AP Literature Terminology

Aphorism

A concise and witty statement of truth or opinion, often philosophical, moral, or literary. Proverbs, maxims, adages, and clichés are forms of aphorism.

Irony

The contrast between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what appears to be and what actually is true.

Verbal Irony

Words state the opposite of the speaker's true meaning.

Situational Irony

Events turn out the opposite of what is expected.

Dramatic Irony

Facts are known to the audience but not to a character.

Juxtaposition

Placing two or more ideas, places, characters, or actions side by side to develop comparisons and contrasts.

Paradox

A seemingly self-contradictory statement that contains a latent truth; prompts innovative thinking.

Shift

A change in tone, attitude, perspective, etc.

Style

A writer's characteristic way of writing-diction, detail, imagery, syntax, arrangement, and point of view.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work and the insight it offers into life. Often unstated in fiction; may be explicit in nonfiction. State themes as complete sentences (e.g., 'Good and evil are in constant conflict.').

Genre

Major categories of literature (prose, poetry, drama) and their subdivisions (e.g., fiction/nonfiction; lyric/dramatic/epic; tragedy/comedy/farce, etc.).

Allegory

A narrative with two levels of meaning: a surface story and a symbolic level (political, religious, historical, or philosophical).

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age novel tracing an individual's growth within a social order; a quest for meaningful existence.

Parable

A short, simple tale that conveys a moral lesson.

Prose

Ordinary language of fiction and nonfiction (anything not poetry or drama).

Satire

Targets human vices or social institutions for reform or ridicule, using irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm.

Tragedy

Literature addressing a protagonist's sorrowful downfall. Classical tragedy features a high-status tragic hero whose flaw plus fate leads to ruin; modern tragedy may feature ordinary protagonists and systemic forces.

Characterization

How description, dialogue, and behavior reveal characters; creates expectations that shape interpretation. Choices (speech, action, inaction) reveal values.

indirect characterization

involves an author explicitly telling the audience about a character's traits (e.g., "She was brave").

direct characterization

involves an author showing these traits through a character's actions, speech, thoughts, appearance, or how others react to them

Motivation

Reasons behind a character's actions or inactions; can be inferred.

intrinsic motivation

linked to personal pleasure, enjoyment and interest. It is inspired by an internal reward such as knowledge, pride, spiritual, or emotional peace or well-being.

extrinsic motivation

Linked to external motivation such as a physical reward, money, power, etc.

Protagonist

Central character in a narrative.

Antagonist

Opposes the protagonist; may be another character, society, nature, or the protagonist's internal conflict.

Foil

A secondary character who contrasts with a major character to illuminate traits/values (e.g., Draco Malfoy as a foil to Harry Potter).

Minor Characters

Often unchanged; serve to advance plot or interact with major characters.

A Group or Force as Character

A collective entity (e.g., society, fate) can function as a character.

Dynamic Character

Undergoes internal or external change; development often influences the climax/resolution.

Static Character

Exhibits little or no internal change (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Voldemort); not necessarily uninteresting.

Round Character

Complex, multi-faceted, fully developed; evokes reader empathy

Flat Character

Simple, limited traits; little development; minimal emotional depth.

Archetypal Characters

Symbolic characters so common they become universal types (hero, villain, sage, scapegoat, etc.).

Epiphany

A sudden realization that alters a character's understanding and actions; often tied to central conflict.

Inner Dialogue

Stream of consciousness, dramatic monologue, aside, soliloquy.

Outer Dialogue

Direct conversation between characters.

Aside

A short comment delivered to the audience (or self) unheard by other characters; reveals thoughts.

Soliloquy

An extended speech by a character alone on stage expressing inner thoughts.

Setting

Time, place, and the social/cultural/historical context of events; helps establish mood/atmosphere.

Atmosphere / Mood

Emotional mood created by setting and descriptive choices; can foreshadow events.

Plot

Sequence of events connected by cause and effect and conflict.

Exposition

Focus on essential characters, relationships, and setting.

Rising Action

Complications/events build toward climax.

Climax

Turning point; highest interest/emotion.

Falling Action

Events following the climax leading toward resolution.

Resolution / Denouement

Conflicts resolved (or intentionally left unresolved). Characters' responses reveal values.

Conflict

Tension between competing values; multiple conflicts may intersect.

Flashback

Insertion of past events for context (e.g., memories, dream sequences).

Foreshadowing

Hints of what will come later; often early in a story or chapter.

Narrator / Speaker

The voice relating events ; establishes the reader - text relationship . Not necessarily the author ; multiple narrators may contradict .

Persona

A " second self " or mask through which an author speaks ( e.g. , Huck Finn as narrator ) .

Reliable Narrator

Values align with implied author ; broad knowledge.

Unreliable Narrator

Cannot be trusted to report accurately ( insane , delusional , biased deceptive etc.)

Point of View POV

Position from which events are related ; shapes access to information .

First Person POV

A character narrates with " I " ; perspective shaped by involvement

Third Person POV

Employs a narrator who tells a story without describing any character's thoughts, opinion, or feelings. Referred to as "camera view".

Third Person Omniscient POV

The narrator, with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of all the characters. All-knowing POV

Stream of Consciousness

Type of narration in which a character's thought are related through a continuous dialogue or description.

Tone

Writer's attitude toward subject / audience , inferred from diction and connotation ; tone shifts may qualify or refine perspective .

Figurative Language / Figure of Speech / Trope

Words with multiple meanings or connotations that add nuance or complexity that can contribute to interpretations of a text.

Allusion

References to other texts ( myths , sacred texts ) , artworks , people , places , or events to create shared associations .

Analogy

Explains the unfamiliar via the familiar ; can make writing vivid and engaging ( e.g. , stock market as a roller coaster ) .

Archetype

Universal images , patterns , plots , or character types that recur across literature , myth , religion , folklore .

Extended Metaphor

A sustained comparison developed across a passage or entire text . " I Have a Dream . "

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for effect ( comic or serious ) .

Imagery & Description

Descritpive words, such as adjectives and adverbs that qualify or modify the things they describe and affect a readers' interaction with the text. Contribut to senory imagery (touch, taste, sound, sight, smell)

Metaphor

Implied comparison of unlike things .

Motif / Controlling Image or Metaphor

A recurring image / object / pattern that emphasizes a significant idea across a work

Personification

Endowing concepts / animals / objects with human attributes to make them vivid ( e.g. , " buildings cast a watchful eye " ) .

Simile

Explicit comparison using like , as , or than ( e.g. , " Laws are like cobwebs ... " ) .

Symbol / Symbolism

Something concrete representing something abstract .

Understatement

Ironic minimization of fact ; the opposite of hyperbole ( e.g. , " One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day . " ) .

Wit

Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights ; concise and pointed .

Diction

Word choice ( formal / informal , ornate / plain , etc. ) ; precise diction clarifies purpose and perspective

Denotation

Dictionary / literal meaning .

Connotation

Associative / suggested meaning ; can be positive or negative ( e.g. , childish vs. youthful ) .

Colloquialism / Vernacular

Informal , regional language or idiomatic expressions ( e.g. , soda / pop / soft drink / Coke ; US / UK differences like truck / lorry ) .

Dialect

Regional or group - specific language affecting pronunciation vocabulary , and syntax ; adds local color ( e.g. , Twain's Huckleberry Finn ) .

Euphemism

Less offensive substitutes for unpleasant terms ( e.g. , earthly remains for corpse ) .

Idiom

A culture - specific expression with figurative meaning ( e.g. , " Every cloud has a silver lining " ) .

Oxymoron

Pairing of apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox ( e.g. , jumbo shrimp , cruel kindness , thunderous silence ) .

Pun

Wordplay based on sound / meaning .

Repetition

Purposeful reuse of sounds / words / phrases / clauses / sentences . ( If structurally parallel , label as parallelism . )

Syntax

The way words are joined into phrases , clauses , and sentences ; sentence structure .

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds ( e.g. , buzz , hiss , crack , murmur ) ; implied onomatopoeia via sound patterns .