AP Lit Key Literary Terms

Allegory

narrative made up of a network of symbols that work together to give the story a second meaning beneath the surface

Allusion

a reference to history, literature, pop culture, or any other source that is not explained; the reader is intended to recognize the reference and use it to help understand the current text

Alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are in close proximity to one another; often used as a catch all term for alliteration, assonance, and consonance

Analogy

a comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation of illustration; the emphasis is on how the two things are alike, with an implication that they will be alike in other ways as well

Antagonist

the person or force that opposes the protagonist in a story ( can even be an inner quality of the protagonist’s; not necessarily the bad guy (if the story featured a serial killer as its protagonist, then the police might be the antagonist)

Antihero

a main character who does not adhere to traditional ideas of a hero in terms of virtue, courage, or motivation

Apostrophe

a figure of speech in which an inanimate object (or absent person) is addressed as if it was present and able to respond

Archetype

actions, characters, and situations that occur frequently in literature and can be easily recognized by readers (even unconsciously)

Aside

a dramatic device in which a character speaks lines to the audience or another character that are understood to not be heard by other characters on stage, allowing the audience to learn that character’s private thoughts or feelings

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds in accented or important words that are in close proximity to one another

Ballad

a relatively short narrative poem written in stanzas; it often sounds like a song when read aloud

Caesura

“cease”; a pause created by punctuation in the middle of a line of poetry rather than at the end of a line or stanza

Caricature

a description that exaggerates a character’s unique trait or flaw to the point o ridiculousness

Chronological Order

a type of plot structure in which events are narrated in the order they take place (first, second, third, etc.)

Cliche

a saying that has been overused to the point where it is no longer effective in conveying meaning

Comedy

a type of drama that is often (but not necessarily) humorous, has a happy ending, and emphasizes human weakness and limitations

Conflict

the problem a character faces that drives the action of a story; and EXTERNAL CONFLICT is between a character and some outside force (another person, nature, fate, society, etc); an INTERNAL CONFLICT is within a character (to overcome a weakness or fear, to make an important decision, etc)

Connotation

the feelings and ideas associated with a word based on its use over time; this can be either personal or societal

Consonance

the repetition of final consonant sounds in accented or important words that are close to one another

Denotation

the dictionary definition of a word; its literal meaning

Dialect

language specific to a particular group of people; may involved spelling, sounds, grammar, punctuation, or vocabulary; differentiates the group from those around them