AP LIT terms test 2

Flat/Static Character

A simple character who does not change significantly.

Foil Character

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight their traits.

Folklore

Traditional stories, beliefs, and customs passed down through generations

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later.

Free Verse

Poetry without a regular rhyme scheme or meter.

Tragedy

A serious work in which a major character experiences a downfall.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.

Hamartia

A tragic flaw or error in judgment that contributes to a character's downfall.

Example: Macbeth's ambition.

Heroine

A female protagonist or main character.

Homonym

Words that sound alike or are spelled alike but have different meanings.

"Bat" can mean an animal or sports equipment.

Hubris

Excessive pride or confidence that can lead to a downfall.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis.

Synecdoche

When a part represents the whole.

"Nice wheels!" uses a part of the car (the wheels) to mean the entire automobile

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

In Media Res

Beginning a story in the middle of the action.
Example: The Odyssey begins after many events have already happened.

Inversion

Reversing normal word order for emphasis or style.
Example: "Dark was the night."

Irony

When there is a difference between what is expected, said, or known and what actually happens.

Dramatic Irony

a storytelling device where the audience or reader knows a critical piece of information that a character in the story does not

The audience knows Juliet is alive, but Romeo doesn't.

Verbal Irony

Saying "Great weather!" during a storm.

Cosmic Irony

A thief has his own money stolen.

Illocution

The intended purpose behind someone's words.
Example: "It's cold in here" could really mean "Please close the window."

Metaphor

comparison between two unlike things without "like" or "as."

Metonymy

Replacing something with a related term.

The Crown: Represents the king, queen, or the British monarchy

Motif

A recurring element that supports or develops a theme.
Example: Blood repeatedly appears in Macbeth

Narrator

The person or voice telling a story.

1st person

Uses "I/we.

3rd-person objective

Reports actions without thoughts.

3rd-person limited

Reveals one character's thoughts.

3rd-person omniscient

Knows multiple characters' thoughts.

Novella

A work of fiction longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.
Example: Of Mice and Men.

Ode

A poem that praises or celebrates a person, thing, or idea.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it describes.

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words placed together.

"Deafening silence."

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a truth.
Example: "Less is more."

Parody

A humorous imitation of another work, style, or genre.
Example: A comedy that exaggerates superhero movie clichés.

Personification

Giving human qualities to something nonhuman.
Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."

Polysyndeton

Using many conjunctions, such as "and," in a series.
Example: "The rain and wind and thunder came."

Protagonist

The main character whose story the audience follows.

Pun

Wordplay using words with multiple meanings or similar sounds.
Example: A joke using "sole" and "soul."

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases for emphasis or effect.
Example: "Never, never, never!" in King Lear

Rhyme

The repetition of similar sounds in words.

End rhyme

At the ends of lines.

Internal rhyme

Within a line.

Slant rhyme

Similar but imperfect sounds.

True rhyme

Exact matching sounds.

Round/Dynamic Character

A complex character who changes significantly throughout a story.

Satire

Using humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize people or society.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as."

Soliloquy

A speech where a character reveals private thoughts aloud.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem with a structured form and rhyme scheme.

Symbol

Something that represents a deeper meaning or idea.