AP Language and Composition Terms Flashcards

14855121942	Alliteration	repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence. - Veni, vidi, vici	0
14855121943	Allusion	A casual reference in literature to a person, place, event, or another passage of literature, often without explicit identification. - Often used to establish tone. Typically historical in some form.	1
14855121944	Ambiguity	Negative term applied to a vague or equivocal expression when precision would be more useful. - Any word, action, or symbol that could be used in divergent ways.	2
14855121945	Antagonist	A character or force in conflict with the main character.	3
14855121946	Aphorism	A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.	4
14855121947	Apostrophe	A sudden turn from the general audience to address a specific group or person or personified abstraction absent or present. - For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar	5
14855121948	Assonance	repetition of the same sound in words close to each other - Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.	6
14855121949	Attitude	perspective or tone of an author he adopts in a certain work.	7
14855121950	Cacophonous	discordant; inharmonious; N. cacophony: unpleasant mixture of loud sounds	8
14855121951	Cliché	a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.	9
14855121952	Climax	Most exciting moment of the story; turning point	10
14855121953	Colloquial	Characteristic of ordinary conversation rather than formal speech or writing. Informal language.	11
14855121954	Conflict	A struggle between two opposing forces.	12
14855121955	Connotation	an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. Idea or feeling attached to a word.	13
14855121956	Consonance	Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.	14
14855121957	Denotation	The dictionary definition of a word; a literal meaning.	15
14855121958	Dialogue	Conversation between two or more characters.	16
14855121959	Diction	A writer's or speaker's choice of words.	17
14855121960	Epigram	a witty saying expressing a single thought or observation; a witty comment	18
14855121961	Epigraph	a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.	19
14855121962	Euphemism	An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant.	20
14855121963	Euphonious	pleasant-sounding, opposite of cacophonous; melodious	21
14855121964	Exposition	A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.	22
14855121965	Figurative Language	Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.	23
14855121966	Flashback	A scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time.	24
14855121967	Foreshadowing	A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.	25
14855121968	Hyperbole	exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.	26
14855121969	Irony	the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.	27
14855121970	Metaphor	a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.	28
14855121971	Mood	Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader	29
14855121972	Objective	Factual, related to reality or physical objects; not influenced by emotions, unbiased.	30
14855121973	Onomatopoeia	the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named; imitates the sound it represents.	31
14855121974	Oxymoron	A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.	32
14855121975	Paradox	A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.	33
14855121976	Paraphrase	express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity.	34
14855121977	Parody	A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.	35
14855121978	Personification	A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes.	36
14855121979	Perspective	point of view.	37
14855121980	Point of View	the perspective from which the story is told (first, second, third)	38
14855121981	Protagonist	the main character in a literary work	39
14855121982	Purpose	One's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing.	40
14855121983	Satire	the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.	41
14855121984	Setting	The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.	42
14855121985	Simile	comparing two things using like or as	43
14855121986	Speaker	A term used for the author, speaker, or the person whose perspective (real or imagined) is being advanced in a speech or piece of writing	44
14855121987	Subjective	Existing in the mind or relating to one's own thoughts, opinions, emotions, etc.; personal, individual, based on feelings	45
14855121988	Syntax	The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.	46
14855121989	Theme	the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic; a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work.	47
14855121990	Thesis	Focus statement of an essay; premise statement upon which the point of view or discussion in the essay is based.	48
14855121991	Tone	A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.	49