AP Lang Summer Work

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Allusion

An implied or indirect reference to something in the real world or fiction.

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences.

Anecdote

A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Antecedent

A word, phrase, clause, or sentence to which another word refers.

Antithesis

A literary device that contrasts opposing ideas through parallel structures.

Aphorism

A concise observation that contains a general truth.

Apostrophe

A rhetorical device where a speaker directly addresses someone or something that is not present, cannot respond, or is inanimate.

Asyndeton

The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Chiasmus

A literary device in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

Clause (Independent & Dependent)

A groups of words that contains a subject and a verb.

Independent: Can stand alone as a full sentence.

Dependent: Cannot stand alone as a sentence. Relies on independent clause for its meaning.

Colloquialism

A word or phrase that is informal, everyday language.

Coherence

The quality of being logical and consistent.

Conceit

A fanciful metaphor, especially a highly elaborate or extended metaphor in which an unlikely, far-fetched, or strained comparison is made between two things.

Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech and writing.

Didactic

Designed or intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Enumeratio

In rhetoric, is the act of listing details or items to emphasize a point or clarify a concept.

Expletive

A syllable, word, or phrase inserted to fill a vacancy without adding to the meaning.

Euphemism

A figure or speech that replaces a harsh, direct, or unpleasant term with a milder, more indirect expression when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

Exposition

A literary device used to introduce essential background information in literature.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that is developed at length and in detail, using multiple linked comparisons to develop a single idea.

Genre

A category of artistic composition, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

Homily

A religious discourse that is primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction; a sermon.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Hypophora

A rhetorical device where a speaker or writer poses a question and then immediately answers it.

Imagery

Descriptive language that engages the human senses which can evoke a mental image.