AP Literature & Composition — Prose & Poetry Terms (Pages 1-12 Notes)

Flashcards covering key prose and poetry terms from Pages 1–12, formatted as Q&A pairs for study.

What is Allegory?

A narrative or description having a second or symbolic meaning beneath the surface; it is used to express large, complex ideas in an approachable manner.

What is Allusion?

A reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history. They are used to develop characters, frame storylines, and help create associations to well-known works.

What is an Anecdote?

A short account of an interesting or humorous incident.

What does Artistic Unity mean?

That condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose.

What is Genre?

A type or class, as poetry, drama, etc.

What is Imagery?

The representation through language of sensory experience (visual, auditory, gustatory, tactile, olfactory, organic, kinesthetic).

What is Mood?

The pervading impression of a work; the atmosphere and the overall feeling it conveys to the reader.

What is Moral in literature?

A rule of conduct or maxim for living expressed or implied as the 'point' of a literary work. Compare Theme.

What is Prose?

Non-metrical language; the opposite of verse.

What is Theme?

The main idea, or message, of a literary work formulated as a complete sentence; themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly.

What is Tone?

The writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject, the audience, or himself/herself; the emotional coloring of a work, conveyed through word choice, punctuation, and sentence structure.

What is Topic in literature?

The subject matter or area of a literary work. Not to be confused with theme.

What is Setting?

The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.

What is Symbol?

Something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that suggests other meanings; may be read literally and figuratively.

What is Verse?

Metrical language; the opposite of prose.

What is Voice?

The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or a character in a book.

What is an Antagonist?

A character in a story or poem who opposes the main character (protagonist); can be an animal, idea, or thing.

What is a Character in literature?

1) Any of the persons involved in a story or play; 2) The distinguishing moral qualities and personal traits of a character.

What is Characterization?

The process of conveying information about characters.

Who is the Deuteragonist?

The second most important character, after the protagonist, often a foil or eventual antagonist.

What is Direct Presentation of Character?

A method of characterization in which the author, by exposition or analysis, tells us directly what a character is like, or has someone else in the story do so.

What is Indirect Presentation of Character?

A method of characterization in which the author shows us a character in action, compelling us to infer what the character is like from what is said or done by the character.

What is a Dynamic Character?

A character who during the course of a story undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of character or outlook.

What is a Round Character?

A character whose character is complex and many sided.

What is a Static Character?

A character who remains the same sort of person at the end of a story as at the beginning.

What is a Flat Character?

A character whose character is summed up in one or two traits.

What is a Foil?

A character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight that other character's traits.

Who is a Hero in literature?

A man endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for bold exploits, and often favored by the gods.

What is Hubris?

Overbearing and excessive pride.

What is Protagonist?

The main character of a novel, play, or film.

What is a Round Character?

A character whose traits are complex and multifaceted.

What is a Static Character?

A character who remains the same throughout the story.

What is a Stock Character?

A stereotyped or conventional character.

What is a Tragic Flaw?

A flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that leads to the protagonist's downfall or sorrow.

What is a Dialogue Aside?

A brief speech where a character speaks directly to the audience, revealing thoughts or feelings not spoken to other characters.

What does Colloquial mean?

Informal, conversational language.

What is Dialogue?

(1) Conversation between characters in drama or narrative. (2) A literary work written as a conversation.

What is Dialect?

A regional variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.

What is Diction?

Word choice.

What is an Epithet?

A descriptive nickname or title that highlights a characteristic (also called a by-name or descriptive title).

What is Euphemism?

Substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh or offensive one.

What is a Figure of Speech?

Broadly, any way of saying something other than the ordinary way; narrowly, a device that conveys one thing while meaning another.

What is Hyperbole?

A figure of speech using exaggeration for emphasis or truth.

What is Invective?

Denunciatory or abusive language.

What is Monologue?

(1) A dramatic soliloquy. (2) A literary composition presented as a single speaker's discourse.

What is Proverb?

A short, pithy saying that expresses a basic truth or practical precept.

What is a Pun?

A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word or similar sounds of different words.

What is Sarcasm?

Bitter or cutting speech intended to wound the person addressed.

What is Soliloquy?

A device in drama where a character reveals thoughts and feelings to the audience while alone on stage.

What is Slang?

Casual or playful language, often coinages used in place of standard terms.

What is an Understatement?

Saying less than one means or presenting something with less force than warranted.

What is Irony in general?

A discrepancy or incongruity between appearance or expectation and reality; includes dramatic, situational, and verbal irony.

What is Dramatic Irony?

An incongruity between what a character says/thinks and what the reader knows to be true.

What is Situational Irony?

A situation where appearance and reality, or expectation and outcome, diverge.

What is Verbal Irony?

Saying the opposite of what is meant.

What is Narrative Mode?

A mode of storytelling; includes forms such as epistolary writing and various points of view.

What is Epistolary Novel?

A novel written as a series of documents (letters, diaries, etc.).

What is First Person Point of View?

The story is told by one of its characters, using the first person.

What is a Flashback?

A literary device that inserts an earlier event into the narrative.

What is a Flashforward?

A literary device that inserts a future event into the narrative.

What is In medias res?

A Latin phrase meaning the narrative begins in the middle of things, with setting/conflict revealed through flashback and conversation.

What is Limited Omniscient Point of View?

The narrator uses third person but knowledge is limited to one character's thoughts, feelings, sights, or hearing.

What is Linear Structure?

A plot that follows a straight-moving, chronological order with cause-and-effect progression.

What is an Objective Point of View?

Third-person narration that reports what characters say or do without interpreting their thoughts or feelings.

What is Omniscient Point of View?

Third-person narration in which the narrator knows all and can tell us what characters think and why they act.

What is a Narrator?

The speaker or 'voice' of a work; not necessarily the author, and can be a participant, observer, or non-participant.

What is Nonlinear Structure?

A plot presented out of chronological order, with flashbacks/flashforwards or other non-causal arrangements.

What is Stream of Consciousness?

Narrative that presents private thoughts of a character without authorial interpretation.

What is an Unreliable Narrator?

A narrator whose credibility is seriously compromised, often a first-person narrator.

What is Plot?

The sequence of incidents or events that make up a story.

What is Anticlimax in plot?

A sudden descent from the impressive or significant to the ludicrous or inconsequential.

What is Catastrophe in tragedy?

The concluding action of a classical tragedy containing the resolution of the plot.

What is Catharsis?

A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially as an effect of tragic drama.

What is Comic Relief?

A humorous incident inserted into a serious work to relieve tension or heighten emotion.

What is Dilemma in literature?

A situation where a character must choose between two undesirable courses of action.

What is a Deus ex machina?

The resolution of a plot by an improbable chance or coincidence (god from the machine).

What is Epilogue?

A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience at the end of a play.

What is Prologue?

An introduction or preface, often a poem recited to introduce a play.

What is a Red Herring?

A literary tactic of diverting attention away from a significant item or person.

What is a Subplot?

A plot subordinate to the main plot of a literary work.

What is Suspense?

The quality in a story that keeps the reader eager to know what happens next.

What is Suspension of Disbelief?

An unspoken agreement between writer and reader to believe the make-believe for entertainment.

What is a Surprise in plotting?

An unexpected turn in the development of a plot.

What is Escapist Literature?

Literature written purely for entertainment, with little or no attempt to provide insights into life or behavior.

What is Fable?

A short narrative making an edifying or cautionary point, often with animal characters acting like humans.

What is Fantasy?

Fiction depicting creatures or events beyond the boundaries of known reality.

What is Interpretive Literature?

Literature that provides valid insights into the nature of human life or behavior.

What is Myth?

A story that explains how the world was created or why the world is as it is; often involves religion and oral tradition.

What is a Novel?

A book-length fictional prose narrative.