AP lit terms #1

allegory

a story or piece of art that has a hidden meaning

aphorism

short, memorable statement that expresses a general truth, moral lesson, or wise observation about life

apostrophe

speaker or narrator directly addresses a person who is dead or absent, an inanimate object, an abstract concept, or a non-human entity as if it were alive or able to respond

archetype

a universal model, standard, or recurring pattern for a person, character, or thing

asyndeton

leave out connecting words like “and”, “but”, or “or” between parts of a sentence

caesura

a natural pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry for dramatic effect

catharsis

the process of releasing deep, hidden, or heavy feelings

anaphora

a literary and rhetorical device where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or line

chiasmus

literary device where words, grammatical structures, or concepts are repeated in reverse order

conceit

excessive pride or a high opinion of oneself

deus ex machina

plot device where an impossible or hopeless problem in a story is solved suddenly by a surprising, out-of-nowhere event, object, or character

doppelgänger

ghostly or paranormal double of a living person or characters who start out different but end up being very similar

elision

the omission of a sound, vowel, or syllable in speech or writing

enjambment

poetic technique where a sentence or phrase continues past the end of a line without a phrase or end punctuation

epiphany

a sudden, clear moment of understanding or a great realization

epistolary

an adjective that describes a literary work written in the form of letters, diary entries, or other personal documents

epithet

a descriptive word or phrase added to or used in place of a person or things name to highlight a key characteristic

hubris

extreme or excessive pride, arrogance, and dangerous self-confidence

meiosis

deliberate, witty, or ironic understatement; makes a tragic, massive, or significant situation sound small

metonymy

a figure of speech where you call something by the name of a closely linked object or idea instead of its actual name

synecdoche

figure of speech that uses a small part of something to mean the whole thing, or vice versa

motif

a recurring element, idea, or design that appears throughout a work of art, literature, or music to help develop a central theme

paradox

a statement, situation, or idea that seems to go against common sense or logic, but may still reveal a deeper truth

satire

uses humor, irony and exaggeration to expose and criticize foolishness, corruption, or flaws in people and society

stream of conciseness

a style of writing that shows a persons thoughts and feelings just as they happen

symbolism

use of objects, colors, actions, or characters to mean more than what they show on the outside

synesthesia

a harmless brain condition where one sense triggers another

tragic flaw

personal weakness, error in judgment or internal defect in a main character that drives the toward a catastrophic downfall

alliteration

literary device where two or more neighboring words in a phrase or sentence share the same initial consonant sound

connotation

emotional or cultural idea associated with a word beyond its strict literal dictionary definition