general - ap lit terms

Allegory

A narrative or description having a second or symbolic meaning beneath the surface one

Allusion

A reference, explicit or implicit, to something in previous literature or history

Anecdote

A short account of an interesting or humorous incident

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant, unpleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds

Euphony

A smooth, pleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds

Genre

A type or class, as poetry, drama, etc.

Imagery

The representation through language of sensory experience

Mood

The pervading impression of a work

Moral

A rule of conduct or maxim for living expressed or implied as the "point" of a literary work. Compare Theme.

Prose

Non-metrical language; the opposite of verse

Theme

The main idea, or message, of a literary work. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly.

Tone

The writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject, the audience, or herself or himself; the emotional coloring, or emotional meaning, of a work

Topic

The subject matter or area of a literary work. Not to be confused with theme.

Setting

The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs

Symbol

(literary) Something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning
suggests other meanings as well, a figure of speech which may be read both literally and figuratively.

Verse

Metrical language; the opposite of prose

Voice

The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or a character in a book

Artistic unity

That condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose