Must-Know Terms for the AP Literature Exam

Metaphor/Simile

Comparing two things (simile uses like or as)

Personification

Giving human qualities to non human things

Imagery

Descriptive language appealing to the senses

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely connected words.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words, typically at the end or middle of the words, not necessarily at the beginning.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words, often in the middle of words.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sound (e.g., buzz, clang).

Enjambment

Line of poetry that continues without pause.

Caesura

A pause in the middle of a line.

Stanza/Form

How the poem is structured (e.g., sonnet, free verse).

Syntax

Sentence structure and word order.

Diction

Word choice (formal, informal, abstract, concrete).

Tone

Author’s attitude (e.g., sarcastic, hopeful, mournful)

Mood

The feeling the reader gets.

Point of View

1st, 2nd, 3rd person; limited vs omniscient.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another.

Motif

A recurring element or idea

Theme

The central message or idea

Archetype

Universal symbols or character types.

Irony

Verbal, situational, dramatic irony.

Juxtaposition

Placing two elements side by side for contrast.

Allusion

Reference to another work or event.

Symbolism

When something stands for something else.