AP LIT TERMS

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active voice

pertains to any sentence with an active verb

allegory

an extended narrative in which the characters and actions (sometimes setting) are contrived to make sense on the literal level and at the same time to signify a second, correlated order of characters, concepts, and events. in other words, it carries a deeper meaning as well as its surface story

alliteration

the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of several words in a sentence or line of poetry

allusion

a reference to another person, historical event, work, etc.

* greek & roman mythology
* judeo-christian literature
* shakespeare

ambiguity

multiple meanings a literary work may communicate, especially two meanings that are incompatible

anachronism

a person, scene, event, or other element in literature that fails to correspond with the time/era in which the work is set

analogy

a term that signifies a comparison of or similarity between 2 objects or ideas

anaphora

the deliberate repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of several successive poetic lines, prose sentences, clauses, or paragraphs

* used to emphasize an idea

anastrophe

inverted syntax

antagonist

a character/force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist, produces tension

antithesis

a rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences

aphorism

a brief statement of an opinion or elemental truth

apostrophe

a direct address to someone who is not present, to a deity or muse, or to some other power

archetype

an abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model or form

assonance

the repetition of a vowel sound within a group of words or lines

asyndeton

the omission/absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence

ballad

a short poem in song format (sometimes with refrains) that tells a story

bard

a poet; in olden times, a performer who told heroic stories to musical accompaniment

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

cacophony

harsh, discordant, or unpleasing sounds

caesura

a pause in a line of poetry in order to make the meaning clear or to follow the natural rhythm of speech

canon

the works considered most important in a national literature or period; works widely read and studied

carpe diem

“seize the day”

catharsis

a purging of emotion, experienced by audiences especially through the pity they feel when witnessing the tragic hero’s fall from grace.

chorus

a group of characters in a play who comment on, but do not participate in the action

climax

the high point or turning point of a story/play

conceit

an extended metaphor comparing 2 unlike subjects w/ dramatic effect

connotation

the associations/moods attached to a word

* words = generally positive, negative, or neutral
* usually contributes to author’s tone

consonance

the repetition of a sequence of 2 or more consonants but with a change in the intervening vowel

couplet

a pair of rhymed lines

denotation

the dictionary definition of a word

denouement

the resolution that occurs at the end of a play or work of fiction

dialect

a regional speech pattern often used to make a passage feel personal and authentic

diction

the specific words that an author uses in their writing; word choice

elegy

a formal meditative poem or lament for the dead

ellipses

3 periods that indicate words have been left out of a quotation; also used to create suspense

empathy

a feeling of association or identification w/ an object or person

end-stopped

a line with a pause at the end

enjambment

in poetry, a use of successive lines w/ no punctuation or pause between them

epic poem

an extended narrative poem that tells the adventures of a hero who is generally on a quest

epigraph

a short quotation/verse that precedes a poem (any text) that sets a tone, provides a setting, or gives any other context for a poem

epiphany

a moment of insight, spiritual or personal, a character’s sudden revelation about life/circumstances

epistrophe

the ending of a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences w/ the same word or words used to emphasize the word or group of words for emotional impact

epithet

an adjective or phrase that expresses a striking quality of a person or thing

eponymous

a term for the title character of a work of literature

euphemism

to use an inoffensive/socially acceptable word for something that could be inappropriate/offensive to some

euphony

pleasing, melodious, or pleasant sound

exposition

the background and events that lead to the presentation of the main idea or purpose of a work of literature

flashback

a return to an earlier time in a story or play in order to clarify present actions/circumstances

foil

a minor character whose situation or action parallel those of a major character and thus, by contrast, set off or illuminate the major character

foot

the combination of stressed and unstressed syllables that make up the metric unit of a line

foreshadowing

providing hints of things to come in a story/play

free verse

poetry that doesn’t follow a prescribed form but is characterized by irregularity in the length of the lines and a lack of a regular metrical pattern and rhyme

grotesque

characterized by distortions or incongruities

hamartia

a tragic flaw or an unwitting error of judgment

hubris

excessive pride

hyperbole

overstatement or gross exaggeration of an event/feeling

imagery

language that appeals to 1 or another of the 5 senses and relies on vivid adjectives, similes, and metaphors

in media res

a latin term for a narrative that does not start at the beginning but at some other point

irony

the use of words to express something other than, and often the opposite of, the literal meaning

* verbal irony
* situational irony
* dramatic irony

jargon

a pattern of speech/vocabulary associated w/ a particular group of people

juxtaposition

the placement of one idea next to its opposite to make it more dramatic

litotes

a form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity

lyric

any poem in which a speaker expresses intensely personal emotion/thoughts

* meant to be sung

metaphor

a figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between 2 things that are essentially dissimilar

meter

the pattern of stressed and unstressed symbols or the unit of stress patterns

metonymy

a figure of speech in which the name of one thing is substituted for another in which it is closely associated

mood

the dominant tone in a piece or passage; typically the emotional quality of the scene or setting

motif

a recurring element, image, or idea in a work of literature whose repetition emphasizes some aspect of the work

ode

a lyrical poem that is serious in subject and treatment; elevated in style and elaborate in its stanzaic structure

onomatopoeia

a figure of speech in which a word, when spoken, imitates the sound associated with the word

oxymoron

parable

a story designed to suggest a principle, illustrate a moral, or answer a question; allegorical stories

paradox

a figure of speech that seeks to create mental ambiguity which then forces the reader to pause and seek clarity; a seemingly contradictory statement which is actually true

parody

a composition that imitates the style of another composition normally for comedic effect

passive voice

used when something happens to someone

pastoral

a reference to/a description of a simple country life

* older versions usually include shepherds that live in an idyllic setting
* carefree; returning to time of innocence

personification

giving human characteristics to nonhuman things

plot

pattern of events including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

point of view

the perspective in which the writer chooses to tell their story

* first, second, or third person
* limited, omniscient, objective

protagonist

the main character in a work of literature

pun

a humorous play on words using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings

refrain

a line, part of a line, or group of lines repeated in the course of a poem, sometimes with slight changes

reliability

a quality of some fictional narrators whose word the reader can trust

repetition

the repeating of a word or phrase for emphasis

rhetorical question

a question asked for effect; not in expectation of an answer

rhyme

the echo or imitation of a sound

* internal
* slant/half
* perfect

rhythm

the sense of movement attributable to the pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables

satire

a form of writing in which a subject is made fun of/scorned alliciting amusement, contempt, or indignation; purpose is to provoke change/reform

setting

the total environment for the action in a novel/play

* time, place, social circumstances

shift

a change in setting, tone, or speaker

simile

a figure of speech in which an explicit comparison is made using like, as, or than with things that are seemingly unsimilar

soliloquy

a speech in which a character in a play, alone on stage, expresses their thoughts

sonnet

a fixed form of 14 lines normally in iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme conforming to or approximating to 1 or 2 main types (shakespearean, italian)

speaker

the narrative voice of a poem

stanza

a group of lines that forms one division of a poem

style

the voice of a writer determined by different literary methods

syllogism

a form of reasoning in which 2 statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them

* major premise, minor premise, conclusion

symbol

an object that signifies something greater than itself

syndeton

the addition of multiple conjunctions between the parts of a sentence