AP lit Vocab CBS

Metaphysical Conceit

Extended comparison that is unusual, surprising, and strange; a poetic term similar to simile and metaphor.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

Trope

A common pattern across stories within a genre; a recurring theme or motif.

Deus Ex Machina

"God from the machine"; a sudden, unexpected plot device that resolves a situation outside the setting.

Metonymy

refer to a thing by something that is related to it

Synecdoche

A type of metonymy where a part represents the whole.

Understatement

The opposite of exaggeration; downplaying something through word choice.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration that overstates something.

Dialect

A variation of a spoken language unique to a particular geographic area.

Vernacular

The local language, vocabulary, or dialect specific to a particular region.

Colloquialism

A word, phrase, or spoken expression that is not formal or literary; used in familiar conversation and sometimes unique to a region.

Juxtaposition

The placement of two things next to each other for comparison or contrast.