literacy devices ap lang

allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells").

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

ambiguity

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

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

antecedent

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

antithesis

The opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.

aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction.

atmosphere

The emotional nod 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.

caricature

A verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person's distinctive physical features or other characteristics.

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, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone.

conceit

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

connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. Connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color. (Example: the denotation of a knife would be a utensil used to cut; the connotation of a knife might be fear, violence, anger, foreboding, etc.)

diction

Related to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

didactic

From the Greek, didactic literally means "teaching." Didactic words have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.

euphemism

From the Greek for "good speech," euphemisms are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things.

generic conventions

This term describes traditions for each genre. These conventions help to define each genre.

genre

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.

homily

This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

Hyperbole

The literal Greek meaning is "overshoot." Hyperboles often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, hyperbole produces irony.

Understatement

The opposite of hyperbole.

Imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms related to the five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory.

Complex Imagery

An author may use complex imagery while simultaneously employing other figures of speech, especially metaphor and simile.

Inference/Infer

To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. When a multiple choice question asks for an inference to be drawn from a passage, the most direct, most reasonable inference is the safest answer choice.

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

Irony/Ironic

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true.

Verbal Irony

When the words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) meaning.

Situational Irony

When events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen.

Dramatic Irony

When facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work.

Litotes

A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. Litote is the opposite of hyperbole.

Loose Sentence/Non-Periodic Sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.

Periodic Sentence

The opposite of a loose sentence.

Metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.

Metonymy

A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," metonymy is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

metonymy

A figure of speech where a term is substituted with another that is closely associated, such as 'the White House declared' instead of 'the President declared'.

mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work, influenced by setting, tone, and events.

narrative

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words, such as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur.

oxymoron

A figure of speech wherein contradictory terms are grouped to suggest a paradox, such as 'jumbo shrimp' and 'cruel kindness.'

paradox

A statement that appears self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but contains some degree of truth upon closer inspection.

parallelism

The grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity, often involving repetition.

anaphora

A sub-type of parallelism involving the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences.

parody

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

pedantic

An adjective describing language that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish, often using big words unnecessarily.

periodic sentence

A sentence that presents its central meaning at the end, preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone, adding emphasis and structural variety.

personification

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.

point of view

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told.

first person

Narrator tells the story with the first person pronoun, 'I,' and is a character in the story.

third person

Narrator relates the events with the third person pronouns, 'he,' 'she,' and 'it.'

third person omniscient

Narrator presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters with godlike knowledge.

third person limited omniscient

Narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all the remaining characters.

prose

One of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms.

repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

rhetoric

Describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

rhetorical modes

Describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing.

exposition

The purpose is to explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

argumentation

The purpose is to prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument.

persuasive writing

A type of argumentation having an additional aim of urging some form of action.

description

The purpose is to recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action so that the reader can picture that being described.

narration

The purpose is to tell a story or narrate an event or series of events.

sarcasm

Involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.

satire

A literary device recognized by the use of irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm, often humorous and thought-provoking about the human condition.

semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.

style

The sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices, which can be evaluated and classified.

subject complement

The word or clause that follows a linking verb and complements the subject of the sentence by either renaming it (predicate nominative) or describing it (predicate adjective).

predicate nominative

A noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that renames the subject and follows a linking verb, located in the predicate of the sentence.

predicate adjective

An adjective, a group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb and modifies or describes the subject.

subordinate clause

A clause that contains both a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone; it depends on a main clause to complete its meaning.

syllogism

A deductive system of formal logic presenting two premises (major and minor) that lead to a sound conclusion, with validity dependent on the premises.

symbol/symbolism

Anything that represents itself and stands for something else, often something concrete that represents something more abstract.

symbol

A concrete object, action, character, or scene that represents something more abstract.

natural symbols

Objects and occurrences from nature that symbolize ideas commonly associated with them (e.g., dawn symbolizing hope, a rose symbolizing love).

conventional symbols

Symbols that have been invested with meaning by a group (e.g., religious symbols like a cross, national symbols like a flag).

literary symbols

Symbols found in a variety of works that are more generally recognized, but may be complicated in specific works.

synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or the whole is used to represent a part.

metonymy

A figure of speech in which one thing is represented by another that is commonly physically associated with it.

synesthesia

When one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another, often used in literature to associate different senses.

syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

theme

The central idea or message of a work, offering insight into life, usually unstated in fiction but may be directly stated in nonfiction.

thesis

In expository writing, the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position.

tone

The author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both, often easier to determine in spoken language.

transition

A word or phrase that links different ideas, signaling a shift from one idea to another.

understatement

The ironic minimalizing of fact, presenting something as less significant than it is, often humorous and emphatic.

wit

Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights, suggesting the speaker's verbal power.