AP Lit Flashcards

Allusion

an indirect reference to a well known person, place, event, or work(movie/art/book)
“He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”

Apostrophe

a figure of speech where a speaker directly addresses someone or something that isn't present or is incapable of responding, such as an inanimate object, an abstract idea, or a deceased person

Conceit

an elaborate and often extended metaphor or simile that draws a surprising and clever comparison between two seemingly dissimilar things
e.g like in 'The Metamorphosis' by Kafka, turning into a bug is extended metaphor, or conceit

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that continues over several lines or throughout an entire work.
“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players…”

Imagery

Detailed description of a setting that appeals to the senses. if you need an example of this you don't need to be in AP lit

Metaphor

direct comparison by saying they “are” each other(not using 'like' or 'as')
“Time is a river, always flowing”

Personification

Giving human characteristics to nonhuman things or abstract ideas.
“the wind howled”

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using like or as.
same as metaphor you do NOT need an example

Symbol

An object, character, or event that represents a deeper meaning beyond its literal sense.
“A dove symbolized peace”

Analogy

A comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification, often showing how they are alike in some way.
“Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer.”

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas or phrases in a balanced or parallel grammatical structure.
“it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”

hyperbole

exaggeration
“it felt like an eternity”

juxtaposition

placing two things/ideas side by side to highlight their similarities or differences
“A wealthy man dining in a mansion while a starving child begs outside the gate.”

Oxymoron

where two contradictory words are combined
“deafening silence” “(hes)pretty ugly”

Paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth
“less is more”

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures in a series for rhythm and balance.
“She likes cooking, jogging, and reading.”

Situational Irony

When what happens is the opposite of whats expected
“a fire station is burning down”

Understatement

Minimizing the importance of something, often for ironic or humorous effect.
After winning a huge award: “It's not that big a deal.”

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words.
“peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.
like repeating “i have a dream” for multiple lines in MLK speech

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.
“the rain in spain”

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words (not necessarily at the beginning).
“a lumpy, bumpy road” (repeating 'mpy' sound)

Epistrophe

The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences.
“See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”

Refrain

A line or group of lines repeated at intervals in a poem or song, often at the end of stanzas.
e.g-The Raven by edgar allen poe. Repeats “nevermore”

Rhyme

Repetition of ending sounds in words, typically at the end of lines in poetry.

Sibilance

A type of alliteration that specifically repeats “s,” “sh,” “z,” or similar soft consonant sounds, creating a hissing or whispering effect.
“She sells seashells by the seashore.”

Ambiguity

A word, phrase, or statement with more than one possible meaning. It can be intentional (to add depth) or unintentional (causing confusion). “saw her duck”

Asyndeton

omitting conjunctions. usually in a list or series to create a fast-paced or dramatic effect.
“I came, I saw, I conquered”

Connotation

The emotional or cultural associations of a word beyond its literal meaning.
“Home” connotes comfort, safety, and warmth

Denotation

The dictionary, literal meaning of a word.
“Home” literally means a dwelling or residence

Diction

The author's word choice, often categorized by tone, subject, or formality. Must specify the type of diction when analyzing.

Polysyndeton

The use of multiple conjunctions (especially and, or) where they are not needed, often to add emphasis or rhythm.
“We ate and talked and laughed and danced.”

Syntax

The arrangement of words and sentence structure. Different types of syntax create different effects.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through diction, syntax, imagery, etc. Should be described using specific adjectives.

Antagonist

The character or force that opposes the protagonist and creates conflict.
like the bad guy

Antihero

A central character who lacks traditional heroic qualities like bravery or morality but still has the reader's interest or sympathy.
like walter white

Archetype

A universally recognizable character, symbol, or situation that recurs across literature and cultures.
The “wise old mentor” archetype - like gandalf or dumbledore

Colloquial

Informal, everyday language or slang used in conversation or writing.
the infamous diego phrase

Dialect

A form of language specific to a particular region or group, including grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.
like the south american twang

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change over the course of the story.

Epiphany

A moment of sudden realization or insight, often changing the character's understanding.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character (often the protagonist) to highlight qualities of the other character.
Draco Malfoy is a foil to Harry Potter — their differences in choices and values emphasize Harry's traits.

Hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance, often leading to the downfall of a character.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, usually the one who faces the central conflict.

Static Character

A character who does not undergo significant change or development.
like sherlock holmes

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised — they may be lying, biased, mentally unstable, or naïve.

1st Person Point of View (POV)

The narrator is a character in the story, using “I,” “me,” “my” to tell it. The reader only knows what this character knows, sees, and feels.

2nd Person Point of View (POV)

The narrator addresses the reader directly using “you.” Rare in fiction, but common in instructions or interactive narratives.

3rd Person Limited POV

The narrator is outside the story, using “he,” “she,” or “they,” but only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.

3rd Person Omniscient POV

The narrator is all-knowing and can reveal the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of all characters.

Frame Narrative

A story within a story. taking a story and framing it from another perspective. for example the movie titanic about the titanic sinking(movie from rose's perspective)

Narrator

The person (or voice) telling the story. The narrator's identity and reliability shape how the story is perceived.

Perspective

The lens or position through which the story is told — it includes the narrator's biases, background, and worldview.

Point of View (POV)

The narrative position from which the story is told — usually refers to 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person. It's closely related to narrator and perspective, but specifically describes the grammatical stance.

Speaker

The voice that speaks in a poem — not always the same as the author. Like a narrator in prose, but for poetry.

Internal conflict

A character struggles with their own thoughts, emotions, or decisions.
A soldier feels guilty for surviving when others didn't

External Conflict

A character struggles against something outside themselves — another person, nature, society, or fate.

Flashback

An interruption in the story to show an event that happened earlier in time, often to provide backstory or context.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues early in a story that suggest what will happen later.

In Media Res

Latin for “in the middle of things” — the story starts in the middle of the action, rather than at the beginning.
“you may be asking…how did I get here”

Vignette

A short, descriptive scene or moment that captures a feeling, idea, or impression — often standalone but part of a larger work.
for example describing the morning routine of a character; not to advance plot but to give info about mood and character

Sequence

The order of events in a narrative. The way a story is sequenced (chronological, nonlinear, etc.) affects how it's understood and felt.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter (10-syllable lines with an unstressed-stressed rhythm).
“to be, or not to be - that is the question”

Caesura

A pause in the middle of a poetic line, often marked by punctuation (like a dash, comma, or period).
“To err is human; || to forgive, divine.”’ The pause between clauses is a caesura.

Closed Form Poetry

Poetry that follows a fixed structure—specific rhyme schemes, meter, or line counts (like sonnets, haikus, villanelles).

End-Stopped Line

A line of poetry that ends with a punctuation mark (period, comma, etc.) and a completed thought.

Enjambment

When a line of poetry runs over into the next line without a pause or punctuation.

Free Verse

Poetry that has no fixed rhyme or meter—it mimics natural speech rhythms.

Line

A single row of words in a poem. It's the basic unit of poetic structure.

Meter

The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.

Open Form Poetry

Poetry that doesn't follow a regular form, rhyme, or meter — often experimental in structure. Similar to free verse, but broader.

Shift / Volta / Turn

A noticeable change in the speaker's tone, attitude, or subject, often in a sonnet or longer poem.

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem that form a unit — like a paragraph in prose.

Allegory

A story, poem, or play in which characters, settings, and events symbolically represent abstract ideas (like morality, politics, or religion).

Cacophony

A harsh, jarring mixture of sounds — used for effect in poetry or prose, often to convey tension or disorder.
“With throats unslaked, with black lips baked…” — Coleridge The repeated harsh 'k' and 'b' sounds create cacophony.

Catharsis

The emotional release or purification a reader or audience experiences after the climax of a tragedy.
At the end of Romeo and Juliet, the deaths of the lovers bring a sense of catharsis to the audience

Dialogue

conversation

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the characters do not, creating tension or humor.

Euphony

The use of pleasant, smooth, harmonious sounds in language — the opposite of cacophony.
“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…” — Keats’ The soft “s,” “m,” and “l” sounds create euphony.

Metonymy

A figure of speech where something is referred to by something closely associated with it (but not part of it).
“The pen is mightier than the sword.”’ “Pen” represents writing or ideas; “sword” represents military force.

Rhyme

Repetition of identical or similar sounds at the ends of words — usually at the end of lines in poetry.

satire

A literary work that criticizes human vice, politics, or society through humor, irony, or exaggeration.

setting

The time and place in which a story occurs. could also be social context

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, or vice versa.
“All hands on deck!”’ “Hands” represents sailors — just a part of them stands in for the whole.