AP Literature Key Terminology #2

dialect

the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group of people.

diction

the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect

dramatic monologue

a monologue set in a specific situation and spoken to an imaginary audience. (soliloquy)

elegy

a poetic lament upon the death of a particular person, usually ending in consolation

enjambment

the continuation of a sentence from one line or couplet of a poem to the next

epic

a poem that celebrates, in a continuous narrative, the achievements of mighty heroes and heroines, often concerned with the founding of a nation or developing of a culture

exposition

that part of the structure that sets the scene, introduces and identifies characters, and establishes the situation at the beginning of a story or play.

extended metaphor

a detailed and complex metaphor that extends over a long section of a work, also known as a conceit.

falling action

the part of the plot structure in which the complications of the rising action are untangled.

farce

a play or scene in a play or book that is characterized by broad humor, wild antics,

foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

formal diction

language that is lofty, dignified, and impersonal.

flashback

retrospection, where an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narrative

free verse

poetry that is characterized by varying line lengths, lack of traditional meter, and non-rhyming lines

genre

a type or class of literature such as epic or narrative or poetry or belles letters

hyperbole

overstatement characterized by exaggerated language.

iambic

a metrical form in which each foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one

imagery

broadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work; more narrowly, the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object

informal diction

language that is not as lofty or impersonal as formal diction; similar to everyday speech

in medias res

"In the midst of things" refers to opening a story in the middle of the action, necessitating filling in the past details by exposition or flashback.

irony

a situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to what was expected.

jargon

specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group.

juxtaposition

The location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose

limited point of view

a perspective confined to a single character, whet=

litote

A figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement