AP Lit Vocab

What is abstract writing?

It is complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points.

What is accent?

The stressed portion of a word.

What is aesthetic?

As an adjective meaning 'appealing to the senses.'

What is anachronism?

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

What is an analogy?

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

What is antecedent?

The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

What is anticlimax?

A disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events.

What is an antihero?

A protagonist who lacks the characteristics that would make him a hero (or her a heroine).

What is assonance?

The repetition of vowel sounds.

What is atmosphere in literary terms?

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene.

What is a ballad?

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

What is burlesque humor?

It is a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor.

What is a caricature?

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

What is a conceit in literature?

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

What is a dirge?

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

What is doggerel?

Badly written or trivial verse, often with a singsong rhythm.

What is an elegy?

A formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme.

What is enjambment?

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

What is an epic?

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

What is feminine rhyme?

When the latter two syllables of the first word rhyme with the latter two syllables of the second word (e.g., ceiling appealing).

What is interior monologue?

A narrative technique that records a character's internal flow of thoughts, memories, and ideas; a longish passage of uninterrupted thought.

What is inversion in literature?

The reversal of the normal order of words.

What is a metaphor?

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using like or as.

What is parallelism in writing?

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

What is pastoral writing?

The rural life, especially the life of shepherds.

What is persona in literature?

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

What is a simile?

A figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds, usually formed with 'like' or 'as'.

What are stock characters?

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

What is the subjunctive mood?

A grammatical situation involving the words 'if' and 'were,' setting up a hypothetical situation.

What is a tragic flaw?

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

What is travesty?

A grotesque or grossly inferior imitation.

What is a utopia?

An imaginary place considered to be perfect or ideal.