ap lit terms part 1

Antecedent

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

antecedent example

Mark hurt his ankle

The blue car spef down the street before it turned the corner

Subject complement

a word or phrase that follows a linking verb like is, am, are, became, seems; renames/describes subject

subject complement example

the cookies smell delicious

Subordinate clause

A word group that contains both a subject and a verb, but cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought.

Independent clause

A clause that can stand alone as a sentence and expresses a complete thought.

Dependent clause

A clause that needs to be joined with another sentence in order to make sense.

Clause

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

Mood

A term with two distinct meanings in English writing; it deals with verbal units and a speaker's attitude.

Tricolon

A sentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses.

tricolon example

I came, I saw, I conquered

live, laugh, love

Repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Parallelism

The grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

parellelism example

she likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bike

Ellipsis/Ellipse example

the new stadium…will finally open to the public this friday

Antithesis

A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, clauses, or ideas.

antithesis example

give me liberty, or give me death

speech is silver, but silence is golden

Anastrophe

normal word order of a sentence is reversed/inverted

Chiasmus

A reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses, without repetition of words.

chiasmus example

all for one, and one for all

Antimetabole

Repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order.

antimetabole example

eat to live, don’t live to eat

Asyndeton

Commas used (with no conjunction) to separate a series of words.

asyndeton example

i came, i saw, i conquered

Polysyndeton

A sentence which uses and or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate the items in a series.

polysyndeton example

It's standard, but it's clean and it's cheap and it's comfortable and it's safe

Freight Train

A sentence consisting of three or more very short independent clauses joined by conjunctions.

freight train example

He woke up late, and he scrambled out of bed, and he spilled his coffee, and he sprinted out the door only to realize he forgot his keys

Parataxis

Short independent clauses joined by semi-colons rather than conjunctions.

parataxis example

Some people prefer the city; others love the countryside

i came; i saw; i conquered

Syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Loose sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units.

Periodic sentence

A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.

anaphora example

every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take

Figures of speech

Uses of language that departs from the customary construction, order, or significance.

Imagery

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

Analogy

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

Metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison or seemingly unlike things.

Extended metaphor

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

Conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy. - forces a comparison between two shockingly unlike things

conceit example

life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get

Simile

A figure of speech using implied comparison or seemingly unlike things, suggesting some similarity, but using like or as.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Ex. 'jumbo shrimp' and 'cruel kindness.'

oxymoron examples

deafening silence

bittersweet

Paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but contains some degree of truth or validity.

paradox examples

the only thing constant is change

i know one thing; that i know nothing

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Ex. buzz, hiss, hum, etc.

Rhetorical Questions

A question used by the speaker or writer to achieve awareness in the listener or reader, with no reply expected.

Understatement

Presents something as less significant than it is, often with a humorous or emphatic effect.

Litote

Deliberate use of understatement; uses a negative statement to affirm a positive

litote example

he’s not bad

you’re not wrong

it’s not rocket science

Hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement, often with a comic effect.

Personification

A figure of speech in which concepts, animals, or inanimate objects are endowed with human attributes or emotions.

Metonymy

A figure of speech where the name of an object is substituted with a word closely associated with it. Ex. 'White House' for 'presidency.'

Euphemism

less offensive substitute for an unpleasant word or concept.

euphemism example

saying “passing away” instead of “died”

Synecdoche

A trope in which a part signifies the whole or the whole signifies the part. Ex. 'threads' for 'clothes.'

synecdoche examples

check out my new wheels (wheels=car)

Pun

Generic name for figures that make a play on words.

Synesthesia

An image that evokes more than one sense.

synesthesia example

a loud coor

a sweet voice

Alliteration

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

Assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity.

assonance example

the rain in spain stays mainly in the plain

Consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

consonance exampe

the lock stuck quickly in the thick muck

Rhetorical modes

Describes the variety, conventions, and purpose of the major kinds of writing.

Stream of consciousness

The presentation of thoughts passing through the mind without logical sequence.

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another for comic effect or ridicule.

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions for reform or ridicule.

Anecdote

A short narrative detailing the particulars of an event.

anecdote example

a speaker starting a presentation on safety by sharing a brief story abt a time they got injured

Bildungsroman

A coming of age novel, the story of a person's development.

Homily

A serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

Allegory

Using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

Aphorism

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

aphorism example

birds of a feather flock together

Epigraph

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of theme.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction.

Abstract language

Language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things.

Concrete language

Language that describes specific, observable things, people or places.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something commonly known.

Ambiguity

An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way.

Anachronism

Placing something in a time where it does not belong.

Archetype

A type of struggle or character to which a culture relates without prior knowledge.

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.

Attitude

The writer expresses his personal feelings toward the subject, characters, or audience.

Tone

Describes the author's attitude toward his or her materials, the audience, or both.

Catharsis

A moral and spiritual cleansing one receives when watching a protagonist overcome great odds to survive.

Epiphany

A sudden understanding or realization which prior to this was not thought or understood.

Cliché

overused idea, expression,or element - its freshness/impact have been warn off

Colloquial

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.

Denotation

A word's literal, dictionary meaning.

Criticism

Analysis, study, and evaluation of individual works of literature.

Detail

The use of detail includes describing or relating an object or scene with complete particulars.

Inference/infer

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.

Irony/ironic

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant.

Jargon

The specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, class, or fellowship.