AP Literature Terminology

Anecdote

A brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event. It is generally used in literature to either entertain or, more importantly, to make a point and reinforce the author’s purpose

Aphorism

A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral, and literary principles. A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. Proverbs, maxims, adages, and clichés are different forms of aphoristic statements that gain prevalence from generation to generation and frequently appear in our day-to-day speech. An ______ can be a memorable summation of the author’s point

Binary Opposition

Contrasting ideas such as black/white, darkness/light, good/bad, speech/writing, male/female, etc. These assume there are no gray areas by some philosophers, being limited in their scope and suggesting one side is better than the other, creating a hierarchy. Binary opposition is used in reference to major thematic contrasts.

Irony

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. In general, there are three major types used in language

Verbal Irony

The words literally state the opposite of the writer’s or speaker’s true meaning

Situational Irony

Events turn out the opposite of what was expected; what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen

Dramatic Irony

Facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience or other characters in the work.

Juxtaposition

Two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem, for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts. This very similar to binary opposition but not necessarily thematic

Paradox

It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly, but which may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. A _____ is often used to make a reader think over an idea in an innovative way

Rhetorical Questions

Asked just for effect, or to lay emphasis on some point being discussed, when no real answer is expected. Often used in an argument as a technique to motivate the reader to give the problem thoughtful consideration. Not every question is rhetorical. “What is your name?” requires a specific answer and is not rhetorical. “How can we best solve the problem of world hunger?” is rhetorical, asking the reader simply to think while the writer moves toward the argument.

Rhetoric

From the Greek for “orator,” this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively

Sarcasm

From the Greek meaning “to tear flesh,” _____ involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device, but not all ironic statements are ____, that is, intending to ridicule. When well done, sarcasm can be witty and insightful; when poorly done, it’s simply cruel.

Shift

A change from one tone, attitude, etc. Look for key words like but, however, even though, although, yet, and so on.

Style

A writer’s characteristic way of writing determined by the choice of words, details, imagery, arrangement of words in sentences, and the relationship of the sentences to one another (syntax), and point of view.

Theme

The central idea or message of a workl the insight it offers into life. Usually, it is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, it may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing. They are linking devices that hold a text together structurally, such as the battle between good and evil. When stating one, you must state it in one complete sentence.

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, it is a flexible term within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called genres themselves. For example, prose can be divided into fiction (novels and short stories) or nonfiction (essays, biographies, autobiographies, etc). Poetry can be divided into lyric, dramatic, narrative, epic, etc. Drama can be divided into tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, etc.

Allegory

A story with two levels of meaning. First, there’s the surface of the story: the characters, plot, and all the obvious meaning. Then there’s the symbolic level, or the deeper meaning that all surface meaning represents. The symbolic meaning can be political or religious, historical or philosophical. They are kind of like massive metaphors, but they usually come in narrative form - that is, they’re told through stories.

Bildungsroman

This genre of literature denotes the story of a single individual’s growth and development within the context of a defined social order. The growth process, at its roots a quest story, has been described as both “an apprenticeship to life” and a “search for meaningful existence within society.”

Epistolary Novel

A novel in which the narrative is carried forward by letters written by one of more of the characters

Fram Story

A story that contains a story within another story, usually has two or more narrators.

Parable

A short, simple tale from which a moral lesson is drawn

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style of content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. As comedy, parody distorts or exaggerates distinctive features of the original. As ridicule, it mimics the work by repeating and borrowing words, phrases, or characteristics in order to illuminate weaknesses in the original. Well-written ___ offers enlightenment about the original, but poorly written ___ offers only ineffectual imitation. Usually, an audience must grasp literary allusion and understand the work being parodied in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the newer work. Occasionally, however, parodies take on a life of their own and don’t require knowledge of the original.

Prose

One of the major divisions of genre, refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms, because they are written in ordinary language and most closely resemble everyday speech. Technically, anything that isn’t poetry or drama is ____.

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively by the satirist such as irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm. The effect, often humorous, is though provoking and insightful about the human condition.

Horatian satire

A gentle, sympathetic form of satire in which the subject is mildly made fun of with a show of engaging wit. This form of satire tends to ask the audience to laugh at themselves as much as the players

Juvenalian Satire

Harsh criticism of a society, a people individuals in order to affect a change

Tragedy

A branch of literature that addresses the sorrowful downfall of a protagonist in a serious manner. In classical tragedy, the protagonist is a tragic hero of exalted social status whose own character flaw combines with fate to bring about their ruin. In more recent centuries, however, it has taken other forms, featuring protagonists of social insignificance and removing the tragic flaw to suggest a character’s complete powerlessness in the face of modern challenges. Regardless of the details, all tragedies attempt to examine serious questions of existence, especially the relationship between man and the universe.