AP Literature Vocabulary Test

Arbitrary

based on individual discretion or random choice rather than any reason or system

brooding

showing deep unhappiness of thought; appearing deep in thought, often giving a sense of gloom

brusque

blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness

capricious

given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior; unpredictable

denigrating

criticizing or defaming someone or something; disparaging

ephemeral

lasting for a very short time; transient; fleeting

laudatory

expressing praise and commendation; complimentary

obstreperous

noisy and difficult to control; unruly

omniscient

having complete or unlimited knowledge; knowing everything

pensive

engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought

senile

exhibiting the mental and physical decline associated with old age

zealous

showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective

ballad

a narrative poem or song that tells a story, often of folk origin and typically characterized by simple language and a repeated refrain

blank verse

unrhymed verse written in iambic pentameter, a meter commonly used in English poetry, without a rhyme scheme

caesura

a pause or break in a line of poetry, often indicated by punctuation, that affects the rhythm and flow of the verse

couplet

two consecutive lines of verse that rhyme and often have the same meter, forming a complete thought or unit

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence or clause without a pause at the end of a line in a poem

free verse

poetry that does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for greater flexibility and natural expression

lyric

a type of poem expressing personal emotions and feelings, often in a musical and rhythmic way

metered verse

poetry with a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating a rhythmic structure

octave

a unit of poetry that contains eight lines

ode

a lyrical poem that addresses and often celebrates a person, place, thing, or idea

quatrain

a unit of poetry that contains four lines

sestet

a unit of poetry that contains six lines

sestina

a highly structured poetic form consisting of six stanzas, each with six lines, and a final three-line envoi. the end words of the lines follow a specific pattern

sonnet

a 14 line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter

petrarchan sonnet

a sonnet consisting of an octave, followed by a sestet with various rhyme schemes

Shakespearean sonnet

a sonnet consisting of three quatrains followed by a rhymed couplet

tercet

a unit of poetry that contains three lines

villanelle

a 19 line poem with a specific structure, consisting of five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain. It has a strict pattern of repeated lines and rhyme scheme

chiasmus

the order of terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second half

diatribe

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

metonymy

a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another with which it is closely associated or related

parable

a short, simple story that conveys a moral or spiritual lesson

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole