AP Lang CRIT and LIT Terms

Allegory

the concrete presentation of an abstract idea, typically in a narrative – whether prose, verse, or drama – with at least two levels of meaning

Allusion

an indirect reference, often to a person, event, statement, theme, or work (mythology, religion, history, science, art, etc.) that an author expects the reader to understand and apply. Allusions enrich meaning through the connotations they carry.

Ambiguity

lack of clarity or uncertainty in meaning – subject to more than one interpretation

Anachronism

something outside of its proper historical time period

Analogy

comparison of two things, alike in certain aspects; something unfamiliar is explained by being compared to something familiar

Antecedent

word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun

Antithesis

rhetorical figure in which two ideas are directly opposed; juxtaposition of contrasting ideas and tone

Anadiplosis

repetition of an important word in a phrase or clause (often ending word) in the next phrase or clause

ex

Truth brings freedom; freedom brings responsibility.

Aphorism

Wise saying, usually short and written, reflecting a general truth

ex

Haste makes waste.

Apologue

a moral fable, usually featuring personified animals or inanimate objects act like people to allow the author to comment on the human condition. Often, the apologue highlights the irrationality of mankind. The beast fable, and the fables of Aesop are examples.

Apprenticeship novel

a novel that recounts the youth and young adulthood of a sensitive

protagonist who is attempting to learn the nature of the world, discover its meaning and pattern, and acquire a philosophy of life and the “act of living”.

Approximate

Rhyme

also called half rhyme, slant rhyme, or imperfect rhyme; words contain similar sounds but do not rhyme perfectly

Archetype

those images, figures, character types, settings, and story patterns that are universally shared by people across cultures

Aside

a convention in drama whereby a character onstage addresses the audience to reveal some inner thought or feeling that is presumed inaudible to any other characters in earshot

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Asyndeton

a rhetorical figure involving the deliberate omission of conjunctions to create a concise, terse, and often memorable statement

(“I came, I saw, I conquered”)

Autobiographical

Novel

a novel based on the author's life experience. Many novelists include in their books people and events from their own lives because remembrance is easier than creation from scratch.

Ballad

a poem that recounts a story in the form of a song

Bestiary

beast fable; the principal characters are animals

Bildungsroman

novel that deals with the development of a young person, usually from adolescence to maturity; it is frequently autobiographical

Black humor

a dark, disturbing, and often morbid or grotesque mode of comedy, often found in certain postmodern texts

Blank verse

unrhymed but otherwise regular verse, usually iambic pentameter

Burlesque

a work designed to ridicule a style, literary form, or subject matter either by treating the exalted in a trivial way or by discussing the trivial in exalted terms (that is, with mock dignity). Burlesque concentrates on derisive imitation, usually in exaggerated terms.

Cacophony

language which is perceived as harsh, rough, and unmusical

Caesura

a pause or break in a line of poetry; the caesura is dictated not by meter, but by natural speaking rhythm

Canto

a section, often numbered, of a long poem

Carpe diem

Latin for “seize the day,” a phrase referring to the age-old literary theme that we should enjoy the present before opportunity or life slips away

Catharsis

the emotional effect a tragic drama has on its audience; a moral and spiritual cleansing the audience receives when watching a protagonist overcome great odds to survive. (the emotional release)

Cavalier poets

poets who were associated with the reign of Charles I of England and who wrote graceful, polished, witty, brazen lyrics about women and love

Characterization

techniques used to create a character

Direct characterization

author tells you what traits a character has

Indirect characterization

reader must make conclusions based on physical description, psychological description, dialogue, actions, thoughts, reactions, etc.