AP Glossary of Literary and Rhetorical Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key literary, rhetorical, and logical terms from the AP glossary.

Active Voice

Sentence construction in which the subject performs the action (e.g., “Anthony drove …”).

Passive Voice

Sentence construction in which the subject receives the action (e.g., “The car was driven …”).

Allusion

An indirect reference to a commonly known work, event, or figure.

Alter-ego

A character used by an author to speak the author’s own thoughts.

Anecdote

A brief, relevant story inserted to illustrate a point or add humor.

Antecedent

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

Classicism

Literature or art favoring realistic views, traditional themes, and structures.

Comic Relief

Humorous scene inserted into a serious narrative to lighten the mood.

Diction

An author’s choice of words; can be formal, informal, ornate, plain, etc.

Colloquialism

Everyday, informal expression characteristic of ordinary conversation.

Connotation

The associative or implied meaning of a word beyond its literal definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word.

Jargon

Specialized vocabulary used by a particular profession or group.

Vernacular

Plain, everyday speech or regional dialect of a group or country.

Didactic

Writing intended to teach a lesson, moral, or correct behavior.

Adage

Traditional folk saying expressing a lesson (e.g., “A rolling stone gathers no moss”).

Allegory

Story in which characters and events symbolically represent abstract ideas.

Aphorism

Terse statement expressing a general truth or moral principle.

Ellipsis

Deliberate omission of words for effect; also the three-dot punctuation mark.

Euphemism

A mild or less offensive term substituted for a harsh one.

Figurative Language

Writing not meant to be taken literally; opposite of literal language.

Analogy

Comparison showing a parallel relationship between two pairs of variables.

Hyperbole

Intentional exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Idiom

Common expression whose meaning is not literal (e.g., “chewed out”).

Metaphor

Implied comparison stating one thing is another without “like” or “as.”

Extended Metaphor

Metaphor carried through multiple sentences or paragraphs.

Conceit

Particularly elaborate or extended metaphor.

Metonymy

Substitution of something closely related for the thing actually meant (e.g., “the White House” for the president).

Synecdoche

Type of metonymy where a part represents the whole or vice versa (e.g., “50 head of cattle”).

Simile

Direct comparison using “like,” “as,” or similar words.

Synesthesia

Description that blends sensory modalities (e.g., “a loud color”).

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human entities.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about events that will occur later in a story.

Genre

Category or type of literature, such as prose, poetry, or drama.

Gothic

Writing marked by gloom, mystery, fear, or death; also a medieval architectural style.

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses to create mental pictures.

Invective

Emotionally violent, abusive, or insulting language.

Irony

Contrast between expectation and reality.

Verbal Irony

Saying one thing but meaning the opposite.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something a character does not.

Situational Irony

When the outcome is the opposite of what is expected in a plot.

Juxtaposition

Placing two ideas or images side by side for comparison.

Mood

The atmosphere or emotional feeling created by a text.

Motif

Recurring idea, image, or element within a work.

Oxymoron

Two contradictory terms paired together (e.g., “jumbo shrimp”).

Pacing

Speed or tempo of an author’s writing.

Paradox

Seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a truth.

Parallelism

Use of grammatically similar structures for emphasis or rhythm.

Anaphora

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

Chiasmus (Antimetabole)

Repeated words in reverse order (e.g., “Fair is foul, foul is fair”).

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas presented in parallel structure.

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

Single word modifies two others, changing meaning with each (e.g., “He lost his coat and his temper”).

Parenthetical Idea

Thought set off in parentheses, functioning as an aside.

Parody

Humorous imitation of a serious work.

Persona

Narrative voice or mask adopted by an author.

Poetic Device

Technique manipulating the sound of words in poetry.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds (e.g., “She sells sea shells …”).

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within words.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within or at ends of words.

Onomatopoeia

Word that imitates a sound (e.g., “buzz,” “snap”).

Internal Rhyme

Rhyme within a single line of poetry.

Slant Rhyme

Approximate or near rhyme (words sound similar, not exact).

End Rhyme

Rhyme occurring at the ends of lines.

Rhyme Scheme

Pattern of end rhymes in a poem, labeled with letters.

Stressed/Unstressed Syllables

Relative emphasis placed on syllables within words.

Meter

Regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Free Verse

Poetry lacking consistent meter or rhyme.

Iambic Pentameter

Line of ten syllables with alternating unstressed/stressed pattern.

Sonnet

14-line poem in iambic pentameter, typically three quatrains and a couplet.

Polysyndeton

Use of multiple conjunctions in close succession for effect.

Pun

Humorous play on words exploiting multiple meanings or similar sounds.

Rhetoric

Art of effective communication and persuasion.

Aristotelian Rhetorical Triangle

Model showing relationships among writer, audience, and subject.

Rhetorical Question

Question asked for effect, not requiring an answer.

Romanticism

Literary movement emphasizing idealism, emotion, nature, and individualism.

Sarcasm

Bitter or mocking ironic remark.

Satire

Work that humorously criticizes human follies or social institutions.

Sentence

Group of words with subject and verb expressing a complete thought.

Appositive

Word or phrase that renames or explains a noun beside it.

Clause

Grammatical unit with subject and verb; can be independent or dependent.

Balanced Sentence

Sentence with two parallel structures of equal length and importance.

Compound Sentence

Sentence with at least two independent clauses and no dependent clauses.

Complex Sentence

Sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Cumulative (Loose) Sentence

Sentence that starts with an independent clause then adds subordinate elements.

Periodic Sentence

Sentence whose main clause comes at the end after introductory elements.

Simple Sentence

Sentence containing only one independent clause.

Declarative Sentence

Sentence that states an idea or fact.

Imperative Sentence

Sentence issuing a command or request.

Interrogative Sentence

Sentence that asks a question.

Style

Author’s distinctive choices in diction, tone, and syntax.

Symbol

Concrete object or action representing an abstract idea.

Syntax

Arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences; sentence variety.

Theme

Central idea or message of a work.

Thesis

Statement expressing an author’s main argument or purpose.

Tone

Author’s attitude toward subject, audience, or self, conveyed through writing.

Understatement

Presentation of something as less important than it is for ironic effect.

Litotes

Form of understatement using double negatives to express a positive or intensified idea.

Argument

Reasoned discourse with premises leading to a conclusion; an essay’s core.

Premise

Statement offered as a reason to support a conclusion.

Conclusion

Main point derived from premises in an argument.