AP Review Flashcards

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

comic relief

A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood

alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

conceit

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

illusion

(n.) a false idea; something that one seems to see or to be aware that really does not exist

ambiguity

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

conflict

A struggle between opposing forces

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

anchorism

absence of one or both testes

context

The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.

analogy

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

couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

Anastrophe

Inversion of the natural or usual word order

denouement

an outcome; result

antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character

deus ex machina

In literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.

Anthropomorphism

the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.

aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

Dialogue

Conversation between characters

diction

the word choices made by a writer

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

digression

straying from main point

archetype

a very typical example of a certain person or thing

doppleganger

an apparition or double of a living person

aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

double entendre

a statement that has two meanings, one of which is dirty or vulgar

assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

elegy

a sad or mournful poem

asydeton

the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

epic

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

epigram

a witty saying expressing a single thought or observation

caesura

A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line.

epithet

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

catastrophe

a large-scale disaster, misfortune, or failure

end stop

when a line of poetry ends with a period or definite punctuation mark, such as a colon

Catharsis

a release of emotional tension

enjabment

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Cliché

a worn-out idea or overused expression

figurative language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

climax

Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

foil

A character who acts as a contrast to another character

Colloquialism

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

foot

a unit of meter in poetry

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

prose

written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

frame story

a story within a story

protagonist

main character

free verse

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

pun

A play on words

genre

a major category or type of literature

rhetorical

relating to speech that is used to persuade or have some effect; insincere in expression

hyperbole

exaggeration

Rythym

A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.

iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

setting

The time and place of a story

in media res

in the middle of things

Sibilance

a hissing sound

irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

Soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

kenning

A device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities, as in "ring-giver" for king and "whale-road" for ocean.

Sonnet

a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.

literal

Exactly true, rather than figurative or metaphorical

stream of consciousness

a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind.

lyric

A type of poetry that explores the poet's personal interpretation of and feelings about the world.

style

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

simbolism

icons and symbols

meter

measure

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

syntax

Sentence structure

mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

theme

Central idea of a work of literature

motif

A recurring theme, subject or idea

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

trope

a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

verse

A single line of poetry

parallel structure

the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures

voice

A writers distinctive use of language

parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Polysyndeton

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural