AP Lit terms

foil characters

a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character

foreshadowing

a writer givens an advance hint of what is to come later in the story

grammar

the structure of written language; it refers to the parts of speech and how they combine together to form sentences

mechanics (in writing)

the rules of the written language, such as capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

hyperbole

a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration to make a point or show emphasis

imagery

the use of figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses

in medias res

a narrative work beginning in the middle of things; opens in the midst of the plot. Often, exposition is bypassed and filled in gradually, through dialogue, flashbacks, and/or description of past events

juxtaposition

when two things are placed side by side for comparison, often to highlight the contrast between the elements

line (of poetry)

a unit of language into which a poem is divided. The use of it operates on principles which are distinct from and not necessarily coincident with grammatical structures, such as the sentence or single clauses in a sentence

line of reasoning

the logical sequence of claims that work together to defend the overarching thesis statement

literal (image)

meant to be taken in its most basic sense without metaphor or allegory

literary analysis

a close examination of various sections of a text and how those aspects impact the work as a whole

main subject (in a simile)

the thing being compared

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

meter

the rhythm of syllables in a line of verse or in a stanza of a poem. Depending on the language, this pattern may have to do with stressed and unstressed syllables, syllable weight, or number of syllables

minimizing

using understatement minimizes an aspect of an object, which conveys a perspective about the object