AP Literature Glossary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the full AP Literature glossary provided in the lecture notes.

absolute

A word free from limitations or qualifications (e.g., “best,” “all,” “unique,” “perfect”).

adage

A familiar proverb or wise saying.

allegory

A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions.

alliteration

The repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words.

allusion

A reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.

analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.

anaphora

The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences.

anecdote

A brief narrative focusing on a particular incident or event.

antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

antithesis

A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced.

aphorism

A concise statement that succinctly expresses a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.

apostrophe

A figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction.

archetype

A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and evokes a universal response.

argument

A statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work.

asyndeton

A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions.

balanced sentence

A sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize contrast.

bildungsroman

A novel that deals with the formative years of the main character, focusing on psychological development and moral education.

chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (e.g., “Fair is foul and foul is fair”).

cliché

An expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off.

climax

The point of highest interest in a literary work.

colloquialism

Informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing.

complex sentence

A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

compound sentence

A sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by conjunctions.

conceit

A fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor.

concrete details

Details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events.

connotation

The implied or associative meaning of a word.

cumulative sentence

A sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases.

declarative sentence

A sentence that makes a statement or declaration.

deductive reasoning

Reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by applying a general principle to a specific case.

denotation

The literal meaning of a word.

dialect

A variety of speech characterized by its own grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular region.

dialogue

Conversation between two or more people.

diction

The word choices made by a writer.

didactic

Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing.

dilemma

A situation requiring a person to decide between two equally attractive or unattractive alternatives.

dissonance

Harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds.

elegy

A formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme.

ellipsis

The omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context.

epic

A long narrative poem in elevated style presenting the adventures of high-rank characters important to the history of a nation.

epigram

A brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying.

epigraph

A saying or statement placed on the title page of a work or as a heading for a chapter or section.

epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight.

epitaph

An inscription on a tombstone or burial place.

epithet

A term used to point out a characteristic of a person; often a compound adjective such as “swift-footed Achilles.”

eulogy

A formal speech praising a person who has died.

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something unpleasant.

exclamatory sentence

A sentence expressing strong feeling, usually ending with an exclamation mark.

expletive

An interjection used to lend emphasis; sometimes a profanity.

fable

A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters.

figurative language

Language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.).

flashback

The insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative.

flat character

A character who embodies a single quality and does not develop in the course of a story.

foreshadowing

Presenting material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later.

frame device

A story within a story, such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

genre

A major category or type of literature.

homily

A sermon or moralistic lecture.

hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance that results in the protagonist’s downfall.

hyperbole

Intentional exaggeration to create an effect.

hypothetical question

A question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition.

idiom

An expression that cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its words; also, regional speech.

imagery

The use of language to create vivid sensory images.

implication

A suggestion an author makes without stating it directly; the reader infers.

inductive reasoning

Deriving general principles from particular facts or instances.

inference

A conclusion drawn based on premises or evidence.

invective

An intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack.

irony

The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning or incongruity between expectation and reality.

jargon

The specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession.

juxtaposition

Placing two elements side by side to present comparison or contrast.

legend

A narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural ones.

limerick

Light verse of five lines with a specific rhyme scheme (AABBA) and rhythm.

limited narrator

A narrator who presents the story as seen and understood by a single character.

literary license

Deviating from normal rules or methods to achieve a certain effect (e.g., intentional fragments).

litotes

Understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (e.g., “not a pretty picture”).

malapropism

The mistaken substitution of one word for another that sounds similar (

maxim

A concise statement, often offering advice; an adage.

metaphor

A direct comparison of two different things.

metonymy

Substituting the name of one object with another closely associated object (e.g., “the pen” for writing).

mood

The emotional atmosphere of a work.

motif

A standard theme, element, or situation that recurs in various works.

motivation

A character’s incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner.

myth

A traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that explain natural events.

narrative

A story or narrated account.

narrator

The one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient.

non sequitur

An inference that does not logically follow from the premises.

omniscient narrator

A narrator who knows and can relay all aspects, including characters’ inner thoughts and feelings.

onomatopoeia

A word formed from the imitation of natural sounds.

oxymoron

An expression in which two contradictory words are joined.

parable

A simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.

paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that actually contains truth.

parallelism

The use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms.

paraphrase

A restatement of a text in different words, often for clarity.

parody

A humorous imitation of a serious work.

parenthetical

A comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain.

pastoral

Literature that depicts people living off the land, revealing challenges and blessings of nature.

pathos

The quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity.

pedantic

Characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship.

personification

Endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics.

philippic

A strong verbal denunciation.

point of view

The vantage point from which a story is told.

polysyndeton

The deliberate use of more conjunctions than necessary or natural.