AP Lit terms

Allegory

a story, play, picture, or other art form where the characters and events act as symbols

Allusion

a brief, indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance

ambiguity

a word, phrase, or situation is unclear because it has more than one possible meaning or interpretation

analogy

a comparison between two different things to show how they are alike

anaphora

a literary and rhetorical device where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines

antithesis

he exact opposite of something

aphorism

a short, memorable statement that expresses a general truth, moral lesson, or wise observation about life

apostrophie

a figure of speech where a speaker directly addresses an absent person, a dead person, an inanimate object, or an abstract idea as if it were present and able to respond

archetype

a universal, recurring model or prototype

aside

a short comment spoken by an actor directly to the audience, understood to be unheard by other characters on stage.

asyndeton

It means you leave out connecting words like "and," "but," or "or" between parts of a sentence. Writers use it to make a list fast, strong, and clear

bildungsroman

a story that focuses on the moral and psychological growth of a main character from youth to adulthood

caesura

a natural pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry

caricature

a picture, drawing, or description that makes a person look funny or different by exaggerating their features

catharsis

the process of releasing deep, hidden, or heavy feelings

chaismus

a literary device where words, grammatical structures, or concepts are repeated in reverse order

conceit

excessive pride or a high opinion of oneself

consonance

a literary device where the same consonant sound is repeated in nearby words

denouement

the final part of a story's plot where loose ends are tied up, remaining questions are answered, and a sense of resolution is achieved

deus ex machina

a plot device where a hard or impossible problem in a story gets a sudden, cheap fix from an outside person, thing, or event that was not set up before

diction

the choice of words in writing or speech, or how clearly a person pronounces words

doppelganger

a biological or supernatural look-alike of a living person

dynamic character

a person in a story who goes through an important inner change

dystopia

an imaginary place or society where people live bad, scary, and unfair lives.

elision

the omission of a sound, vowel, or syllable in speech, writing, or music

ellipsis

is a punctuation mark made of three dots (...) used to show that words have been left out. It also shows a pause in speech or an unfinished thought

enjambment

a poetic technique where a sentence or phrase continues past the end of a line without a pause or end punctuation

epiphany

a sudden, clear moment of understanding, realization, or insight

epistolary

an adjective that describes a literary work written in the form of letters, diary entries, or other personal documents

epiphet

a descriptive word or phrase added to or used in place of a person or thing's name to highlight a key characteristic

flashback

a literary device that interrupts the normal, chronological order of a story to show an event from the past

flat character

a one-dimensional figure in a story who has only one or two main traits, no deep inner life, and does not change or grow over time

round character

a complex, multi-dimensional figure in a story who acts like a real person

foil

a character who contrasts with another character—usually the main character—to highlight their specific personality traits, values, or flaws

foreshadowing

a writing tool where an author gives early hints or clues about what will happen later in a story

frame story

a literary device where a main story is told inside another story

hamartia

a literary term for a tragic flaw or an error in judgment that causes a heroic character's downfall

hubris

extreme pride, arrogance, or dangerous overconfidence

hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point, show strong feeling, or add humor

interior monologue

a literary tool used to show a character's unstated thoughts and feelings

in medias res

a storytelling technique where a narrative begins in the chronological middle of the plot

invocation of the muse

a traditional opening prayer in epic poetry

irony

a contrast between expectation and reality

litotes

a figure of speech and form of understatement that uses a negative statement to emphasize a positive meaning

local color

a style of writing that focuses on the special features, unique dialects, habits, history, and landscapes of a specific region

magical realism

a style of storytelling where magical or supernatural events happen in a normal, everyday world

malapropism

the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, which creates a funny or silly meaning

meiosis

a rhetorical device that uses intentional understatement to downplay the size, importance, or severity of a situation

monologue

a long speech by one person in a play, movie, or show

metonymy

a figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else that is closely linked or associated with it

motif

a recurring element, idea, image, or phrase in a work of art, literature, or music that helps develop a central theme or mood

oxymoron

a figure of speech that puts two opposite words together in one phrase

paradox

a statement or situation that seems to go against common sense or logic, but may still reveal a deeper truth

polysyndeton

repeat connecting words like "and," "or," or "but" close together in a sentence

satire

a way of using humor, irony, or exaggeration to show the flaws, foolishness, or corruption of people, ideas, or society

soliloquy

a long speech in a play where a character speaks their inner thoughts aloud

static character

a person in a story who does not experience any deep inner change, growth, or personal development from start to finish

stream of consciousness

a literary style that captures the continuous, unfiltered flow of a person's thoughts, feelings, and sensory impressions as they happen

symbolism

the use of objects, colors, actions, or characters to mean more than what they are on the surface

synesthesia

a stylistic device where writers blend multiple senses to describe a single experience

synecdoche

a figure of speech where a part of something stands for the whole, or the whole stands for a part

tragic flaw

an inner weakness, error, or mistake in a main character that leads directly to their ruin or downfall