ULTIMATE AP LIT VOCABULARY 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Octaves

A unit of poetry that contains eight lines

Meter

describes the rhythm (or pattern of beats) in a line of poetry.

Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of each line of a poem, speech, or sermon.

Ex: The "I have a dream" speech

malapropism

the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect


Example: "illiterate him quite from your memory" (instead of "obliterate"), "he is the very pineapple of politeness" (instead of pinnacle) and "she's as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile" (instead of alligator).

Non sequitur

a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.

Example: Premise 1: All birds have wings. Premise 2: That creature has wings. Conclusion: Therefore, that creature is a bird.

Ellipsis

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark of three dots (. . .) that shows an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there's something left unsaid

Oxymoron

Phrases that combine contradictory terms for emphasis

Example: "Clearly confusing" "Unkindly kind" "Jumbo shrimp"

Aphorism

short, witty statement of a principle about life that is true.
Example:
"The early bird gets the worm" "What goes around comes around"

Archaism

The use of deliberately old-fashioned language.
"Thee" "Thou"

Loftier

Higher

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person

Acquiescence

Passive acceptance but negative connotation

Unvaried pattern

Pattern that doesn't change

Vitality

Youthful quality, physical, mental vigor, good health

Discursiveness

Rambling

Brevity

Concise, exact

Ardor

Passion

Terseness

Quick, brief but negative connotation

Raillery

Yelling, criticism

Concessions

Giving up

Facetious

Using sarcasm

Self-effacing

Pulling yourself down

Pastoral elegy

Dedication to the dead

Remiss

Overlook

Sardonic

Cynical

Paradox

logically contradictory but true
Ex:
"The more you try to impress people, the less impressed they'll be"

Lilotes

deliberate understatement, especially when expression a thought by denying its opposite

"Not bad" instead of "good"

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

Ex: The phrase "hired hands" can be used to refer to workers.
-The word "bread" can be used to represent food.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Ex:
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. ..."
-"I haven't seen you in ages!"

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.
Example:
Buzz-The bee buzzed in my ear. Boom-The boom of the fireworks scared the baby. Meow-The cat meowed for some milk

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Example:
She had the feeling she had a golden ticket: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
He's young, scrappy, and eager: Hamilton.
I wish I could click my heels together: The Wizard of Oz.

Monotomy

The same thing over and over again— it has a negative connotation

Twain

Two things

Coy

Reluctant, shy

Libidinous

Sex drive, sensual libido

Ephemeral

Fleeting

Panegyric

Public speech of praise

Pragmatic

Practical

Usurpation

Remove from power

Consecration

To make holy/ sacred

Burgher

German for mayor

Rapaciousness

Greedy

Unscrupulous

Someone without morals

Scrupulous

Morals

Refrains

Repetition of a line or verse

Patronized

Patron of the art (varies with context)

Lionized

Honor, glorified

Conciliatory

To accept, conceding

Exalt

Glorify

Malign

Nevative

Incongruous

Not in harmony

Enjambment

Continuation of

Variable rhythm

Sentence without pause

Austere

Strict

Fecund

Capable of producing offspring or vegtation

Sublime

Excellence , beauty

Idyllic

Extremely pleasant

Begrudging

Reluctant

Fervent

Warmth

Approbation

Approval

Rumination

Deep thought

Monetary

Of or relating to money or currency

Whims

Fanciful ideas

Frivolous

Lacking in seriousness or importance

Undignified

Not noble, not honorable, not respectable

Acquiescence

The reluctant acceptance of something without protest

Metamorphosis

Change of form

Reprieve

A temporary relief or delay

Aloof

Reserved, distant

Obdurate

Stubborn

Callous

Emotionally hardened, unfeeling

Stoic

Indifferent to pleasure or pain

Pragmatism

Practicality

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Perplexity

State of being confused

Emphatic

Forcibly expressive

Prudent

Wise, careful, cautious

Secular

Non-religious

Laudable

Worthy of praise

Profane

Unholy

Assuage

To make something unpleasant less severe

Erstwhile

Former

Penitent

Expressing remorse for one's misdeeds

Spurned

Shunned; rejected

Sensuous

Appealing to the senses

Conceptualizes

To form an idea

Lament

To mourn

Consecration

To make or declare something sacred

rapaciousness

greed

Lionized

to treat as an object of great interest or importance

aberrant

deviating from the norm; abnormal

bedeviled

tormented

Demise

death

Pedantry

a pretentious display of knowledge

Affluent

rich, wealthy

Wry

humorously sarcastic or mocking

didactic

intended to instruct

Reverent

deeply respectful

Despondent

in low spirits from loss of hope or courage; depressed

Maxim

a general truth or rule of conduct; a short saying