AP LIT Vocab

(in writing) this is typically complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points.

(in writing) this is typically complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points.

Abstract (style)

Dry and theoretical writing. When a piece of writing seems to be sucking all the life out of its subject with analysis.

Academic (style)

In poetry, refers to the stressed portion of a word.

Accent

Used as an adjective meaning "appealing to the senses."

Aesthetic

a literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation

Allegory

repetition of initial consonant sounds

Alliteration

a reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Allusion

something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred

Anachronism

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Analogy

a short narrative

Anecdote

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

Antecedent

the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects

Anthropomorphism

A disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events

Anticlimax

a protagonist who lacks the characteristics that would make him a hero (or her a heroine)

Antihero

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

Aphorism

address to an absent or imaginary person

Apostrophe

The use of deliberately old-fashioned language.

Archaism

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

Aside

the repetition of vowel sounds

Assonance

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene.

Atmosphere

Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form.

Ballad

The use of disturbing themes in comedy.

Black humor

speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning

Bombast

a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor

Burlesque

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

Cacophony

rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words

Cadence

A pause within a line of poetry

Caesura

a major division of a long poem

Canto

drawing, imitation, or description that ridiculously exaggerates peculiarities or defects

Caricature

an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal

Catharsis

In Greek drama, the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it.

Chorus

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

Colloquialism

a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects

Conceit

the implied or associative meaning of a word

Connotation

Repetition of consonant sounds

Consonance

two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Couplet

conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior

Decorum

The dictionary definition of a word

Denotation

a writer's or speaker's choice of words

Diction

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

Dirge

harsh or grating sounds that do not go together

Dissonance

badly written or trivial verse, often with a singsong rhythm

Doggerel

(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

Dramatic Irony

When a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience.

Dramatic monologue

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme

Elegy

the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause

Enjambment

a long narrative poem written in elevated style which present the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation

Epic

a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone

Epitaph

a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

Euphemism

any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

Euphony

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

Farce

latter two syllables of first word rhyme with latter two syllables of second word (ceiling appealing)

Feminine Rhyme

a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another

Foil

the basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry

Foot

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Foreshadowing

unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern

Free Verse

a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action

Gothic Novel

Excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

Hubris

a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor

Hyperbole

a narrative technique that records a character's internal flow of thoughts, memories, and ideas; a longish passage of uninterrupted thought

Interior Monologue

the reversal of the normal order of words

Inversion

a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens

Irony

ridicule with satire

Lampoon

of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way)

Lyric

final syllable of first word rhymes with final syllable of second word (scald recalled)

Masculine Rhyme

A form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure.

Melodrama

a figure of speech comparing two unlike things without using like or as

Metaphor

a word that is used to stand for something else that it has attributes of or is associated with

Metonym

The protagonist's arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty.

Nemesis

an impersonal presentation of events and characters

Objectivity

The use of words that imitate sounds

Onomatopoeia

a figure of speech consisting of two apparently contradictory terms

Oxymoron

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

Parable

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Paradox

the use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical form

Parallelism

a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner

Parody

a literary work idealizing the rural life (especially the life of shepherds)

Pastoral

a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)

Pathos

the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

Persona

the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.

Personification

A poem or speech expressing sorrow

Plaint

the main character in a literary work

Protagonist

a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings

Pun

the repetition of one or more phrases or lines at definite intervals in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza

Refrain

A mass to honor the dead

Requiem

An intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise.

Rhapsody

a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered

Rhetorical Question

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

Satire

a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')

Simile

in drama, a character speaks alone on stage to allow his/her thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience

Soliloquy

a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem

Stanza

standard or cliched character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc.

Stock Characters

a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions

Subjectivity

A grammatical situation involving the words "if" and "were," setting up a hypothetical situation.

Subjunctive Mood

a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form

Summary

a device in literature where an object represents an idea.

Symbolism

The main idea of the story - usually universal (main idea + what the author wants us to know about it)

Theme

The primary position taken by a writer or speaker

Thesis

the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

Tragic Flaw

a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation

Travesty