AP Lang vocab quiz #1

AP LANG VOCAB

allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.

alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring
words (as in "she sells sea shells"). ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers.

ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

anadiplosis

The repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. "Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering." Yoda

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. It can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.

anaphora

One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences. "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times."

anecdote

A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person. A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most
frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person.

antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) can be a memorable summation of the author's point.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, "Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee."

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described.

clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing.

coherence

A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible.

conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made.

connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.