ap lit vocab

allegory

a work that functions on a symbolic level (ex: masque of the red death)

alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds (ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers)

allusion

a reference contained in a work (usually biblical or historical)

anapest

a metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable (UU/)

antagonist

the force or character that opposes the main character, the protagonist

annotation

to make personal notes on a text in order to get a better understanding of the material. can include questions, argument with the author about a point, clarification of an idea, theme, etc

apostrophe

direct address in poetry (ex: "Be with me beauty, for the fire is dying")

aside

words spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage

aubade

a love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved

ballad

a simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of a b c d

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter. Most of Shakespeare's plays are in this form.

cacophony

harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work

caesura

a break or pause within a line of poetry indicated by punctuation and used to emphasize meaning

catharsis

according to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences

character

one who carries out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of characters.

climax

the turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension

comic relief

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event

conflict

a clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. God; man vs. self

connotation

the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning

convention

a traditional aspect of a literary work, such as a soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy

couplet

two lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage

dactyl

a foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables (/UU)

denotation

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word

denouement

the conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot

deus ex machina

A Greek invention, literally "the god from the machine" who appears at the last moment and resolves the loose ends of a play. Today, the term refers to anyone, usually of some stature, who untangles, resolves, or reveals the key to the plot of a work.

diction

the author's choice of words

dramatic monologue

a type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener. (ex: Browning's "My Last Duchess")

elegy

a poem that laments the dead or a loss (ex: "Elegy for Jane" by Roethke, or "Elegy in a Country Church Yard" by Gray)

enjambment

A technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza. It enables the poem to move and to develop coherence as well as directing the reader with regard to form and meaning.

epic

a lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero

epigram

a brief witty poem

euphony

the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work

exposition

background information presented in a literary work

fable

a simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters. (Aesop and La Fontaine)

figurative language

the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one

flashback

a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes

foot

a metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee

foreshadowing

hints of future events in a literary work. if it's good foreshadowing, you usually don't know that it's foreshadowing at the time.

form

the shape or structure of a literary work

free verse

poetry without a defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration. In "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose," Burns speaks of loving "until all the seas run dry."

iamb

a metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language (U/)

idyll

a type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an idea place or time (describes ideal place or time)

image

a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion

imagery

the total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature

irony

An unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. (verbal, situational, dramatic)

lyric poetry

a type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity; a large and inclusive category of poetry that exhibits rhyme, meter, and reflective thought

magical realism

a type of literature that explores narratives by and about characters who inhabit and experience their reality differently from what we term the objective world

metaphor

a direct comparison between dissimilar things (ex: Your eyes are stars)

metaphysical poetry

Refers to the work of poets like John Donne who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox.

meter

a pattern of beats in poetry

metonymy

a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea. ("The pen is mightier than the sword.")

monologue

a speech given by one character

motif

the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters

narrative poem

a poem that tells a story

narrator

the speaker of a literary work

octave

an eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet

ode

a formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject

onomatopoeia

words that sound like the sound they represent (hiss, gurgle, bang)

oxymoron

an image of contradictory terms (bittersweet, pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp)

parable

a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson

paradox

a set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth. (ex: "Come, Lady, die to live.")

parallel plot

a secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot

parody

a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original

pathos

the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience

personification

the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts

plot

a sequence of events in a literary work

point of view

the method of narration in a work

protagonist

the hero or main character of a literary work, the character the audience sympathizes with

quatrain

a four-line stanza

resolution

the denouement of a literary work

rhetorical question

a question that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience.

rhyme

the duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines

rhyme scheme

the annotations of the pattern of the rhyme

rhythm

the repetitive patterns of beats in poetry

romanticism

a style or movement of literature that has as its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape

satire

a mode of writing based on ridicule, that criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution

scansion

analysis of a poem's rhyme and meter

sestet

a six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet

sestina

A highly structured poetic form of 39 lines, written in iambic pentameter. It depends upon the repetition of six words from the first stanza in each of six stanzas.

setting

the time and place of a literary work

simile

an indirect comparison that uses the word, "like" or "as" to link the differing items in the comparison

soliloquy

a speech in a play which is used to reveal the character's inner thoughts to the audience

sonnet

a 14-line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter. (Shakespearean/Elizabethan and Petrarchan/Italian)

spondee

a poetic foot consisting of two stressed syllables (//) (usually quotes and names)

stage directions

the specific instructions a play-wright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc.

stanza

a unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem

structure

the organization and form of a work

style

the unique way an author presents his ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to a particular style.

subplot

a secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main storyline (In Hamlet, the main storyline has Hamlet avenging the death of his father. The subplot has Hamlet dealing with his love for Ophelia.)

subtext

implied meaning of a work or section of a work

symbol

something in a literary work that stands for something else

synecdoche

a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. ("All hands on deck.")

syntax

the grammatical structure of prose and poetry

tercet

a three-line stanza

theme

the underlying ideas the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.

tone

the author's attitude towards his subject

tragic hero

According to Aristotle, a basically good person of noble birth or exalted position who has a fatal flaw or commits an error in judgement which leads to his downfall. The tragic hero must have a moment of realization and live and suffer.

trochee

a single metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable (/U)

understatement

the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended.