AP Lang Cumulative Vocab (Literary Movements)

Romanticism

emphasizing emotion, individualism, and beauty of nature

Transcendentalism

movement centered on the inherent goodness of individuals and nature

Naturalism

Portrays charcters as shaped by environmental forces and heredity

Realism

Focusing on truthful depictions of everyday life

Empiricism

Emphasizes knowledge through sensory experience and observation

Regionalism

Highlights distinct characteristics of specific locales

Modernism

Emphasizes experimental techniques and a focus on the inner consciousness

Postmodernism

Questions nature of truth and reality

Existentialism

Explore themes of individual freedom, choice, and search for meaning in a purposeless world

Surrealism

Seeks to unlock unconscious mind through dreamlike imagery and illogical scenes

Imagism

Aims for clarity, precision, and vivid imagery

Absurdism

Related to existentialism; Deals with human tendency to seek inherent meaning in life while grappling with apparent meaninglessness

Gothicism

Gothic literature that delves into themes of horror, mystery, and the supernatural

Beat Generation

Movement known for raw, free-form style; exploring themes of rebellion, spirituality, and rejection of conventional American values

Dadaism

Avant-garde movement that embraced chaos and irrationality as a response to perceived absurdity of modern life