AP Lit Vocab (part 6)

o through q (o, p, q)

octave

an 8-line poem or stanza

ode

a ciomplex and often lengthy lyric poem written in a dignified formal style on some lofty/serious subject

onomatopoeia

the use of a word whosever’s sound in some degree imitates or suggest its meaning

otta va rima

a form of 8-line stanza

oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory ideas/terms

paradox

a statement that reveals a kind of truth, although it seems at first to be self-contradictory & untrue

parallelism

the use of phrases/clauses/sentences that are similar or complementary structure/meaning

parody

the humourous imitation of work of literature/art/music

pastoral

a type of poem that tells an idealized way w/ shepherds & rustic life

pathos

the quality in a work of literature or art that arouses the reader’s feelings of pity/sorrow/compassion for a character

personification

a figure of speech in which something non human if given human qualities

petrarchan sonnet

a 14 line poem expressing a single theme/idea, this type of sonnet is vogue often referring to beauty & cruelty

plot

sequence of events/action in a short story/play/narrative poem

point of view

the vantage point from which a narrative is told

protagonist

the central character of a drama/novel/short story/narrative poem

psalm

a song/lyric poem in praise of God

pun

the use of a word/phrase to suggest two/more meanings at the same time

quatrain

usually a stanza/poem of four lines