AP Literature Vocab Set 1 Flashcards

10546377122	abstract	unable to be touched; not concrete	0
10546379298	abstraction	a concept or value that cannot be seen which the writer usually tries to illustrate by comparing it metaphorically to a known, concrete object	1
10546383307	allegory	story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities	2
10546386272	alliteration	the repetition of initial (beginning) constant sounds	3
10546389193	allusion	a figure of speech, which makes brief reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object	4
10546394224	ambiguity	the expression of an idea in language which gives more than one meaning and leaves uncertainty as to the true meaning	5
10546396763	anachronism	something out of its place in time or history	6
10546398630	analogy	a comparison of two things that are similar in certain essential characteristics	7
10546403520	anapest	a meter having two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable	8
10546405700	anaphora	repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect	9
10546407900	antagonist	the character in a narrative or play who is in conflict with the main character	10
10546413677	anthropomorphism	attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object (personification)	11
10546416379	anticlimax	the intentional use of elevated language to describe the trivial or commonplace, or a sudden transition from a significant thought to a trivial one in order to achieve a humorous or satiric effect	12
10546420600	anti-hero	a protagonist who is the antithesis of the hero	13
10546422705	antithesis	balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure	14
10546426887	aphorism	a brief statement that expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise observation	15
10546432217	Apollonian	refers to the noble qualities of human beings and nature as opposed to the savage and destructive forces	16
10546436754	apostrophe	addressing someone or something, usually not present, as though present	17
10546438951	apotheosis	a larger-than-life presence; a godlike paragon worthy of respect and reverence	18
10546440292	aside	a statement delivered by an actor in such a way that the other characters on stage are presumed not to have heard him	19
10546443520	archetype	A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response	20
10546446277	arguments	assertions made based on facts, statistics, logical or objective reasoning, hard evidence, etc.	21
10546447137	assonance	similarity or repetition of a vowel sound in two or more words, especially in a line of a verse	22
10546450524	asyndeton	the omission of conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words and phrases	23
10546454816	aubade	a poem about the dawn or early morning	24
10546466671	camaraderie	rapport and goodwill	25
10546467662	frangible	fragile; easy to break	26
10546467664	litany	a long, repetitive, or dull account	27
10546469187	moratorium	a suspension of activity; an authorized delay	28
10546471564	zealous	fervent; fanatical	29
10546472732	desiccate	to dry out; to remove moisture	30
10546474466	wrenching	causing mental or physical pain	31
10546475740	replete	full; abundant	32
10546477316	interminable	tiresome and long; seemingly endless	33
10546478524	arable	suitable for cultivation of land	34
10546479268	lugubrious	mournful; gloomy	35
10546479269	truncate	to shorten	36
10546480636	ubiquitous	occurring or seeming to occur everywhere; omnipresent	37
10546481965	vernacular	everyday language	38
10546484320	equanimity	a composure; calmness	39
10580446949	Achilles' heel	refers to a person's area of particular vulnerability	40
10580452339	pound of flesh	insistence on being repaid	41
10580453978	sacred cow	refers to something that cannot be interfered with or harmed in any way	42
10580461416	crossing the Rubicon	to take an irreversible step, often involving some danger	43
10580467242	pearls before swine	refers to offering something precious to someone or a group that are unable to appreciate the value of what they are being given	44
10580477352	once in a blue moon	describes something that occurs very rarely	45
10580478791	Mrs. Grundy	refers to such an attitude of narrow-minded prudishness	46
10580483930	crocodile tears	refers to showing false sympathy for someone	47
10580487636	sirens	anything that tempts a person away from safety and toward a destructive path	48
10580491534	read the riot act	to issue a stern warning that if unacceptable behavior does not cease, severe consequences will follow	49