AP Lit Knowt Flashcards

Updated as I get the vocab lists, usually takes me a day or two.

bildungsroman

a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education

blank verse

verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter

bombast

high-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people

burlesque

an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody

cacophony

a harsh discordant mixture of sounds

caesura

a break between words within a metrical foot; a pause near the middle of a line

canon

a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine

caricature

a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect

carpe diem

used to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future

catharsis

the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions

classic

judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its time

classical

relating to ancient greek or latin literature, art, or culture

climax

the most intense, exciting, or important point of something

coming-of-age-story

a story capturing the moment an adolescent becomes an adult

conceit

a fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor

connotation

an idea or feeling that a work invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

consonance

the recurrence of similar sounds, especially consonants, in close proximity (chiefly as used in prosody)

couplet

two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit

denotation

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

denouement

the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved

abstract

a summary of the contents of a book, article, or formal speech

adage

a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

alliteration

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

allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

ambiguity

the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness

anachronism

an act of attributing a custom event, or object to a period to which it does not belong

anagory

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

annotation

a note of explanation or comment added to a text or diagram

antagonist

a person (or thing) who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary

antithesis

a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else

aphorism

a pith observation that contains a general truth

apollonian

relating to the rational, ordered, and self-disciplined aspects of human nature

apostrophe

a figure of speech where a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn’t present or cannot respond

archetype

a very typical example of a certain person or thing

assonance

in poetry, the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in non-ryming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible

ballad

a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. traditional ballads are typically of unknown authorship, having been passed down

bard

a poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular oral tradition

bathos

an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous

bibliography

a list of the books referred to in a scholarly work, typically printed as an appendix

deus ex machina

an expected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel

diction

choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

dionysian

relating to god Dionysus, or the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature

dramatic irony

a literary device by which the audience’s or reader’s understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters

elegy

a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead

ellipsis

the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues

elliptical construction

grammatically incomplete for the deliberate purpose of concise prose

empathy

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

end-stopped

having a pause at the end of each line (verse)

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza (verse)

epic

a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation

epigram

a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way

epithet

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned

eponymous

a work that is named after its central character or creator

euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

euphony

the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words

explication

the process of analyzing a literary work in order to reveal its meaning

expose

reveal the true, objectionable nature of (someone or something)

exposition

a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory

extended metaphor

a comparison between two unrelated subjects that is developed over multiple lines, stanzas, or even an entire work

fable

a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral

falling action

sequence of events in a story that occur after the climax, leading towards the resolution

fantasy

the activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable; genre

farce

a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations

figure-of-speech

a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or vivid effect

first-person narrative 

story is told from a character in it

flashback

a scene in a movie, novel, etc. set in a time earlier than the main story

foil

a character/concept that contrasts with another

foot

fundamental unit of rhythm and meter, consisting of a specific patter of stressed and unstressed syllables within a line of verse

foreshadow

be a warning or indication of a future event

frame story

literary technique, basically a story in a story

free verse

poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

genre

a category of artistic composition, characterized by similarities to each other

gothic novel 

english genre of fiction popular in 18th-19th centuries, characterized by an atmosphere of mystery and horror and a pseudomedieval setting

harangue

a lengthy and aggressive speech

heroic couplet

a pair of rhyming iambic parameters (verse)

hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence; in greek tragedy an excessive pride or defiance of the gods, leading to retribution or nemesis

humanism

an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

idyll

an extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque episode or scene, typically and idealized or unsustainable one

image

vivid descriptive language that appears to the reader’s five senses to create a mental picture or experience

in medias res

into the middle of a narrative; without preamble

indirect quotation

restates what someone said or wrote without using their exact word and therefore does not use quotation marks

irony

the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or empathic effect

kenning

a compound expression in Old English and Old Norse poetry with metaphorical meaning 

light verse

poetry written primarily to amuse and entertain, characterized by its wit, elegance, and cleverness rather than deep/serious themes

litotes

ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary

loose sentence

main independent clause comes first, followed by one or more subordinate clauses or phrases that add details 

lyric poetry

short poem expressing intense personal emotions usually with a musical quality

maxim

a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct

melodrama

a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions 

metaphor

figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which is it not literally acceptable

metaphysical poetry

style of 17th century poetry characterized by its intellectualism, wit, and use of complex, often surprising comparisons known as conceits

meter 

rhythmic structure of a poem, defining by the patterned arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line

metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant

middle english

body of written works produced in England between approximately 1150 and 1500. Heavily influenced by Norman French

mock epic

a poem that uses the conventions of the epic genre to satirize a subject by treating a trivial event with the grand style of an epic

mode

broad, identifiable category of literary method, mood, or manner, distinct from a specific genre or form, serving a rhetorical purpose

montage 

technique of combining disparate elements like fragments of scenes, images, and thoughts to create a unified, often complex, whole

lampoon

a sharp, written attack in prose or verse that viciously and often unfairly mocks a specific, real-life individual or institution