AP Literature Lit Terms 12/16/2024

Stanza

A fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

Foot

The basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry

Metaphor

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using like or as

Simile

A figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually forms with 'like' or 'as')

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate sounds

Cadence

Rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words

Personification

The act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Diction

A writer's or speaker's choice of words

Euphony

Any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds. Euphonious sounds include all the vowels, as well as the consonants m, n, l, and r

Gothic Novel

A novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Atmosphere

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene

Foreshadowing

The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Ballad

Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form

Allegory

A literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation

Foil

A character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another character

Euphemism

A mild, indirect or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term