unit 1 ap lang

Allegory

A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

Alliteration

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

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

Anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines

Anecdote

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

Antithesis

Figure of balance in which two contrasting ideas are intentionally juxtaposed

Aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction

Asyndeton

omission of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work

Chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

Colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.

Coherence

A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible.

Conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

Connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.