AP Lit Literary Terms 101-125

Only definitions, no examples

pastoral

A poem, play, or story that celebrates and idealizes the simple life of shepherds and shepherdesses

pathos

The quality of a literary work or passage which appeals to the reader’s or viewer’s emotions

periodic sentence

A sentence that delivers its point at the end; usually constructed as a subordinate clause followed by a main clause

personification

The attribution of human characteristics to an animal or to an inanimate object

point of view

Perspective of the speaker or narrator in a literary work

polysyndeton

Repetition of conjunctions in close succession

prose

The ordinary language people use to express themselves; the opposite of poetry

protagonist

The main or principal character in a work; often considered the hero or heroine

physiognomy

The assessment of a person's character or personality from his or her outer appearance, especially the face; can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object or terrain

pun

Humorous play on words that have several meanings or words that sound the same but have different meanings

quatrain

Four-line stanza

refrain

Repetition of a line, stanza, or phrase

repetition

A word or phrase used more than once to emphasize an idea

rhetorical question

A question with an obvious answer, so no response is expected; used for emphasis or to make a point

satire

The use of humor to ridicule and expose the shortcomings and failings of society individuals, and institutions, often in the hope that change and reform are possible

scansion

The process of measuring metrical verse; marking accented and unaccented syllables, dividing the lines into feet, identifying the metrical pattern, and noting significant variations from that pattern

sestet

A six-line stanza of poetry; also, the last six lines of an Italian sonnet

shift

In writing, a movement from one thought or idea to another; a change

simile

A comparison of unlike things using the word *like*, *as*, or *so*

soliloquy

A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener

English sonnet

Traditionally, a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter, but in contemporary poetry form may vary. A conventional ___’s prescribed rhyme scheme is *abab*, *cdcd*, *efef*, *gg*. The final couplet (*gg*) sums up or resolves the situation described in the previous lines.

Italian sonnet

Fourteen-line poem divided into two parts: the first is eight lines (*abbaabba*) and the second is six (*cdcdcd* or *cdecde*)

spondee

A metrical foot consisting of two syllables equally or almost equally accented

stanza

A grouping of poetic lines; a deliberate arrangement of lines of poetry

stock character

A stereotypical character; a type. The audience expects the character to have certain characteristics. Similar to conventional character and flat character.