AP English Literature - Vocab Terms #1

Alliteration

When lots of words start with the same sound: Silly snakes slither silently.

Allusion

A quick wink to something people already know: “He was as strong as Superman.”

Characterization

How a writer shows what someone in the story is like.

Conflict

The problem or fight in a story that needs fixing.

Connotation

The secret feelings a word gives you (“puppy” feels cuddly, “dog” feels plain).

Denotation

The basic, dictionary meaning of a word.

Diction

The special words a writer chooses.

Figurative Language

Figurative language is phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a message or point across (Fancy talk that isn’t plain — like comparisons, exaggerations, and word pictures.)

Foil

A character who makes another character stand out by being very different.

Foreshadowing

Little hints about what’s coming later.

Hyperbole

A giant exaggeration: “I’m so tired I could sleep for a year!”

Imagery

Words that make pictures (or smells, tastes, sounds, feelings) in your head.

Irony

When the opposite of what you expect happens.

Juxtaposition

Putting two things side by side so you notice how they’re different (or alike).

Metaphor

Saying one thing is another thing to explain or compare: “Her laugh was music.”

Mood

The feeling the story gives you: happy, scary, calm, excited.

Motif

A small idea, picture, or thing that keeps popping up in a story.

Paradox

A sentence that seems silly or impossible but makes sense if you think: “Less is more.”

Personification

Making something not alive act like a person: “The wind danced.”

Point of View

Who’s telling the story — is it “I,” “you,” or “they”?

Setting

Where and when the story happens.

Simile

A comparison using like or as: “Fast as a rocket.”

Suspense

The feeling of uh-oh, what will happen next?!

Symbol

A thing in the story that means something bigger, like a dove for peace.

Theme

The big idea or message of the story.

Tone

How the writer sounds — serious, funny, angry, playful.

Understatement

Saying something is smaller or less than it really is: “It’s just a scratch,” when it’s huge.

Voice

The style or personality in the writing — how the author “sounds” on the page.