AP Lang List C (Full Year 2023)

didactic, denotation, paradox, tone, wit, trope, alliteration, allusion, parody, anaphora

didactic

intended to teach but often in a patronizing way

EXAMPLE for DIDACTIC

Trying to help Jade during tutoring, Mark stated, "It's really not that hard; you just need to multiply." Mark may have been trying to help, but the way in which he stated that the work was simple could have been seen as an insult because Jade was struggling with the material.

paradox

a statement that seems to contradict itself but that is ultimately true

EXAMPLE for PARADOX

I was a coward; I went to the war. / Nobody goes to that restaurant; it's too crowded.

denotation

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests; dictionary definition

EXAMPLE of DENOTATION

Although the word "home" may suggest safety and comfort, it's really simply "one's residence." The ___ of house and home are the same even if they evoke different emotions.

tone

attitude of a writer/speaker in a work

EXAMPLE of TONE

playful, serious, businesslike, sarcastic, humorous, formal, ornate, sardonic, and somber / In Into the Wild, Krakauer strikes a serious _ when discussing McCandless's final days.

alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

EXAMPLE of ALLITERATION

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

allusion

reference to outside work of literature, art, history, pop culture, etc.; an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

EXAMPLE of ALLUSION

"I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio's." / Chocolate is his Kryptonite.

parody

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

EXAMPLE OF PARODY

Spaceballs and the space epic genre (e.g. Star Wars); Horror Films (e.g. Scary Movie is a parody)

anaphora

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

EXAMPLE of ANAPHORA

My life is my purpose. My life is my goal. My life is my inspiration.

wit

biting/insightful humor that includes sharp comebacks, clever banter, and dry one-liners

EXAMPLE of WIT

Class Example: McCormick asks a student if he is out of witty comebacks, and he replies, "You're weird." / The actress was asked what can be assumed a rude question to which she replies cleverly using her __.

trope

figure of speech, theme, image, character, or plot element used many times throughout works of art, literature, etc. (e.g. archetypes)

EXAMPLE of TROPE

One of the most common _in television is the "get rich quick scheme." Some character, perhaps a neighbor or friend, is constantly coming up with new ideas to make a ton of money in a short time, and the episode gets its source of comedy or tension from the ways that plan goes horribly awry. Fred Flintstone, for example, is constantly coming up with ways that he and Barney Rubble can get rich quick - racing cars, inventing soft drinks, etc. The _appears in so many episodes that one of Fred's catchphrases was "Barney, we're gonna be rich!" / The idea of a superhero is also a __.