Glossary of Terms - AP English Language and Composition

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on key literary terms for AP English Language and Composition.

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 which 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.

anadiplosis

The repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause.

analogy

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

anaphora

One of the devices of repetition, involving the same expression repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.

anecdote

A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event.

antecedent

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

aphorism

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

apostrophe

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

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established by the setting and author's verb choice.

clause

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

colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.

coherence

A principle demanding that parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole is clear.

conceit

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

connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word.

denotation

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

diction

Refers to the writer's word choices, especially regarding their correctness and effectiveness.

didactic

Referring to literature that has the primary aim of teaching or instructing.

epistrophe

The repetition at the end of successive clauses.

euphemism

A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

exposition

In essays, one of the chief types of composition, which aims to explain something.

extended metaphor

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

figurative language

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

figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language.

generic conventions

Traditions for each genre that help to define it.

genre

The major category into which a literary work fits.

homily

A serious talk 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.

loose sentence

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

metaphor

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

metonymy

A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.

narrative

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

oxymoron

A figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms.

paradox

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

parallelism

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

parody

A work that closely imitates the style of another with the specific aim of comic effect.

pedantic

Describes words or phrases that are overly scholarly or academic.

periodic sentence

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

personification

A figure of speech in which human attributes are given to nonhuman objects.

point of view

The perspective from which a story is told.

predicate adjective

An adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.

predicate nominative

A noun that renames the subject and follows a linking verb.

prose

Fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, as opposed to poetry.

repetition

The duplication of any element of language.

rhetor

The speaker who uses elements of rhetoric effectively in oral or written text.

rhetoric

The principles governing the art of writing effectively and persuasively.

rhetorical modes

The variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing.

sarcasm

Bitter, caustic language meant to hurt or ridicule.

satire

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

semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words and their relationships.

style

The sum of the choices an author makes in blending various literary devices.

subject complement

The word or clause that follows a linking verb and completes the subject.

subordinate clause

A clause that cannot stand alone and depends on a main clause for meaning.

syllogism

A deductive system of formal logic presenting two premises leading to a conclusion.

symbol/symbolism

Anything that represents itself and stands for something else.

syntax

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

theme

The central idea or message of a work.

thesis

The statement that directly expresses the author's opinion or position.

tone

The author's attitude toward his material or audience.

transition

A word or phrase that links different ideas.

trope

A figure of speech involving a 'turn' or change of sense.

understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact, presenting something as less significant than it is.

undertone

An attitude that may lie under the ostensible tone of the piece.

unreliable narrator

An untrustworthy or naïve commentator on events and characters.

wit

Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.

zeugma

A trope where one word governs two other words not related in meaning.