AP LANG - Q3 Lit Terms Cumulative

Q1, Q2, and Q3 literary terms

Abstract

words that refer to intangible qualities, ideas, and concepts (truth, honor, kindness)

Concrete

words that refer to tangible qualities or characteristics, things we know through our senses (red, spoon, hot)

Allusion

a word or phrase that reverences or hints at something without stating it clearly

Ambiguity

a statement that has more than one meaning; often intended to confuse the reader

Antithesis

two opposing ideas put together to make a contrasting effect

Juxtaposition

the placement of two things or ideas close together in order to compare and contrast them and to imply a relationship between them

Assonance

the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds in a series of words, phrases, or syllables.

Consonance

the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in a series of words, phrases or syllables.

Alliteration

the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words near each other; this can be both assonance and consonance.

Chiamus

two or more clauses balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures in order to produce an artistic effect

ex) "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”

Colloquialism

a slang or informal term, used in conversation more often than literature

Dialect

The way in which a particular group of people speaks

Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes aside from its original meaning

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word, in contrast to the feeling the word suggests.

Epithet

a word or phrase given to a noun to describe a quality about the given noun

ex) In the epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus is often referred to as the “master mariner and soldier” because of his knowledge of sea travel and battle.

Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

ex) “passed away” instead of “died”

Hyperbole

an exaggerated statement, an overstatement

Understatement

a statement that is made less important, or smaller than it is

Idiom

a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words

Imagery - Sight

visual

Imagery - Smell

Olfactory

Imagery - Taste

Gustatory

Imagery - Feel

Tactile

Imagery - Hearing

Auditory

Dramatic Irony

when the audience knows information that the characters in the novel do not

Situational Irony

when the situation is different than what is expected.

Verbal Irony

when the speaker says the opposite of what is actually occurring.

Litotes

understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite

ex) “Not bad” Meaning: good, or at least okay

Metaphor

a figure of speech that makes an implied/hidden comparison between two unrelated things, yet share common characteristics

Simile

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (uses “like” or “as”)

Mood

The *atmosphere* of a work or passage; feeling invoked in the reader.

Tone

The writer’s *attitude* towards a subject/audience; the intended feel of the work

Motif

a recurrent image, idea, or symbol that develops or explains a theme, while a theme is a central idea or message.

Onomatopoeia

the formation of a word by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

ex) Jumbo shrimp, act naturally, alone together

Paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that, when investigated or explained, may prove to be well founded or true

ex) “I am a liar. Everything I say is false”

Parallelism

the state of being parallel or of corresponding in some way. (one or more sentences of similar phrases or clauses that have the same grammatical structure)

ex)

"She likes cooking, jogging, and reading."
"She likes to cook, jog, and read."

Personification

the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions

Pun

a joke exploiting the different meanings of words and how some words sound alike.

Symbol

A literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone.

ex)

Black, or darkness, for example, is often used to symbolize death in literature. The color black obviously is not death itself, but it represents the grief, pain, and fear of dying and the concept of death.

Theme

The main idea, lesson, message, or underlying meaning of a literary work that can be stated directly or indirectly. It is a universal message about life that is stated as a complete sentence.

Sic

used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original

Id Est (i.e.)

A Latin term that means “in other words.”

Ibidem (ibid)

an abbreviation for the Latin word ibīdem, meaning "in the same place", commonly used in an endnote, footnote, bibliography citation, or scholarly reference to refer to the source cited in the preceding note or list item.

ex)


1. Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, 471
2. Ibid.

Et al

an abbreviation for the Latin phrase et alia which means "and others." An example of et. al. used as an abbreviation is in the sentence, "The article was written by Smith, Jones, Paul, et al." which means that Smith, Jones, Paul and others wrote the article.

et cetera (etc.)

used at the end of list to indicate more similar items.

exempli gratia (e.g.)

for the sake of example

ex)

“The Summer Olympics is composed of a variety of sports (e.g., gymnastics, swimming, and tennis).”

Magnum Opus

A writer or artist’s most important work (literally ‘great work’).

Anecdote

A short amusing narrative

Allegory

When the characters, setting, and plot portray a symbolic meaning.

Anaphora

The repetition of words at the start of the phrase.

Aphorism

a concise statement of a principle

ex) “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Epigram

a remark being expressed in a clever, funny way

ex)

“There are no gains without pains.” – Benjamin Franklin

Analogy

A comparison to show how two things are similar

Discursive

Rambling about multiple topics that do not relate to each other.

Caricature

A picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect

Parody

an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

Satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Foil

A character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show to advantage some aspect of the second character

Ad infinitum

Again and again in the same way; forever

Inference

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

Implication

the conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated

ex)

if the statement "If it snows, the schools are closed" is true and it actually snows, then the schools are closed

Bona fide

genuine; real

Farce

a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations

Metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant

ex)

\-suit for business executive

\-the track for horse racing

Non-sequitur

a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement

ex)

“We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog”

Rhetorical Question

a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer

Semantics

the interpretation of language, including words, sentences, phrasing, and symbol

ex)

pen - a writing tool

pen- a livestock enclosure

pen - a portable enclosure for a baby

pen - a correctional institution

pen - a female swan

Stream of Consciousness

a literary style in which a character's thoughts, feelings, and reactions are depicted in a continuous flow uninterrupted by objective description or conventional dialogue

Digression

a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing

Inverted order syntax

a style of writing that places unexpected emphasis on objects or verbs in sentences

ex)

Not only is he difficult to understand, but he is also funny.

Never have I understood less about women.

Cautionary Tale

a tale told in folklore to warn its listener of a danger

Parable

a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson

De facto

in fact, or in effect, whether by right or not

ex) the island has been de facto divided into two countries

Verbatim

in exactly the same words as were used originally

Synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

ex) the word hand in “offer your hand in marriage”

Quasi

seemingly; apparently but not really

ex) quasi-American

Ad nauseum

referring to something that has been done or repeated so often that it has become annoying or tiresome

ex) "the inherent risks of nuclear power have been debated ad nauseam"

Per se

by or in itself or themselves; intrinsically

Loose Sentences

also called a cumulative sentence, begins with a main clause that is followed by phrases and/or clauses that modify the main clause

ex) Bells rang, filling the air with their clangor, startling pigeons into flight from every belfry, bringing people into the streets to hear the news.

Periodic Sentences

has the main clause or predicate at the end

ex) Yesterday while I was walking down the street, I saw him.

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

ex) Formal diction: “I will address this issue right away.”

1st person

narrator’s own POV

2nd person

narrator addresses reader

3rd person

narrator refers to characters

Omniscient

one that tells the story from the perspective of a narrator, has knowledge on all characters

Cacophony

 a harsh discordant mixture of sounds.

ex) words with T, P, or K - harsh, percussive sounds

Euphony

pleasing sounds or easy to pronounce

ex) words with the letter L, M, N, or R - soft or muffled sounds

Antecedent

clarifies what or who a pronoun is referring to in a sentence, and without one, a sentence may be incomplete or meaningless

Classic Hero

possesses a great talent or ability that separates them from the rest of their contemporaries

ex) a special skill (able to fight, brave, clever)

Tragic Hero

the central character of a play, film, etc., depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall

ex) Hamlet, Romeo, Oedipus, Macbeth, Peter Pan

Anti Hero

a protagonist who lacks qualities portrayed in a traditional hero, like morality and courage, and often embodies behaviors you'd expect in a villain

ex) Snape, Harley Quinn, Jay Gatsby

Fallacy - ad hoc

when someone comes up with a rationale or explanation - that is unjustified or simply unreasonable - to dismiss the counter-evidence to their claim in a bid to protect it.

ex)

**Student 1**: “I really should have got an A for the exam.”

**Student 2**: “You got several questions wrong though.”

**Student 1**: “Well yeah, but that must be because the teacher is a real a-hole.”

**Student 2**: “She is actually very nice.”

**Student 1**: “She should’ve considered how hard I studied for the exam. I really deserved an A.”

Fallacy – ad hominem

instead of addressing someone's argument or position, one irrelevantly attacks the person or some aspect of the person who is making the argument

ex)

**Student:** Hey, Professor Moore, we shouldn't have to read this book by Freud. Everyone knows he used cocaine.

Fallacy – appeal to authority

the logical fallacy of saying a claim is true simply because an authority figure made it

ex) “You should take those vitamins because Brad Pitt said they are the best.”

Fallacy – band wagon

he appeal to common belief or appeal to the masses

ex) “Everyone’s getting the new smartphone this weekend! You should too!”

Fallacy – begging the question

when an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it

ex)

**Parent**: “Clean up this mess” (while standing in messy room)

**Child**: “But why?”

Fallacy – poisoning the well

in which a person attempts to place an opponent in a position from which he or she is unable to reply.

ex) The 2020 Republican Political debates

Fallacy – slippery slope

when someone makes a claim about a series of events that would lead to one major event, usually a bad event.

ex) “Building new cell phone towers will disorient birds, which will lead to insect infestations due to a lack of predators for them.”

Fallacy – straw man

when someone takes another person's argument or point, distorts it or exaggerates it in some kind of extreme way

ex) Claiming that all vegans are opposed to all forms of animal captivity, including pet ownership.