AP Lit: Literary Terms Test Review

September test on literary terms

Allusion

brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature. There are five main types: historical, mythological, religions, literary, and popular culture.

Allegory

a story in which characters, events, and settings symbolize abstract or moral concepts from the real world. It is used to express large, complex ideas in an approachable manner. Writers can distance themselves from political or societal issues --especially when what they are writing is a critique of these issues.

Bildungsroman

a novel that follows a protagonist 'growing up' in some way – not just in age, but psychologically or morally.

Characterization

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

Indirect characterization

the author reveals what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character’s private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action. In other words: the character’s actions, speech, and thoughts.

Direct characterization

the author tells us directly what the character is like: devious, generous, self-centered, etc.

Cliche

a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse. Ex.: “strong as an ox,” “better safe than sorry.”

Conceit

an elaborate metaphor that compares two things that are startlingly different. It is a specific use of extended metaphor.

Connotation

The associations called up by a word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning. It is commonly defined in contrast to denotation, a literary term that refers to the "dictionary definition," or the explicit and literal definition of a word or phrase. The word "swan," for example, denotes a swan. But what "swan" connotes is grace, beauty, love, and purity.

Deus ex machina

is Latin for “a god from the machine.” It is when some new character, force, or event suddenly shows up to solve a seemingly hopeless situation.

Dialect

a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area.

Diction

The selection of words in a literary work. A work's _____ forms one of its centrally important literary elements, as writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes, identify themes, and suggest values.

Figurative language

A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words. Examples include hyperbole or exaggeration, understatement, simile and metaphor, which employ comparison.

Flashback

a device that moves an audience from the present moment in a chronological narrative to a scene in the past. They are often abrupt interjections that further explain a story or character with background information and memories.

Foil

a character who acts as contrast to another character. A ___ character, or character ___, is a character whose actions and traits contrast those of another character—often the protagonist.

Foreshadowing

gives the audience hints or signs about the future. It suggests what is to come through imagery, language, and/or symbolism. It does not directly give away the outcome, but rather, suggests it.

Hyperbole

a literary device that involves using exaggerated statements or claims to emphasize a point or create a dramatic effect. It is an intentional exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally, but rather used to make a point or create a vivid image in the reader’s mind. It can be used to express strong emotions, create humor, or to emphasize a particular point in a text.

Imagery

uses sensory details to create a vivid and concrete description of a scene, object, person, or idea. It appeals to the reader’s senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell, and is used to create a specific mood or atmosphere in a literary work.

Irony

a contradiction between what is said or done and what is actually meant or expected. It is often used to create a humorous, dramatic, or sarcastic effect, or to highlight a discrepancy between

Verbal Irony

occurs when someone says one thing but really means something else.

Situational Irony

takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen.

Dramatic Irony

is so called because it is often used on stage. A character in the play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience or reader knows better

Juxtaposition

involves placing two contrasting things or ideas side by side to highlight their differences or similarities. It can be used to compare and contrast characters, settings, themes, or ideas.

Metaphor

is a comparison between essentially unlike things without an explicitly comparative word such as like or as.

Mood

the atmosphere of a literary piece that creates an emotional setting that surrounds the reader. It is developed through various methods, including setting, theme, tone, and diction.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Examples: “Jumbo shrimp.” “Pretty ugly.” “Bitter-sweet”

Paradox

a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time.

Paradox Example

This famous line from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” illustrates the irony and anguish of being desperately hot and thirsty but being surrounded by nothing but the ocean.

Personification

The endowment of inanimate objects or abstract concepts with animate or living qualities.

First Person Point of View

One of the characters narrates the story. The “I” sentence construction generally reveals this and relies on first-person pronouns.

Third Person Point of View

The author is narrating a story about the characters and refers to them with the third person pronouns “he/she.”

Omniscient Point of View

The narrator knows everything about the story and its characters. This third person narrator can enter anyone’s mind, move freely through time

Simile

A figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things using like, as, or as though. An example: "My love is like a red, red rose."

Stream of Consciousness

: a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character’s mind. The technique seeks to replicate the disjointed, fragmented, and often chaotic nature of the human mind.

Symbol

an object, action, or event represents a larger concept, idea or emotion. They are used in literature to create layers of meaning and to convey themes, ideas, or messages. They can be concrete or abstract.

Syntax

the grammatical order of words in a sentence or line of verse or dialogue. It is the organization of words and phrases and clauses in sentences of prose, verse, and dialogue.

Theme

the underlying message or meaning of a work of literature

Tone

The implied attitude of a writer toward the subject and characters of a work.