AP English Lit. Terms

Abstract (style)

Abstract (style)

(in writing) this is typically complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points.

Academic (style)

Dry and theoretical writing. When a piece of writing seems to be sucking all the life out of its subject with analysis.

Accent

In poetry, refers to the stressed portion of a word.

Aesthetic

Used as an adjective meaning "appealing to the senses."

Allegory

a literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation

Alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

Allusion

a reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Anachronism

something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred

Analogy

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Anecdote

a short narrative

Antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

Anthropomorphism

the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects

Anticlimax

A disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events

Antihero

a protagonist who lacks the characteristics that would make him a hero (or her a heroine)

Aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

Apostrophe

address to an absent or imaginary person

Archaism

The use of deliberately old-fashioned language

Aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds

Atmosphere

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene.

Ballad

Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form.

Black humor

The use of disturbing themes in comedy.

Bombast

speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning

Burlesque

a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor

Cacophony

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

Cadence

rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words

Caesura

A pause within a line of poetry

Canto

a major division of a long poem

Caricature

drawing, imitation, or description that ridiculously exaggerates peculiarities or defects

Catharsis

an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal

Chorus

In Greek drama, the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it.

Colloquialism

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

Conceit

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

Connotation

the implied or associative meaning of a word

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds

Couplet

two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Decorum

conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

Diction

a writer's or speaker's choice of words

Dirge

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

Dissonance

harsh or grating sounds that do not go together

Doggerel

badly written or trivial verse, often with a singsong rhythm

Dramatic Irony

(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

Dramatic monologue

When a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience.

Elegy

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme

Enjambment

the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause

Epic

a long narrative poem written in elevated style which present the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation

Epitaph

a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone

Euphemism

a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

Euphony

any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

Farce

a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose

Feminine Rhyme

latter two syllables of first word rhyme with latter two syllables of second word (ceiling appealing)

Foil

a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another

Foot

the basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry

Foreshadowing

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Free Verse

unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern

Gothic Novel

a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action

Hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

Hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

Interior Monologue

a narrative technique that records a character's internal flow of thoughts, memories, and ideas; a longish passage of uninterrupted thought

Inversion

the reversal of the normal order of words

Irony

a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens

Lampoon

ridicule with satire

Lyric

of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way)

Masculine Rhyme

final syllable of first word rhymes with final syllable of second word (scald recalled)

Melodrama

A form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure

Metaphor

a figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using like or as

Metonym

a word that is used to stand for something else that it has attributes of or is associated with

Nemesis

The protagonist's arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty.

Objectivity

an impersonal presentation of events and characters

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate sounds

Oxymoron

a figure of speech consisting of two apparently contradictory terms

Parable

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

Paradox

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Parallelism

the use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical form

Parody

a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner

Pastoral

a literary work idealizing the rural life (especially the life of shepherds)

Pathos

a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)

Persona

the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

Personification

the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.

Plaint

A poem or speech expressing sorrow

Protagonist

the main character in a literary work

Pun

a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings

Refrain

the repetition of one or more phrases or lines at definite intervals in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza

Requiem

a song of prayer for the dead

Rhapsody

An intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise.

Rhetorical Question

a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered

Satire

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

Simile

a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')

Soliloquy

in drama, a character speaks alone on stage to allow his/her thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience

Stanza

a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

Stock Characters

standard or cliched character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc.

Subjectivity

a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions

Subjunctive Mood

A grammatical situation involving the words "if" and "were," setting up a hypothetical situation.

Summary

a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form

Symbolism

a device in literature where an object represents an idea.

Theme

The main idea of the story

Thesis

The primary position taken by a writer or speaker

Tragic Flaw

the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

Travesty

a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation