AP Lang Vocab Terminology

Exposition

The interpretation or analysis of a text; explaining a subject

Isocolon

parallel elements in a sentence are similar in structure and length

Style

typical manner in which a writer arranges words and ideas

Onomatopoeia

a word capturing or approximating the sound it describes

Satire

work that uses human feelings for ridicule and censure

Syntax

way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, etc

Mode of discourse

way in which information is presented in written or spoken form

Narrative

tells a story usually in chronological order

Oxymoron

combination of two apparently contradictory elements

Canon

Accepted as authentic

Juxtaposition

Location of one thing adjacent to or next to another to create an effect

Flashback

Earlier event inserted into the normal chronology of the narration

Antithesis

Juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in parallel words or phrases

Begging the Question

Ignores or evades the real argument

Aphorism

Concise statement to make a point or illustrate commonly held belief

Connotation

Implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase

Consonance

Repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the vowels

Convention

An accepted manner, model, or tradition

Critique

An assessment or analysis of something, like a piece of writing

Euphemism

Kinder way of expressing unpleasant information

Figurative Language

Levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech

Epitaph

Writing in memory of a dead person, usually on a tombstone

Point of View

The relation in which a narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse

Trope

Any artful variation from the typical expressions of ideas or words

Ellipsis

Omission of words, meaning of which is provided by context of passage

Anadiplosis

Repetition of last word of one clause at beginning of following clause

Anthimeria

One part of speech, usually a verb, substitutes for another, usually a noun

Appositive

Two coordinating elements are set side by side, second modifies the first

Antimetabole

Words are repeated in different grammatical forms

Allegory

Characters, setting, or plot have multiple levels of meaning.

Apostrophe

Address or invocation to something inanimate

Elegy

Poem or prose that laments the death of a person or persons

Imagery

Use of language to evoke a feeling, or call to mind an idea or object.

Tone

Attitude the narrator/writer takes towards a subject

Alliteration

Repetition of a similar initial sound, usually a consonant

Realism

describe nature without idealization and with attention to detail

Rhetorical Question

question that is asked simply for stylistic effect, not to be answered

Theme

central dominant idea or focus of a work

Allusion

A literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference

Personification

Giving an abstraction or nonhuman object human features or qualities

Asyndeton

Syntax structure in which the conjunctions are omitted.

Genre

A type or class of literature, such as an epic, narrative, poetry

Dialect

The language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area or region

Eulogy

Speech or written passage in praise of a deceased person

Prose

An ordinary form of written language without metrical structure

Audience

Potential set of readers or listeners

Analysis

Systematic process of investigation; unravel parts to see how they work

Ethos

Refers to the credibility of the speaker or writer

Deductive Reasoning

General to specific

Claim

Assertion that something is fact

Hyperbole

Overstatement characterized by exaggerated language

Assonance

Repetition of similar vowel sounds

Anaphora

Repetition of the same phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

Voice

Source of the words in the story

Comparison and Contrast

When two or more things are compared, contrasted, or both

Homily

sermon, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life

Litote

emphasize the subject by conscious understatement

Metaphor

implicit comparison of one thing to another without like or as

Paradox

statement that seems contradictory, but probably is true

Simile

comparison using "like" or "as"

Metonymy

commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something

Symbolism

person, place, or thing that represents or stands for something else

Rebuttal/Refutation

anticipating and countering an opponent's argument

Zeugma

word (verb) applied to two or more nouns w/o being repeated

Mood

feeling resulting from tone of a piece and author's attitude

Sarcasm

form of verbal irony in which praise is actually critical

Pathos

appeal to emotion; stimulates pity or sorrow in reader or listener

Synecdoche

when the part signifies the whole

Rhetoric

art of using words to persuade

Irony

Contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant

Didactic

Speech that has an instructive purpose or lesson

Chiasmus

Order of terms in the first half of a clause is reversed in the second

Colloquial

Diction of the common, ordinary folk in a specific region or area

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning in which general statement are made from specific principals

Inference

Conclusion arrived at by considering facts, observations, or other data

Literal Language

The true or real meaning of a word or phrase

Jargon

Specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group

Periphrasis

A descriptive word or phrase is used to refer to a proper name

Scheme

Artful and deliberate variation from typical arrangement of words or sent.

Exordium

The beginning part of an oration or argument

Epistrophe

Repetition of the same group of words at the end of successive clauses

Parenthesis

Interrupting the flow of the passage to provide information

Context

Sense of time, place, and situation

Slang

Informal, nonstandard vocab. composed of coinages, figures of speech