AP Lit Final vocab

Octave

an eight line stanza or poem, often used in petrarachan sonnets to establish a thematic problem, tension, or situation, typically in iambic pentameter

stanza

a poem’s building block, a unit of lines that convey a similar idea of theme

refrain

a line, phrase, or group of lines repeated at regular intervals, typically at the end of a stanza, creating rhythm and emphasis within the poem.

caesura

complete pause or break within a line of poetry, usually near the middle that creates a dramatic shift in rhythm and mirrors natural speech patterns

volta

dramatic shift in tone, argument, or perspective within a poem

blank verse

poetry written with a precise, consistent meter; almost always iambic pentameter that does NOT RHYME

free verse

a type of poetry that does not use consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any musical patterns

ballad

a form of narrative poetry, often set to music, that tells a dramatic, tragic, or romantic story in simple language, typically using four-line stanzas

lyric

a short, non-narrative poem that expresses the personal, intense emotions or state of mind of a single speaker

elegy

a serious, melancholy poem or song that lament the death of a specific person or reflects on a broader sense of loss grief, and mourning

ode

a formal, often ceremonious lyric poem that praises or glorifies a person, place, thing, or idea

sonnet

a 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter with a strict rhyme scheme

English/Shakespearean sonnet

14 line poem written in iambic pentameter, structured into three quatrains and a concluding rhyming couplet

Spenserian sonnet

14-line poem in iambic pentameter invented by 16th century poet Edmund Spenser, characterized by an interlocking rhyme scheme of abab bcbc cdcd

Italian/Petrarchan sonnet

14-line poem, often iambic pentameter, structured into an 8-line octave presenting a problem and a 6-line sestet offering a solution

villanelle

a highly structured 19-line poem with French origins, consisting of five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain

allusion

a brief, indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance

analogy

a comparison between two different things that highlight their similarities, usually to explain a complex concept or make an arguement

apostrophe

a punctuation mark used to indicate the omission of letters, possessive care, or occasionally plurals

antithesis

a figure of speech characterized by strongly contrasting words, clauses, sentences, or ideas, as in “Man proposes; God disposes.” Antithesis is a balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness. “love is an ideal thing, marriage is a real thing.”

connotation

the emotional, cultural, or implied meanings associated with a word beyond its literal definition

denotation

the literal or objective, or “dictionary definition” of a word, devoid of any emotional, cultural or associated feelings

diction

the specific choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing, often chosen to convey a particular tone, style or meaning

end-stopped line

poetic device where a line of poetry ends with a natural pause, marked by punctuation ro the end of a phrase/clause

enjambment/run-on line

technique where a sentence, phrase, or a clause continues across a line break without terminal punctuation creating a rapid…something I can’t read

figurative language

the use of words or phrases that deviate from the literal dictionary definitions to add creative depth

simile

figure of speech that directly compares two different things to create a vivid image, uses “like” or “as”

metaphor (direct and implied)

a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things by stating one is the other to highlight a shared quality

conceit

excessively favorable opinion of one’s own ability, vanity, or pride

allusion

brief, indirect reference in speech to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work, intended to add deeper meaning without long explanation

personification

give an inanimate object human qualities

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration to emphasize a point, evoke strong feelings or create humorous effect

idiom

phrase who’s meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition but through common cultural usage. ie: who let the cat out of the bag

imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language

metonymy

a figure of speech where a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it, rather than its literal name

synecdoche

a figure of speech where a part of something represents its whole, or vice versa, to create vivid, concise imagery. Common examples include using "wheels" for a car

synaesthesia

the concurrent response of two or more senses to the stimulation of one. For example, describing something as “cool green.”

alliteration

the repetition of usually initial consonant (NO VOWELS) sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllable

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants; sometimes called vowel rhyme.

consonance

the repetition of the same consonant sounds within a group of words: Zach sneezed when he heard jazz music

onomatopoeia

the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it; the creation of words that imitate natural sounds

approximate rhyme (also called “near” or “slant” rhyme)

a type of rhyme that uses words with similar but not identical sounds

end rhyme

occur when words rhyme at the ends of different lines in poetry

internal rhyme

occur within a single line of verse, or between internal phrases across multiple lines

feminine rhyme

a rhyme involving two syllables

masculine rhyme

two word rhyme at the end of two lines of poetry and when those words final syllables are stressed

sight (eye) rhyme

a poetic devise wherein two words are spelled similarly, but pronounced differently

couplet

two lines that are consecutive that rhyme

heroic couplet

a traditional poetic form consisting of two successive lines of verse that rhyme and are written in iambic pentameter

tercet

group of 3 lines, rhymed or unrhymed

quatrain

a stanza or poem consisting of exactly four lines, usually employing a specific rhyme scheme and meter

sestet

a 6-line stanza or the final six lines of an Italian sonnet, typically used to provide a resolution, shift in tone, or final reflection