AP Literature Literary terms

Allegory

a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea about life and often conveys a strong lesson, an extended metaphor

Alliteration

the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (tongue twisters)

Allusion

a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature

Ambiguity

deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in work. The author intends to allow for multiple interpretations

Anaphora

repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row; makes the writer’s point more coherent

Anecdote

a brief account of an interesting incident or event that usually is intended to entertain or make a point

Archetype

a universally accepted person, symbol, motif, or idea that us often used in writing

Aside

an actor’s speech, directed to the audience, not supposed to be heard by the other actors on stage; lets the audience know what a character is about to do

Assonance

repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry

Ballad

a poem that tells a story and is meant to be sung or recited

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

Caesura

a pause or break in a line of poetry

Chiasmus

in poetry, a type of rhetorical balance in which the second part is syntactically balanced against the first, but with parts reversed. (e.g. “Flowers are lovely, love is flowerlike“)

Cliche

a type of figurative language containing an overused expression or a saying that is no longer considered original

Conceit

an elaborate metaphor that compared two things that are startlingly different; often an extended metaphor

Consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry

Couplet

a rhymed pair of lines in a poem

Didactic

form of fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking

Dramatic Monolouge

a literary device that is used when a character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings, those that are hidden throughout the course of a story line, through a poem or a speech; this speech, where only one character speaks, is recited, which other characters are present on stage

Elegy

a literary song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died

Enjambment

in poetry, the “running over“ of a line or thought into the next verse

Epigram

a short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or event, usually with witticism or sarcasm