AP Lit 1st Semester

Melodrama

A form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh

Masculine Rhyme

The final syllable of the first word rhymes with the final syllable of the second word

Rhetorical Question

A statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered

Archaism

The use of deliberately old

Euphony

Any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

Allegory

A literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Theme

The main idea of a story

Foreshadowing

The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Gothic Novel

A novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action

Nemesis

The protagonist’s arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty

Epic

A long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventure of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation

Pun

A play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings

Travesty

A grotesque or grossly inferior imitation

Ballad

Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subjects and usually in lyric form

Hyperbole

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

Foot

The basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry

Abstract

This is typically complex writing that discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples in support of its points

Simile

A figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds ( usually forms with like or as)

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self

Tragic Flaw

The character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

Utopia

An imaginary place considered to be perfect or ideal

Inversion

The reversal of the normal order of words

Parallelism

The use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical form

Stock Character

Standard or cliched character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clauses to which a pronoun refers

Persona

The speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

Dirge

A song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as memorial to a dead person

Burlesque

A theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor

Feminine Rhyme

When the latter two syllables of a first word rhymes with the latter two syllables of a second word

Anachronism

Something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred

Aesthetic

Used as an adjective meaning “appealing to the senses”

Conceit

A fanciful expression usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects

Atmosphere

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene

Anticlimax

A disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Enjambment

The continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause.

Doggerel

Badly written or trivial verse, often with a singsong rhythm

Pastoral

A literary work idealizing rural life (especially the life of shepherds)

Caricature

A drawing imitation, or description that ridiculously exaggerates peculiarities or defects