Ap Lit Vocab 5

Academic

Relating to education, scholarly activities, or institutions of higher learning.

Aesthetic

Concerned with beauty and the appreciation of beauty.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words.

Antihero

A central character in a story who lacks conventional heroic attributes.

Bombast

High-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress.

Cadence

The rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.

Chorus

A group of singers or a repeated phrase that adds emphasis to the main message.

Dirge

A mournful song or poem, typically for a funeral.

Dramatic Irony

A situation where the audience knows more about a character's situation than the character does.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression used to replace one that may be considered harsh or blunt.

Interior Monologue

A narrative technique that reveals a character's thoughts and feelings directly.

Lampoon

A publicly criticized or mocked person or work through ridicule, often in a comedic manner.

Nemesis

A long-standing rival or arch-enemy, often leading to the downfall of the protagonist.

Objectivity

The concept of perceiving things without personal bias or emotion.

Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

Personification

Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities or inanimate objects.

Requiem

A mass for the repose of the souls of the dead; often a musical composition.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect or emphasis rather than requiring an answer.

Subjectivity

The quality of being based on personal opinions, interpretations, feelings, and emotional responses.

Zeugma

A figure of speech in which a word applies to multiple parts of the sentence.