AP Lit Terms Flashcards

Lyric

subjective, reflective poetry with regular rhyme scheme and meter which reveals the poet's thoughts and feelings to create a single, unique impression

Narrative

Nondramatic, objective verse with regular rhyme scheme and meter which relates a story or narrative

Sonnet

a rigid 14-line verse form, with variable structure and rhyme scheme according to type (Shakespearean or Petrarchan)

Ode

elaborate lyric verse which deals seriously with a dignified theme

Blank Verse

unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter

Free Verse

unrhymed lines without regular rhythm

Epic

a long, dignified narrative poem which gives the account of a hero important to his nation or race

Dramatic Monologue

a lyric poem in which the speaker tells an audience about a dramatic moment in his/her life and, in doing so, reveals his/her character

Elegy

a poem of lament, meditating on the death of an individual

Ballad

A fairly short narrative poem written in a songlike stanza form

Idyll

lyric poetry describing the life of the shepherd in pastoral, bucolic, idealistic terms

Villanelle

a French verse form, strictly calculated to appear simple and spontaneous; five tercets and final quatrain, rhyming aba aba aba aba aba abaa

Light Verse

a general category of poetry written to entertain, such as lyric poetry, epigrams, and limericks; it can also have a serious side, as in parody or satire

Haiku

Japanese verse in three lines of five, seven, and five syllables, often depicting a delicate image

Limerick

humorous nonsense-verse in five anapestic lines rhyming aabba, a-lines being trimeter and b-lines dimeter

Meter

poetry's rhythm or its pattern of stressed or unstressed syllables; measured in units of feet

Rime

old spelling of rhyme, which is the repetition of like sounds at regular intervals, employed in versification, the writing of verse

End Rhyme

rhyme occurring at the ends of verse lines; most common rhyme form

Internal Rhyme

rhyme contained within a line verse

Rhyme Scheme

pattern of rhymes with the unit of verse; in analysis, each end-rhyme sound is represented by a letter

Masculine Rhyme

rhyme in which only the last, accented syllable of the rhyming words correspond exactly in sound; most common kind of end rhyme

Feminine Rhyme

rhyme in which two consecutive syllables of the rhyming words correspond, the first syllable carrying the accent; double rhyme

Half Rhyme

imperfect, approximate rhyme

Assonance

repetition of two or more vowel sounds within a line

Consonance

repetition of two or more consonant sounds within a line

Alliteration

the repetition of one or more initial sounds, usually consonants, in words within a line

Onomatopoeia

the use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning

Euphony

The use of compatible harmonious sounds to produce a pleasing melodious effect

Cacophony

The use of inharmonious sounds in close conjunction for affect; opposite of euphony

Metaphor

A figure of speech which makes a direct comparison of two unlike objects by identification or substitution

Simile

A direct comparison of two unlike objects, using like or as

Conceit

An extended metaphor comparing two unlike objects with powerful effect

Personification

A figure of speech in which objects in animals have human qualities

Apostrophe

An address to a person or personified object not present

Metonymy

The substitution of a word which relates to the object or person to be named, in place of the name itself

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole object or idea

Hyperbole

Gross exaggeration for effect: overstatement

Litotes

A form of understatement in which the negative of an antonym is used to achieve emphasis and intensity

Irony

The contrast between actual actual meaning and the suggestion of another meaning

Symbolism

The use of one object to suggest another, hidden object or idea

Imagery

The use of words to represent things, actions, or ideas by sensory description

Paradox

A statement which appears self-contradictory, but underlines a basis of truth

Oxymoron

Contradictory terms brought together to express a paradox for strong affect

Allusion

A reference to an outside fact, event, or other source

Tone

The author's attitude toward his or her audience and subject

Theme

The author's major idea or meaning

Dramatic Situation

The circumstances of the speaker

Paraphrase

Restate a piece of literature

Denotation

Dictionary meaning of the word

Connotation

Implied meaning of the word

Figurative Language

Language that cannot be taken literally

Allegory

Narrative or description that has a second meaning beneath the surface

Satire

Ridicule of human folly or vice, with the purpose of bringing about reform or at least of keeping other people from falling into similar folly or vice

Sarcasm

Simply bitter or cutting speech, intended to wound feelings

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what one means

Dramatic Irony

Discrepancy between what the speaker says and what the poem means

Volta

Shift in thought or argument

Shakespearean Sonnet

English sonnet which consists of three quatrains and a concluding couplet; rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Petrarchan Sonnet

Italian sonnet divided usually into an octave using ABBAABBA, and a sestet using CDCDCD or CDECDE

Anaphora

Repetition of the opening word or phrase in a series of lines

Rhythm

Wavelike recurrence of motion or sound; in speech, it is the natural rise and fall of language

End-stopped line

A line in which the end of the line corresponds with the natural speech pause

Run-on line

A line in which the sense of the line moves on without pause into the next line

Foot

One basic unit of meter; consists normally of one accented syllable plus one or two unaccented syllables

Stanza

A group of lines whose metrical pattern is repeated throughout the poem

Synesthesia

Stimulation of two or more senses simultaneously; where one sense perception is described in terms of another

Terza rima

Interlocking scheme with the pattern ABA BCB CDC etc., a formal arrangement that implies continual progression

Aubade

A poem about dawn, a morning love song, or a poem about the parting of lovers at dawn

Caesura

A speech pause occurring within a line

Fixed poem

Any form of poem in which the length and pattern are prescribed by previous usage or tradition (sonnet, villanelle, etc.)

Folk ballad

A narrative poem designed to be sung, composed by an anonymous author, and transmitted orally for years or generations before being written down. It has usually undergone modification through the process of oral transmission.

Situational irony

A situation in which there is an incongruity between actual circumstances and those that would seem appropriate, or

Native American Period

Teach moral lessons and convey practical information about the natural world; oral tradition

Puritanism

Sough to "purify" the Church of England; wrote diaries and histories which expressed connections between God and their everyday lives

Rationalism/Revolutionary Era

Wrote speeches and pamphlets; believed that humans can arrive at truth by using deductive reasoning, rather than relying on authority of past, religious truth, or intuition

Romanticism

Valued feeling, intuition, idealism, and inductive reasoning; placed faith in inner experience and power of the imagination; shunned superficiality of civilization; not dictated by tradition

Gothic Era

Use of dark and supernatural themes and settings

Transcendentalism

Intellectual movement; inner spiritual life through nature; self-reliance and individualism must outweigh external authority

Realism

Protest against romanticism; accurate portrayal of life; feelings of disillusionment and gloom

Naturalism

Man is the victim of destiny; we have no control over the environment

Local Color

Speech, mannerisms, appearance, customs of a particular location

Modernism

Loss of faith in the American Dream; emphasis on the bold experimentation in style and form instead of taking the traditional approach; power of expression; interest in the inner workings of the mind

Harlem Renaissance

Black cultural movement in Harlem, NY; rhythms based on spirituals and jazz; diction from street of the ghettos

Postmodernism

Influenced by the studies of media, language, and informational technology; no uniqueness left

Catharsis

Emotional release felt by the audience at the end of a tragic drama.

Shift

A point in a poem that indicates a change in the speaker's perspective.

Tragedy

A serious dramatic work in which the protagonist experiences a series of unfortunate reversals due to a tragic flaw.

Hubris

Most common tragic flaw; pride

Tragic Hero

A character who possesses a flaw or commits an error in judgement that leads to his or her downfall and a reversal of fortune.

Stream of Consciousness

A technique in which prose follows the logic and flow of a character's thought processes

Soliloquy

In a play, a monologue in which a character, alone on the stage, reveals his or her thoughts or emotions.

Parody

A comic or satiric imitation of a particular literary work or style.

Parable

A tale told explicitly to illustrate a moral lesson or conclusion.

Motif

A recurring pattern of images, words, or symbols that reveals a theme in a work of literature.

Monologue

In a play, a speech given by one person.

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side for the sake of comparison or contrast.

Foil

A contrasting character who allows the protagonist to stand out more distinctly.

Eulogy

A poem, a speech, or another work written in great praise of something or someone, usually a person who is no longer living.

Epiphany

A character's transformative moment of realization.

Epigraph

A quotation preceding a work of literature that helps set the text's mood or suggests its themes.