AP English Literature and Composition

adage

A saying that becomes widely accepted as truth over time. Usually observances of life and behaviour that express a general truth. Ex: "A penny saved is a penny earned."

allegory

A story in which the narrative or characters carry an underlying symbolic, metaphorical or possibly ethical meaning.

alliteration

The repetition of one or more initial consonant in a group of words or lines of poetry or prose. Writers use this for ornament or for emphasis.

allusion

A reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea.

ambiguity

A vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation.

anachronism

A person, scene, event, or other element in literature that fails to correspond with the time/era in which the work is set.

analogy

A comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to something else that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar.

antagonist

A character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist produces tension or conflict.

antithesis

A rhetorical device in which two opposite ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect.

aphorism

A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. The term is often applied to philosophical, moral and literary principles.

Apollonian

In contrast to Dionysian, it refers to the most noble, godlike qualities of human nature and behaviour.

apostrophe

A figure of speech where the writer or speaker detaches himself from his present reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech.

archetype

A character, action or situation which represents or reflects a commonly held or universal pattern, such as human nature.

assonance

The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines in poetry and prose.

ballad

A simple narrative verse that tells a story that is sung or recited; a long narrative poem, usually in very regular meter and rhyme, typically has a folksy quality

bard

A poet or a performer in olden times who told heroic stories to musical accompaniment.

Bildungsroman

A special kind of novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from his or her youth to adulthood. Generally, such a novel starts with a loss or a tragedy that disturbs the main character emotionally. He or she leaves on a journey to fill that vacuum.

blank verse

Poetry written in iambic pentameter, the primary meter used in English poetry and the works of Shakespeare and Milton; its lines generally do not rhyme.

bombast

Inflated, pretentious language used for trivial subjects.

cacophony

The use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing and unmelodious sounds, primarily those of consonants, to achieve the desired results. Ex: "I detest war because cause of war is always trivial."

caesura

It involves creating a fracture within a sentence, where the two separate parts are distinguishable from one another yet intrinsically linked; the purpose is to create a dramatic pause. Ex: "Mozart- oh, how your music makes me soar!"

canon

The works most widely read, studied, and considered most important in national literature or in a specific literary period.

caricature

A grotesque likeness of striking qualities in persons and things; a portrait that exaggerates a facet of personality.

catharsis

A cleansing of the spirit brought about by the pity and terror of a dramatic tragedy.

classicism

Deriving from the orderly qualities of ancient Greek and Roman culture; implies formality, objectivity, simplicity and restraint.

conceit

A figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors; it develops a comparison which is exceedingly unlikely but is, nonetheless, intellectually imaginative.

anticlimax

This occurs when an action produces far smaller results than one had been led to expect; it is frequently comic in effect.

anti-hero

A protagonist who is markedly un-heroic, morally weak, cowardly, dishonest, or any number of other unsavoury qualities; he is not just good or noble like a conventional hero.

aside

A speech (usually just a short comment) made by an actor to the audience, as though momentarily stepping outside of the action on stage.

atmosphere

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene.

black humor

The use of disturbing themes in comedy. Ex: two tramps comically debating over which should commit suicide first, and whether the branches of a tree will support their weight.

cadence

the beat or rhythm of poetry in a general sense

canto

is a divider in long poems, much like chapters in a novel

coinage

a.k.a. neologism, inventing a word

colloquialism

this is a word or phrase used in everyday conversational English that isn't a part of accepted "schoolbook" English

controlling image

when an image dominates and shapes the entire work

metaphysical conceit

a type of conceit that occurs only in metaphysical poetry

connotation

the suggest or implied meaning of a word/phrase

consonance

the repetition of two or more consonant sounds within a group of words or a line of poetry

couplet

a pair of lines that end in rhyme

heroic couplet

two rhyming lines in iambic pentameter are called this

denotation

the literal, dictionary definition of a word

denouement

the resolution that occurs at the end of a play or work or fiction

Dionysian

as distinguished from Apollonian, the word refers to sensual, pleasure seeking impulses

diction

the choice of words in oral and written discourse

syntax

the ordering and structuring of the words in a sentence

dirge

a song for the dead, its tone is typically slow, heavy, and melancholy

dissonance

the grating of incompatible sounds

doggerel

crude, simplistic verse, often in sing-song rhyme

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something that the characters in the drama do not

dramatic monologue

when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience

elegy

a poem or prose selection that laments or meditates on the passing/death of something/someone of value

elements

the basic techniques of each genre of literature. IN SHORT STORY: characters, irony, theme, symbol, plot, setting. IN POETRY: figurative language, symbol, imagery, rhythm, rhyme. IN DRAMA: conflict, characters, climax, conclusion, exposition, rising action, falling action, props. IN NONFICTION: argument, evidence, reason, appeals, fallacies, thesis.

ellipsis

three periods (...) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation

empathy

a feeling of association or identification with an object/person

end stopped

a term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation

enjambment

the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line or couplet of a poem to the next with no pause

epic

an extended narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that is generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure

mock epic

a parody form that deals with mundane events and ironically treats them as worthy of epic poetry

epitaph

lines that commemorate the dead at their burial place. usually a line or handful of lines, often serious or religious, but sometimes witty and even irreverent

epigram

a concise but ingenious, witty and thoughtful statement

euphony

when sounds blend harmoniously; pleasing, harmonious sounds

epithet

an adjective or phrase that expresses a striking quality of a person or thing

eponymous

a term for the title character of a work of literature

euphemism

a mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term

explicit

to say or write something directly and clearly

explication

the interpretation/analysis of a text

extended metaphor

a series of comparisons between two unlike objects that occur over a number of lines

fable

a short tale often featuring nonhuman character that act as people whose actions enable the author to make observations or draw useful lessons about human behavior. i.e Orwell's "Animal Farm"

falling action

the action in a play or story that occurs after the climax and that leads to the conclusion and often to the resolution of the conflict

fantasy

a story containing unreal, imaginary features

farce

a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose

figurative language

in contrast to literal language, this implies meanings. It includes devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification, etc.

foil

a secondary character whose purpose is to highlight the characteristics of a main character, usually by contrast

first person narrative

a narrative told by a character involved in the story, using first-person pronouns such as "I" and "we"

flashback

a return to an earlier time in a story or play in order to clarify present actions or circumstances

foreshadowing

an event or statement in a narrative that suggests, in miniature, a larger event that comes later

foot

the basic rhythmic unit of a line in poetry. it is formed by a combination of two or three syllables, either stressed or unstressed

frame

a structure that provides premise or setting for a narrative

free verse

a kind of poetry without rhymed lines, rhythm or fixed metrical feet

genre

a term used to describe literary forms, such as novel, play, and essay

Gothic novel

a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terror pervades the action. i.e. "Frankenstein"

harangue

a forceful sermon, lecture, or tirade

hubris

the excessive pride/ambition that leads to the main character's downfall

hyperbole

exaggeration/deliberate overstatement

humanism

a belief that emphasizes faith and optimism in human potential and creativity

implicit

to say or write something that suggests and implies but never says it directly or clearly

in medias res

Latin for "in the midst of things"; a narrative that starts not at the beginning of events but at some other critical point

idyll

a lyric poem or passage that describes a kind of ideal life or place

image

a word or phrase representing that which can be seen, touched, tasted, smelled or felt

inversion

switching customary order of elements in a sentence or phrase. when done badly it can give a stilted, artificial look-at-me-I'm-poetry feel to the verse. type of syntax

irony

a mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm

invective

a direct verbal assault; a denunciation. i.e. Candide

kenning

a device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions/qualities, as in "ring-giver" for king and "whale-road" for ocean

lament

a poem of sadness or grief over the death of a loved one or over some other intense loss

lampoon

a satire

light verse

a variety of poetry meant to entertain or amuse, but sometimes with a satirical thrust

loose sentence

a sentence that is complete before its end. follows customary word order of English sentences i.e. subject-verb-object

periodic sentence

a sentence not grammatically complete until it has reached its final phrase; sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main thought only at the end

lyric

personal, reflective poetry that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject; the word is used to describe tone, it refers to a sweet, emotional melodiousness