AP Lit quiz

allegory

a narrative or description having a second or symbolic meaning beneath the surface one

allusion

a reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history

ambiguilty

purposeful multiple meanings as in pun or double entendre

analogy

comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it

anecdote

a short account of an interesting or humorous incident

antithesis

the use of contrasting concepts, words, or sentences within parallel grammatical structures

apostrophe

calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing or a personified abstract idea

archetype

a universal symbol, character type, or plot pattern that recurs across various cultures and time periods

colloquialism

the use of informal worlds, phrases, or even slang in place of writing

comparison

used to describe relationships between different things, people, or concepts by examining their similarities (common forms of comparison include allusion, analogy, metaphor and simile)

contrast

a broad term used to describe relationships between different things, people, or concepts by examining differences (common, more specific forms include anntithesis, foil, irony, juxtaposition, oxymoron, and paradox)

detail

a specific individual piece of information such as fact, description, or action that an author includes to support an idea build a setting, or develop a character

dialect

a regional variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary

diction

an authors intentional choice of words

dramatic irony

an incongruity or discrepancy between what a character says or thinks and what the reader knows to be true (or between what a character perceives and what the author intends the reader to perceive)

euphemism

substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a hard, blunt, or offensive one

figure of speech

broadly, any way of saying something other than the ordinary way; more narrowly; a way of saying one things and meaning another

figurative speech

language employing figures of speech; language that cannot be taken literally or only literally

genre

a type or class, poetry, drama, etc

hyperbole

a figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis

imagery

the representation through language of sensory experience

invective

denunciatory or abusive language

irony

a situation, or a use of language, involving some kind of incongruity or discrepancy

juxtaposition

a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts

metaphor

comparison of two seemingly unlike things by saying one is the other

mood

the emotional atmosphere or feeling that a texts creates for the reader

motif

a repeating pattern of related symbols, actions, or ideas

narrative pace

the speed at which events in a true story are told, controlled through several elements, including length of scenes, the delivery and the depth of description, and the rate and intensity of the action.

onomatopoeia

the use of words that supposedly mimic their meaning in their sound

oxymoron

figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. the common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective preceded by a noun with contrasting meanings

paradox

a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth

parallelism

repetition of similar syntactical structure

personification

characteristics of humans given to non-humans

prose

non-metrical langauge; the opposite of verse

proverb

a short, pithy saying that expresses a basic truth or practical precept

pun

a play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words

sarcasm

bitter or cutting speech; speech intended by its speaker to give pain to the person addressed

setting

simile

a figure for speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things

situational irony

a situation in which there is an incongruity between appearance and reality, or between expectation and fulfillment, or between the actual situation and what would seem appropriate

symbol

something that means more than what is it; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well, a figure of speech which may read both literally and figuratively

syntax

the intentional arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses to create well-formed sentences

theme

the main idea, or message, of a literary work, themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly

tone

the author’s or narrator’s attitude toward the subject matter, characters, or audience. it is the emotional “voice” behind the words and dictates how a story should be interpreted

topic

the subject matter or area of a literary work; not to be confused with theme

tragic flaw

trait in a character leading to his downfall, character is often the hero of the literary piece. often is excessive pride

tragic hero

a literary character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to

understatement

a figure of speech that consi

verbal irony

a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

verse

metrical language; the opposite of prose

voice

the distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or a character in a book