AP Literature 2026 "The Language of Literature" Literary Terms

Complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering literary terms for Poetry and Prose analysis as defined in the AP Literature 2026 lecture notes.

alliteration

The repetition of accented consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to each other, usually to create an effect, rhythm, or emphasis. Ex. Sally searched for seashells by the shore.

allusion

A reference in literature or in art to previous literature, history, mythology, pop culture/ current events, or the Bible.

ambiguity

Quality of being intentionally unclear. Events or situations that are ambiguous can be interpreted in more than one way.

antihero

A protagonist who carries the action of the literary piece but does not embody the classic characteristics of courage, strength, and nobility.

antithesis

A concept that is directly opposed to a previously presented idea.

anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

apostrophe

A rhetorical figure of direct address to a person, object, or abstract entity.

archetype

A character, situation, or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore.

asyndeton

A rhetorical term for a writing style that omits conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses. Poets use asyndeton to quicken the pace of the line (opposite of polysyndeton). (conjunctions = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

atmosphere

The pervading mood of a place, situation, or work of art (synonymous to "mood")

attitude

The author’s feelings toward the topic he or she is writing about. Attitude, often used interchangeably with "tone," is usually revealed through word choice.

bildungsroman

A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character. Often called a "coming of age" story.

catharsis

An emotional cleansing or feeling of relief.

caesura

Any interruption, pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry.

climax

The turning point in a literary work; the culmination of the rising action, and after this point in a story the falling action and resolution occur

colloquial

Of or relating to slang or regional dialect; the type of speech used in familiar everyday conversation.

conceit

An extended metaphor that makes a comparison, but the objects that are compared are very dissimilar (in this case "extended" means that the comparison is continued throughout the passage).

cumulative sentence

A sentence that delivers its point at the beginning; usually constructed as a main clause followed by a series of subordinate clauses (opposite of periodic sentence).

deus ex machina

Mostly used in mythology, this is when the gods intervene at a story’s end to resolve a seemingly impossible conflict.

didactic

A story, speech, essay or play in which the author’s primary purpose is to instruct, teach or moralize.

dynamic character

A character who undergoes an important inner change in personality or attitude.

enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause (no period or comma) beyond the end of a line or stanza.

epiphany

A sudden flash of insight. A startling discovery and/or appearance; a dramatic realization.

epistolary novel

A novel in letter form written by one or more of the characters.

euphemism

Substitution of an inoffensive word or phrase for another that would be harsh, offensive, or embarrassing.

figurative language

Unlike literal expression, figurative language uses figures of speech (such as a metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole) to create meaning.

flat/static character

Characters who are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work.

foil

A character whose contrasting personal characteristics draw attention to enhance or contrast with those of the main character. A character who, by displaying opposite traits, emphasizes certain aspects of another character.

foreshadowing

Foreshadowing hints at what is to come. It is sometimes noticeable only in hindsight, but usually it is obvious enough to give the reader a small hint at what is to come.

hamartia

A tragic flaw (also called a fatal flaw).

hubris

Excessive pride. In Greek tragedy, the protagonist’s hubris is usually the tragic flaw that leads to his or her downfall.

hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration for literary effect that is not meant to be interpreted literally.

imagery

Anything that affects or appeals to the reader’s senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell.

in medias res

In literature, a work that begins in the middle of the story.

inversion

A switch in the normal word order, often used for emphasis or for rhyme scheme.

irony

The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

juxtaposition

The fact of two ideas or words being placed close together to create a contrasting effect.

line of reasoning

The way an argument is organized to show a progression of the writer’s ideas; using signpost words, writers link together their ideas to show proof of their argument.

mood

The pervading atmosphere of a place, situation, or work of art

motif

A distinctive or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.

nuance

A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

octave

An eight-line stanza; also, the first eight lines of an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet.

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory words, placed side by side..

paradox

A statement or situation that at first seems impossible or oxymoronic, but which solves itself and reveals meaning.

parallelism

The repeated use of the same grammatical structure in a sentence or a series of sentences.

periodic sentence

A sentence that delivers its point at the end; usually constructed as a subordinate clause or clauses followed by a main clause (opposite of cumulative sentence).

polysyndeton

Repetition of conjunctions in close succession. Poets use polysyndeton to slow the pace of the line for emphasis (opposite of asyndeton).

pun

Humorous play on words that have several meanings or words that sound the same but have different meanings.

quatrain

A four-line stanza in a poem.

repetition

A word or phrase used more than once to emphasize an idea.

rhetorical question

A question with an obvious answer, so no response is expected.

satire

The use of humor to ridicule and expose the shortcomings or failings of society, an individual, or an institution, often in the hope that change and reform are possible.

sestet

A six-line stanza of poetry; also, the last six lines of an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet.

shift

In writing, a movement from one thought or idea to another; a change.

signpost words

Transition words used between ideas to demonstrate the author’s line of reasoning or thought process.

slant rhyme

A rhyme based on an imperfect match of the end syllable sounds. It is rhyme that almost sounds like it matches, but not quite.

soliloquy

A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to themselves or reveals their thoughts without addressing a listener. In drama, this is done when a character is alone on stage.

Sonnet: English or Shakespearean

A fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter. A Shakespearean sonnet is 3 quatrains followed by a couplet that sums up or resolves the situation described in the previous lines. Rhyme scheme is ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG.

Sonnet: Italian or Petrarchan

A fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter; it is divided into two parts, an 8-line octave and a 6- line sestet. Rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA/CDCDCD.

stream of consciousness

The unbroken flow of thought and awareness where novelists express the unspoken thoughts and feelings of a character.

synesthesia

A conflation of two or more senses, such as describing a color as "loud."

syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

tercet

A three-line stanza

theme (MOWAAW)

The universal insight presented in a work; contrary to popular belief, the theme is NEVER simply one word. To express the theme or the meaning of the work as a whole, it requires a sentence. In our class, we call this the "mowaaw" (pronounced "mow-wow").

tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject, which often sets the mood of the piece. Tone is always "created" by the author; it is never "used" by the author.