AP Lit Common Literary Terms

simile

simile

the figure of speech that use "like" or ''as'' to compare two things

vehicle

the image or idea that represents the subject or the tenor in a metaphor

pathetic fallacy

the attribution of human emotion to inanimate objects, nature, or animals

mixed metaphor

the figure of speech that combines 2 different metaphors that are incompatible (nonsense)

metaphor

the figure of speech that compares 2 things that are otherwise unrelated

tenor

the part of a metaphor that is being used for comparison

rhetorical question

a figure of speech in which a question is asked for a reason other than to get an answer (to persuade or subtly influence the audience)

figurative language

a literary device that uses words, phrases, and sentences that go beyond their literal meaning

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a specific part of something is used to refer to the whole thing or a whole to represent a part

understatement

A literary device used to describe a situation or thing as if it is less important or serious than it is in reality.

1st POV

narrator is a character in the story and tells the story from the point of a view of that character; uses first-person pronouns such as I, me, us, and we

2nd POV

text is written for/directed at an audience and uses the pronouns you and your

3rd Omniscient POV

narrator is NOT a character in the story and is omniscient, or all-knowing; reveals the thoughts and feelings of all the characters; uses pronouns such as he, she, it, and they

3rd Objective POV

narrator is NOT a character in the story and does NOT know any characters' thoughts (neutral); the reader only learns thoughts and feelings through direct dialogue; uses pronouns such as he, she, it, and they

3rd Limited POV

narrator is NOT a character in the story and tells the thoughts and feelings of only one character in the story; uses pronouns such as he, she, it, and they

Verbal irony

when someone says something that is the opposite of what they mean, often to express sarcasm or humor

Situational irony

when the opposite of what is expected happens, often to humorous effect

Dramatic irony

when the audience or reader knows something that the characters don't

Cosmic irony

when the outcome of a character's actions seem to be controlled by fate, the universe, or the gods

metonymy

a figure of speech replacing a word or phrase with another that is closely related or associated with the original

intrusive narration

when the narrator interrupts the story to provide a commentary to the reader on some aspect of the story or on a more general topic

parallelism

a literary device in which parts of the sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure

periphrasis

the use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter form of expression, often to create a more elaborate or poetic effect

personification

a literary device that gives human characteristics to nonhuman things or inanimate objects

unreliable narration

a narrator who cannot be trusted, one whose credibility is compromised, misleads readers, either deliberately or unwittingly

alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

atmosphere

The feeling or mood a writer creates using the setting, objects, or internal thoughts of characters

speaker

the voice or perspective from which a poem or story is told

diction

the careful selection of words to communicate a message or establish a particular voice or writing style

syntax

the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences that will have an effect on the reader

theme

a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature

assonance

repetition of internal vowel sounds

apostrophe

refers to a speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object

antithesis

a literary device that positions contrasting or opposite ideas parallel to each other

sarcasm

a form of verbal irony that mocks, ridicules, or expresses contempt.

anaphora

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase repeat at the beginning of successive clauses, phrases, or sentences.

hyperbole

the use of over-exaggeration and overstatement to emphasize a point or to have an effect or to be humorous

litotes

an understatement that ironically stated by the negation of the contrary of an affirmative statement

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence or clause across a poetic line break, without using terminal punctuation

tone

The attitude or feeling that an author conveys towards their subject matter

verisimilitude

the semblance of reality, using details, subjects, and characters that seem similar or true to real life, the lifelikeness or believability of a work

stanza

a grouping of lines of poetry, indicated by an empty space before the next one begins

rhyme

The repetition of the end sounds of nearby words

oxymoron

a literary device combining oppositional words to create a unique word or phrase

repetition

the reiterating of a word or phrase within a poem

allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing

paradox

a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time to convey a deeper meaning

onomatopoeia

words that sound like the idea or thing they represent

imagery

a literary device that uses vivid description that appeals to a reader's senses to create mental images in the mind of a reader

symbol

an object, a person, a situation, or an action that has a literal meaning in a story but suggests or represents other meanings

mood

the emotions or atmosphere that a work evokes from the reader

motif

An idea, image, or phrase that constantly appears throughout a story to develop the story’s themes and meanings

chiasmus

a literary device in which words, grammatical structures, or concepts are repeated in reverse order

pun

a literary device that plays with the sounds and meanings of words, that involve words with similar-sounding words or same sounds but with different meanings

analogy

a literary technique that compares two different things to create connections between parallel concepts and compare similarities

foreshadowing

a literary device used to give an suggestions, warnings, or hints of what is to come later in the story

in media res

Latin phrase meaning “in the midst of things” used to describe when a story opens with the character already in the middle of things

flashback

a scene that takes place before a story begins, that interrupts that chronological sequence to show readers a scene that unfolded in the past

frame narrative

A literary device that involves a story within a story and sometimes multiple stories within a story