | Figurative Language | language in which figures of speech are used to make it effective, persuasive, and impactful (Examples: simile, metaphor, personification, idiom, etc.) | 47 | |
| 2856915962 | Foil | a character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with the objective to highlight the traits of the other character. May also be used for an comparison drawn to portray a difference between two things. | 48 | |
| 2856923937 | Foreshadowing | a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story | 49 | |
| 2856925403 | Free Verse | poetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms | 50 | |
| 2856928127 | Hyperbole | a figure of speech which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis (Example: "your suitcase weighs a ton!") | 51 | |
| 2856930461 | Imagery | imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses (Example: "It was dark and dim in the forest") | 52 | |
| 2856934786 | Inversion | AKA: anastrophe a literary technique in which the normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter (Example: "shouts the policeman") | 53 | |
| 2856960779 | Irony | a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. (Example: difference between appearance and reality) | 54 | |
| 2856982206 | Verbal Irony | involves what one does not mean (Example: when you respond to a foolish idea... "wow what a great idea") | 55 | |
| 2856985306 | Situational Irony | irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected | 56 | |
| 2856998640 | Dramatic Irony | irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the character in the play (Example: In "Romeo and Juliet" we know before the characters that they are going to die) | 57 | |
| 2857009732 | Juxtaposition | a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts | 58 | |
| 2857016735 | Lyric Poem | an emotional, rhyming poem of song-like quality | 59 | |
| 2857019434 | Metaphor | a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics between them | 60 | |
| 2857022720 | Implied Metaphor | a type of metaphor that compares two unlike things, but it does so without mentioning one of them (Example: "Angrily Sonia barked commands at her child" - it compared Sonia to a dog without saying anything about a dog) | 61 | |
| 2857027367 | Extended Metaphor | a comparison between two unlike objects/things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem | 62 | |
| 2857031206 | Dead Metaphor | a figure of speech which as lost its original imagery of its meaning due to extensive, repetitive, and popular usage (Example: "body of an essay" --we don't think of a physical body when we hear this) | 63 | |
| 2857036925 | Mixed Metaphor | a combination of two or more incompatible metaphors, which produces a ridiculous effect (Example: "hanging by a live wire") | 64 | |
| 2857039706 | Mood | a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in reader through words and descriptions. Usually, mood is referred to as the "atmosphere" of the piece. | 65 | |
| 2857051251 | Motif | an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work | 66 | |
| 2857052226 | Motivation | reason why character do what they do. Can be due to an internal or physical reward. | 67 | |
| 2857054043 | Onomatopoeia | a word that imitates the natural sounds of a thing (Example: "moo" "boom" "the murmur.." "the moan..") | 68 | |
| 2857057566 | Oxymoron | a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings. (Example: "cruel kindness" "jumbo shrimp" "in order to lead, you must walk behind") | 69 | |
| 2857065728 | Parable | a short story typically with a moral lesson at the end (Example: the boy who cried wolf) | 70 | |
| 2857069413 | Paradox | a term that means contrary to expectations, existing belief, or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. (Example: "what a pity that youth must be wasted on the young") | 71 | |
| 2857073805 | Parallel Structure | repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance (Example: Joe likes singing, walking, and diving) | 72 | |
| 2857085055 | Parody | an imitation of a particular writer, artist or a genre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect | 73 | |
| 2857096417 | Personification | a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea, or an animal is given human attributes (Example: the flowers danced in the breeze) | 74 | |
| 2857102490 | Plot | a literary term used to describe the events that make up a story or the main part of a story. It is known as the foundation of a novel or story. | 75 | |
| 2857110887 | Exposition | a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters, etc. (Example: the "three little bears" starts with a brief overview of the story. This is an exposition.) | 76 | |
| 2857116458 | Rising Action | a series of relevant incidents that creates suspense, interest, and tension in literature | 77 | |
| 2857118861 | Climax | a particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point | 78 | |
| 2857120418 | Resolution | the part of the story's plot line in which the problem of the story is resolved or worked out. This occurs after the falling action and is typically where the story ends. | 79 | |
| 2857123692 | POV | the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion, or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. POV is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers "hear" and "see" what takes place in a story, poem, essay, etc. | 80 | |
| 2857131141 | First Person | POV that involves the use of either of the two pronouns "I" and "we" | 81 | |
| 2857135193 | Third Person | POV that uses pronouns like "he", "she", "it", "they" or a name | 82 | |
| 2857137282 | Omniscient | a literary technique of writing narrative in third person in which a narrator knows the feelings and thoughts of every character in the story. An author brings an entire world of his characters to life and moves from character to character, allowing different voices to interpret events. | 83 | |
| 2857144860 | Protagonist | the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel, or any other story. A protagonist is sometimes called a "hero". | 84 | |
| 2857150914 | Quatrain | a verse with four lines, or even a full poem containing four lines, having an independent and separate theme. Often one line consists of alternating rhyme. | 85 | |
| 2857417200 | Refrain | a verse, a line, a set, or a group of some lines that appears at the end of a stanza, or appears where a poem divides into different sections | 86 | |
| 2857418971 | Rhythm | a literary device which demonstrates the long and short patterns through stressed and unstressed syllables particularly in verse form | 87 | |
| 2857437051 | Rhetoric | a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form (Example: "Why don't you just leave me alone?" --you're not looking for a reason, you just want them to stop irritating you) | 88 | |
| 2857447039 | Rhetorical Question | asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected (Example: "Are you stupid?") | 89 | |
| 2857453024 | Romance | a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, usually in a historic or imaginary setting | 90 | |
| 2857457816 | Satire | a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society bu using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule | 91 | |
| 2857460579 | Simile | a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. A simile uses the words "like" or "as". | 92 | |
| 2857462847 | Soliloquy | a literary device often used in drama to reveal the innermost thoughts of a character | 93 | |
| 2857464857 | Stereotype | a character who possesses one or two easily recognized and identified traits which enable to observer to accurately predict behavior and personality (Example: dumb blonde) | 94 | |
| 2857473421 | Stream of Consciousness | a method of narration that describes in words the flow of thoughts in the minds of the characters | 95 | |
| 2857503897 | Style | the way a writer writes and it is the technique which an individual author uses in his writing (Example: different word choice or tone) | 96 | |
| 2857506120 | Suspense | a genre of literature. Intense feeling that the audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events. It leaves the reader wanting more information. | 97 | |
| 2857510550 | Symbol | a literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts, or traits than those that are visible in the literal transition alone | 98 | |
| 2857519659 | Theme | a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly | 99 | |
| 2857521105 | Tragedy | a kind of drama that presents a serious subject matter about human suffering and corresponding terrible events in a dignified manner | 100 | |
| 2857548531 | Understatement | a figure of speech employed by writers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is (Example: "It is a bit cold today" -when it's -15 degrees Fahrenheit outside) | 101 | |
| 2857554837 | Vernacular | a literary genre that uses daily used language in writing and speaking. It is different from written works, as they normally follow the formal variety of language. ...SPECIFIC REGION | 102 | |
| 2862728339 | Antihero | a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes | 103 |