AP Lit Terms Quiz #2

Cacophony

Harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work.

ex. often created by packed explosive consonants (non-vowels with a pop or release like ting or bang or klang, think of the sounds that throwing a pan on the floor would make) like \(P\), \(B\), \(T\), \(D\), \(K\), and \(G\)—to convey chaos, pain, or discomfort and evoke ugly, anxious, violent imagery.

ex. With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, / Agape they heard me call.” or Out of some subway scuttle, cell or loft / A bedlamite speeds to thy parapets”

Caesura

A break or pause within a line of poetry is indicated by punctuation and used to emphasize meaning.

ex. To be, or not to be—that is the question. or To err is human; || to forgive, divine. or I’m nobody! || Who are you?"

Catharsis

According to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences.

ex. Hamlet by William Shakespeare: The final sword fight in Act 5, where Hamlet achieves revenge but dies, provides a cathartic release of the pent-up tension surrounding the play's themes of corruption and revenge.

Character

One who carries out the action of the plot in literature, Major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of characters.

ex. Ophelia from Hamlet

Climax

The turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension.

ex. In "The Lottery," the climax occurs when Tessie discovers that she had "won" the lottery and was to be stoned to death.

Comic Relief

The inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.

ex. The Gravedigger in Hamlet (Act V, Scene i): Before the final, bloody scene, the gravedigger (or "clown") cracks jokes and sings while digging Ophelia’s grave. This dark humor highlights the theme of mortality and provides a break from the play's high-stakes philosophical angst. or The Porter Scene from Macbeth

Conflict

A clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature, nature; man vs. God; man vs. self.

ex. man vs. self: Victor Frankenstein experiences intense guilt and regret over creating his monster, battling his own conscience.

Connotation

The interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.

ex. Writers choose specific words—like "aroma" (positive) vs. "stench" (negative)—to shape reader perception and create nuance.

Convention

A traditional aspect of a literary work, such as a soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy.

ex. the hero’s journey framework used in epics such as the Odyssey.

Couplet

Two lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage. typically finishes an idea/forms a complete thought and

ex. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this and this gives life to thee. or What immortal hand or eye, / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?