ap lit flashcards

Allegory

A story or poem where characters, settings, and events symbolize other people, events, or abstract ideas.

Alliteration

Repetition of similar consonant sounds in close words for emphasis.

Allusion

Indirect reference to something known from history, literature, etc.

Ambiguity

Deliberate inclusion of multiple conflicting meanings in a work.

Analogy

Comparison between two things to show their similarities.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences for coherence.

Anastrophe

Inversion of the usual sentence order for emphasis or rhythm.

Anecdote

Brief story illustrating a point or character.

Antagonist

Opponent who blocks the hero in a story.

Antimetabole

Repetition of words in reverse order for effect.

Antithesis

Balancing contrasting words or ideas for emphasis.

Antihero

Central character lacking traditional heroic qualities.

Anthropomorphism

Attributing human traits to animals or objects.

Aphorism

Cleverly worded statement expressing a wise observation.

Apostrophe

Addressing an absent person, idea, or thing.

Apposition

Placing coordinate elements in immediate succession.

Assonance

Repetition of similar vowel sounds in words.

Asyndeton

Using commas to separate words in a series without conjunctions.

Balance

Constructing sentences of equal length and importance.

Characterization

Process of revealing a character's personality.

Indirect Characterization

Revealing character traits through actions, thoughts, and interactions.

Direct Characterization

Explicitly stating a character's traits.

Static Character

Character who remains unchanged in a story.

Dynamic Character

Character who undergoes significant change in a story.

Flat Character

One-dimensional character with few traits.

Round Character

Complex character with multiple dimensions.

Implied Metaphor

A metaphor that does not explicitly state the comparison between two terms, like "I like to see it lap the miles."

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that is developed extensively by the writer, potentially becoming elaborate, as seen in conceits.

Dead Metaphor

A metaphor that has been overused to the point where the comparison is no longer vivid, such as "the head of the house."

Mixed Metaphor

A metaphor that mixes its terms in a way that becomes visually or imaginatively incompatible, like "The President is a lame duck who is running out of gas."

Metonymy

A figure of speech where a person, place, or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it, for example, using "the crown" to represent the monarch.