AP English Language and Composition Literary Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key literary terms and devices for the AP English Language and Composition Exam.

ad hominem argument

An argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, to feeling rather than intellect; from the Latin meaning "to or against the man."

allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words.

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something that is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

antithesis

A figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure.

aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described.

caricature

A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.

chiasmus

A figure of speech based on inverted parallelism in which two clauses are related to each other through a reversal of terms.

clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

colloquialism

Slang or informality in speech or writing, giving work a conversational, familiar tone.

conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.

denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.

diction

Refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

didactic

Literally meaning "instructive" from the Greek; describes works that have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially moral or ethical principles.

euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts; from the Greek for "good speech."

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language, many of which compare dissimilar things.

generic conventions

Traditions for each genre that help to define and differentiate each genre.

genre

The major category into which a literary work fits, such as prose, poetry, and drama.

homily

Literally means "sermon," but informally can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.

inference / infer

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.

invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

irony / ironic

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant; the difference between what appears to be and what actually is true.

verbal irony

A type of irony where the words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) true meaning.

situational irony

A type of irony where events turn out the opposite of what was expected.

dramatic irony

A type of irony where facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters.

juxtaposition

Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

loose sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.

metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.

metonymy

A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it; from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name."

mood

Has two distinct technical meanings: grammatically dealing with verbal units and speaker attitude, and literary meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.