AP English Literary Terms

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden message

alliteration

occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

allusion

expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly

ambiguity

quality of being open to more than one interpretation

analogy

comparison between two things, typically for explanation or clarification

anaphora

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

antagonist

person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something

aphorism

expressive observation that contains some general truth

apostrophe

passage to a person (who is typically absent) or thing (personified)

characterization

creation or construction of a fictional character

character

mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual