Andracki AP Lit Terms April Review 1-27

allegory

a narrative fiction (either prose or poetry) in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events. The objective of its use is to preach or explain some kind of a moral lesson, idea or principle.

alliteration

the repetition of a speech sound (usually consonants) in a sequence of words

allusion

a reference, without explicit identification, to a person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage.

analogy

a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it; it aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar (one of this is more extensive and elaborate than either a simile or a metaphor).

anapest

a type of meter in which two unstressed syllables are followed by a stressed syllable (u u /)

assonance

the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds - especially in stressed syllables - in a sequence of nearby words

apostrophe

a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker addresses a non-existent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were a character, present and capable of understanding feelings; it sometimes starts with "O..." (e.g., from Frankenstein, "Oh! Stars and clouds and winds, ye are all about to mock me!")

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter (i.e., unrhymed lines of ten syllables each with the even-numbered syllables bearing the accents); it is considered the most "natural" verse form for dramatic works, since it supposedly is the verse form most close to natural rhythms of English speech

caesura

a strong pause separating phrases WITHIN a line of poetry, an important part of poetic rhythm; it is sometimes indicated with a // symbol

conceit

a figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors; it is often surprising because the comparison made is much less conventional than that of a simile or metaphor

connotation

refers to a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly; the cultural and emotional associations or meanings attached to words, beyond the words' literal meanings or denotations

consonance

repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase (because it refers to consonant sounds ONLY, it is different from alliteration!)

couplet

a pair of rhymed lines (iambic pentameter lines rhyming in pairs are called "heroic" ones of these)

dactyl

a metrical foot, or a beat in a line, containing three syllables in which first one is accented followed by second and third unaccented syllables (accented/unaccented/unaccented)

denotation

literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings

diction

the kinds of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language that constitute any work of literature

elegy

a formal and sustained lament in verse for the death of a particular person, sometimes just a somber meditation dealing generally with the mortality of human beings and the transience of the things they value; usually starts with the invocation of the Muse,then the poet then raises questions about destiny/fate/ justice, then compares self to deceased, then ends in a consolation

English or Shakespearean sonnet

a lyric poem consisting of a single stanza of fourteen iambic pentameter lines linked by an intricate rhyme scheme (abab cdcd efef gg; variation \= Spenserian sonnet: abab bcbc cdcd ee); each poem contains 3 quatrains and a concluding couplet; each poem has a "volta" (specific turn); in the poem the poet explores a single feeling, thought or strong emotion

free verse

poetry that has no fixed or consistent rhythm or meter (most also has irregular line lengths and does not rhyme)

hyperbole

a figure of speech that involves a bold, unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation; it may be used for either serious or ironic effect

iamb

a metrical foot, or a beat in a line, containing two syllables in which first one is unaccented followed by a second accented syllable (unaccented/accented)

irony - situational

occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead; when something entirely different happens from what audience may be expecting or the final outcome is opposite to what the audience is expecting

irony - dramatic

a useful plot device in plays, movies & poetry for creating situations where the audience knows more about the situations, the causes of conflicts and their resolutions before leading characters or actors. Hence, the words and actions of characters would suggest a different meaning to the audience from what they indicate to the characters and the story; thus, it creates intense suspense and humor.

irony - verbal

a statement in which the meaning that a speaker implies differs sharply from the meaning that is ostensibly expressed (that is, when a speaker says one thing but means the opposite)

hubris

extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall

didactic

describes art and literature that is intended to give instruction, not just entertain but preach a particular moral, religious or philosophical doctrine; often used in a derogatory way to imply that a work is "preachy"

enjambment

the overflow of one line of poetry into subsequent lines