Barron's Test

AP Terms Lists 1-6

abstract

an abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research. dealing with or tending to deal with a subject apart from a particular or specific instance.

ad hominem

directed to or appealing to feelings or prejudices instead of to intellect or reason.

adage

a saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language. ex) “there is more than one way to skin a cat.”

allegory

a story in which a second meaning is to be read beneath the surface.

alliteration

the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in a poem

allusion

a reference to a person, place, or event meaning to to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea.

ambiguity

a vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings or interpretations.

anachronism

a person, scene, event, or other element that fails to correspond with the appropriate time or era. ex) Columbus sailing to the United States.

analogy

a comparison that points our similarities between two dissimilar things; a passage that points out several similarities between two unlike things is called an extended analogy.

anecdote

a brief narrative often used to illustrate an idea or make a point.

annotation

a brief explanation, summary, or evaluation of a text or work of literature.

antagonist

a character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist, produces tension or conflict.

antecedent

a word to which a pronoun refers.

antithesis

a rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences, as in the following: “they promised freedom but provided slavery.” “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

aphorism

a short, pithy statement of a generally accepted truth of sentiment. also see adage and maxim.

Apollonian

in contrast to Dionysian, it refers to the most noble, godlike qualities of human nature and behavior.

apostrophe

a locution that addresses a person or personified thing not present. ex) “oh, you cruel streets of Manhattan, how I detest you!”

arch

characterized by clever or sly humor, often saucy, playful, and somewhat irreverent.

archetype

an abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model or form

assonance

the repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words in prose or poetry

bard

a poet; in olden times, a performer who told heroic stories to musical accompaniment

bathos

insincere or overdone sentimentality

belle-letres

a French term for the world of books, criticism, and literature in general.

bibliography

a list of works cited or otherwise relevant to a particular subject.

bombast

inflated, pretentious language.

burlesque

a work of literature meant to ridicule a subject; a grotesque imitation.

cacophony

grating, inharmonious sounds.

canon

the works considered most important in a national literature or period; works widely read and studied.

caricature

a grotesque or exaggerated likeness of striking qualities in persons and things.

carpe diem

literally, “seize the day”: “enjoy life while you can,” a common theme in life and literature.

chiasmus

using two clauses with a reversal of meaning in order to create an inverse parallel, as in this statement by Frederick Douglass: “you have seen how a man was made a slave: you shall now see how a slave was made a man.”

circumlocution

literally, “talking around” a subject; i.e., discourse that avoids direct reference to a subject.

classic

a highly regarded work of literature or other art form that has withstood the rest of time.

classical, classicism

deriving from the orderly qualities of ancient Greek and Roman culture, implies formality, objectivity, simplicity, and restraint.

clause

a structural element of a sentence, consisting of a grammatical subject and a predicate. independent clauses, sometimes called main clauses, may stand on their own as complete sentences; dependent clauses, which are used as nouns or modifiers, are incomplete sentences and cannot stand alone grammatically. dependent clauses are sometimes called subordinate clauses. dependent clauses that function as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs are know, respectively, as adjective, noun, and adverbial clauses.

climax

the high point, or turning point, of a story or play.

comparison and contrast

a mode of discourse in which two or more things are compared and contrasted. comparison often refers to similarities, contrast to differences.

conceit

a witty or ingenious thought; a diverting or highly fanciful idea, often stated in figurative language.

concrete detail

a highly specific, particular, often real, actual, or tangible detail; the opposite of abstract.

connotation

the suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase. contrast with denotation.

consonance

the repetition of two or more consonant sounds in a group of words or a unit of speech or writing.

critique

an analysis or assessment of a thing or situation for the purpose of determining its nature, limitations, and conformity to a set of standards.

cynic

one who expects and observes nothing but the worst of human conduct.

deductive reasoning

a method of reasoning by which specific definitions, conclusions, and theorems are drawn from general principles. its opposite is inductive reasoning.

denotation

the dictionary definition of a word. contrast with connotation.

dénouement

the resolution that occurs at the end of a narrative or drama, real or imagined.

descriptive detail

graphic, exact, and accurate presentation of the characteristics of a person, place, or thing.

deus ex machina

in literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.

diction

the choice of words in oral and written discourse.

didactic

having an instructive purpose; intending to convey information or teach a lesson, usually in a dry, pompous manner.

digression

that portion of discourse that wanders or departs from the main subject or topic.

Dionysian

as distinguished from Apollonian, the word refers to sensual, pleasure-seeking impulses.

dramatic irony

a circumstance in which the audience or reader knows more about a situation than a character.

elegy

a poem or prose selection that laments or meditates on the passing or death of someone or something of value. the adjective describing an elegy is elegiac.

ellipsis

three periods (…) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation.

elliptical construction

a sentence containing a deliberate omission of words. in the sentence “May was hot and June the same,” the verb ‘was’ is omitted from the second clause.

empathy

a feeling of association or identification with an object or person.

epic

a narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero.

epigram

a concise but ingenious, witty, and thoughtful statement.

epithet

an adjective or phrase that expresses a striking quality of a person or thing; sun-bright topaz, sun-lit lake, and sun-bright lake are examples. can also be used to apply to vulgar or profane exclamations.

eponymous

a term for the title character of a work of literature.

ethos

a speaker’s or author’s authority to express opinions on a subject. the ethos of a professional wrestler, for instance, to speak credibly about, say, philosophy or metaphysics, is questionable.

euphemism

a mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term. ex.) pass away is a euphemism for die.

euphony

pleasing, harmonious sounds.

exegesis

a detailed analysis or interpretation of a work of prose or poetry.

explication

the interpretation or analysis of a text.

exposé

a factual piece of writing that reveals weaknesses, faults, frailties, or other short-comings.

exposition

the background and events that lead to the presentation of the main idea or purpose of an essay or other work; setting forth the meaning or purpose of a piece of writing or discourse.

extended metaphor

a series of comparisons between two unlike objects.

fable

a short tale, often with nonhuman characters, from which a useful lesson or moral may be drawn.

fallacy, fallacious reasoning

an incorrect belief or supposition based on faulty data, defective evidence, false information, or flawed logic.

fantasy

a story containing unreal, imaginary features.

farce

a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose.

figure of speech, figurative language

in contrast to literal language, figurative language implies meanings. figures of speech include, among many others, metaphor, simile, and personification.

frame

a structure that provides a premise or setting for a narrative or other discourse. ex) a group of pilgrims exchanging stories while on the road is the frame for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

genre

a term used to describe literary forms, such as novel, play, and essay.

harangue

a forceful sermon, lecture, or tirade.

homily

a lecture or sermon on a religious or moral theme meant to guide human behavior.

hubris

excessive pride that often affects tone.

humanism

a belief that emphasizes faith and optimism in human potential and creativity.

hyperbole

overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect.

idyll

a lyric poem or passage that describe a kind of ideal life or place.

image

a word or phrase representing that which can be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or felt; imagery is the use of images in speech and writing.

indirect quotation

a rendering of a quotation in which actual words are not stated but only approximated or paraphrased.

inductive reasoning

a method of reasoning in which a number of specific facts or examples are used to make a generalization. its opposite is deductive reasoning.

inference

a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data.

invective

a direct verbal assault; a denunciation; casting blame on someone or something.

irony

a mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is the reverse of what might have been expected.

kenning

a device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities, as in “ring-giver” for king and “whale-road” for ocean.

lampoon

a mocking, satirical assault on a person or situation.

litotes

a form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity. ex.) he is not a bad dancer.

logos

the logic used by a speaker or writer to support a claim or point of view. in an argument in favor of more healthful food in the cafeteria, for example, statistics about teenage obesity can be persuasive.

loose sentence

a sentence that follows the customary word order of English sentences, i.e., subject-verb-object. the main idea of the sentence is presented first and then followed by one or more subordinate clauses. see also periodic sentence.

lyrical prose

personal, reflective prose that reveals the speaker’s thought and feelings about the subject.

malapropism

a confused use of words in which the appropriate word is replaced by one with a similar sound but inappropriate meaning.

maxim

a saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth. see also adage and aphorism.

melodrama

a literary forms in which events are exaggerated in order to create an extreme emotional response.

metaphor

a figure of speech that compares unlike objects. when several characteristics of the same objects are compared, the device is called an extended metaphor. a metaphor referring to a particular person, place, or thing is called a metaphorical allusion; for example, referring to someone as “a Hercules.”

metaphysical

a term describing poetry that uses elaborate concepts, expresses the complexities of love and life, and is highly intellectual. more generally, metaphysical refers to ideas that are neither analytical nor subject to empirical verification; that is, ideas that express an attitude about which rational argument is impossible.

metonymy

a figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated. ex.) “the White House says…"