AP Lit. Vocab

devices, poetry, exam words, etc!

alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds in a sentence

anaphora

repetition of the same word or phrase in successive lines/sentences

apostrophe

addressing of a usually absent person or personified thing

ex. “Death, be not proud”

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants

caesura

short pause within a line of poetry

conceit

a long/extended metaphor, odd comparison of two very different concepts/things

consonance

repetition of final consonant sounds following different vowel sounds

couplet

two successive lines of rhyming verse, usually same meter

end stopped line

line that concludes with a punctuation mark

end rhyme

rhyme that occurs at the end of two lines in verse

enjambment

poetic sentences that span more than one line without punctuation

figurative language

umbrella term: similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, euphemism, personification, etc.

hyperbole

exaggeration

imagery

sensory details that evokes a feeling or idea of the topic being described

juxtaposition

placing two things side by side for a contrasting effect

metaphor

two unlike things are compared implicitly

onomatopoeia

use of words that sound like what they mean/signify (sound effects)

ex. hiss, sizzle

personification

giving a nonhuman subject human qualities

rhythm

beat and pace of a poem

rhyme

repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line

shift/turn/volta

turn of thought, tone, or argument in a poem

simile

direct, explicit comparison of things using the words like or as

speaker

voice of a poem

stanza

grouped set of lines in a poem

synecdoche

figure of speech where a part of something stands for a whole

ex. worker being referred to as a “hired hand”

connotation

feeling or idea that a word suggests

denotation

literal meaning of a word

iambic pentameter

metrical line of 5 iambs (unstressed-stressed) / 10 syllables line

elision

omission of a syllable or vowel, sometimes to maintain meter

metonymy

related term is substituted for the thing itself

ex. “the crown” to mean royalty

euphemism

more polite/mild word used to refer to something more intense

ambiguity

having more than one clear meaning

paradox

statement that seems contradictory but on a deeper level could be true

ephemeral

lasting for a short time, often to describe fleeting beauty or moments

adulation

excessive praise or flattery

censure

strong disapproval or criticism

droll

amusing in an odd or whimsical way

peremptory

insisting on immediate attention or obedience; commanding

allay

to relieve or lesson (pain, fear, suspicion, etc.)

capacious

spacious; able to hold much

didactic

intended to teach, often with a moral message

ignominious

deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

prostrate

lying flat on the ground, exhaustion

propitious

favorable, giving or indicating a good chance of success

inexorable

impossible to stop or persuade; relentless

insipid

lacking flavor or interest; dull

nefarious

wicked, evil, or morally wrong

physiognomy

facial features, used to infer character or personality

tedium

the state of being tedious or boring

akin

related by blood or having similar qualities

cajole

to persuade with flattery or gentle urging

encumber

to burden or weigh down

fickle

changing frequently (especially in loyalty, interests, or affection)

indolent

lazy; avoiding activity or effort

muse (noun)

source of inspiration (of a person)

muse (verb)

to think deeply or meditate

presumptuous

overstepping boundaries; overly bold or confident

subversive

intended to undermine or overthrow authority or tradition

vacuous

lacking thought or intelligence; empty-headed

capricious

impulsive, unpredictable, subject to whims

disparity

a great difference or inequality

impetus

a force or stimulus that causes something to happen or move

vacillate

to waver between opinions or actions, indecisive

infinitesimal

extremely small, barely measurable

incredulous

unwilling or unable to believe something, skeptical

sonnet

• 14 lines

• traditionally in iambic pentameter

• structured rhyme schemes

• themes of love, time, beauty, mortality, inner conflict

English/Shakespearean Sonnet

• 3 quatrains, 1 couplet

• ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet

• 1 octave, 1 sestet

• ABBAABBA CDECDE

Spenserian Sonnet

• 3 interlocking quatrains, 1 couplet

• ABAB BCBC CDCD EE

Sonnet Analysis Tips:

1. identify structure + rhyme scheme + meter

2. mark the shift/volta - note shift in tone + thought

3. poetic devices

4. interpret message/theme

5. note the endings

British Romantic Poetry

• everyday language

• 2 aesthetics: beauty, sublimity → sense of awe and being overwhelmed with terror or wonder

• lyric poem ~ “lyrical I”

• self-critical + conscious

• references between nature and self

• inspiration from past

• new social ideas ~ suffrage, atheism, etc.

verbal irony

when a speaker says one thing but means the opposite

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something the characters do not, creating tension or humor

situational irony

when what actually happens is the opposite or what is expected

allegory

story or image with a second, deeper meaning

antithesis

contrast of ideas expressed in a balanced structure

ex. “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

asyndeton

omission of conjunctions

ex. “I came, I saw, I conquered”

polysyndeton

deliberate use of many conjunctions

ex. “he ran and laughed and jumped and played”

chiasmus

reversal in the order of words or concepts

ex. “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country”

litotes

understatement using double negatives

ex. “not bad” meaning “good”