AP Lit English Terms

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Allusion

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

Aphorism

a short, concise statement that expresses a general truth, moral principle, or clever observation about life

Apostrophe

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

Colloquialism

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

Connotation

the implied or associative meaning of a word

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word

Diction

the word choices made by a writer

Dramatic Irony

when the audience knows something the characters do not

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Flashback

A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events

Foreshadowing

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Hyperbole

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

Idiom

an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression, or a regional speech or dialect

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

Metaphor

a direct comparison of two different things

Metonymy

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it

Motif

a recurring symbol that develops a theme over the course of a literary work

Oxymoron

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

Paradox

a contradictory statement

Satire

the use of humor to emphasize human weakness or imperfections in social institutions

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Situational Irony

when the opposite of what is expected occurs

Synecdoche

using one part of an object to represent the entire object

Syntax

the manner in which words are arranged into sentences

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter is revealed through diction, figurative language, and syntax

Understatement

Downplaying the severity of a situation, usually through irony

Verbal Irony

sarcasm; the opposite of what is said is meant

Vernacular

the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage