AP Lit Vocab Quiz #2

Apostrophe

A rhetorical figure of direct address to a person, object, or abstract entity.

Archetype

A character, situation, or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore.

Epiphany

A sudden flash of insight. A startling discovery and/or appearance; a dramatic realization.

Asyndeton

A rhetorical term for a writing style that omits conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.  Poets use asyndeton to quicken the pace of the line (opposite of polysyndeton). (conjunctions = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Bildungsroman

A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character. Often called a “coming of age” story.

Nuance

A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory words, placed side by side..

Satire

The use of humor to ridicule and expose the shortcomings orfailings of society, an individual, or an institution, often in the hope that change and reform are possible.

Catharsis

An emotional cleansing or feeling of relief

Climax

The turning point in a literary work; the culmination of the rising action, and after this point in a story the falling action and resolution occur

In medias res

In literature, a work that begins in the middle of the story.

Epistolary novel

A novel in letter form written by one or more of the characters. 

Euphemism

Substitution of an inoffensive word or phrase for anotherthat would be harsh, offensive, or embarrassing

Shift

In writing, a movement from one thought or idea to another; a change.

Juxtaposition

The fact of two ideas or words being placed close together to create a contrasting effect.

Periodic sentence

A sentence that delivers its point at the end; usually constructed as a subordinate clause or clauses followed by a main clause (opposite of cumulative sentence). 

Figurative language

Unlike literal expression, it uses figures of speech (such as a metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole) to create meaning.  

Foil

A character whose contrasting personal characteristics draw attention to enhance or contrast with those of the main character.  A character who, by displaying opposite traits, emphasizes certain aspects of another character. 

Inversion

A switch in the normal word order, often used for emphasis or for rhyme scheme. 

Soliloquy

A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to themselves or reveals their thoughts without addressing a listener.  In drama, this is done when a character is alone on stage.

Rhetorical question

A question with an obvious answer, so no response is expected.