Literary Terms for the AP Exam

epistolary

letter format

abstract diction

Language that denotes ideas, emotions, conditions, or concepts that are intangible-impenetrable, incredible, inscrutable, inconceivable, unfathomable

ad hominem

attacking the person instead of the argument

adverbial phrases

a group of words that modifies, as a single unit, a verb, verb form, adjective or another adverb

(example: due to his carelessness)

allegory

A fiction or nonfiction narrative, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities, moral values, or concepts

example: allegory of the cave

alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound, especially at the beginning of words

allusion

A reference, explicit or indirect, to a person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage; often humerous

ambiguity

Use of language where the meaning is unclear or has two or more possible interpretations or meanings

ambivalence

This indicates more than one possible attitude is being displayed by the writer towards a character, theme, or idea, etc.

anachronism

Something that is historically inaccurate

anadiplosis

Last word of one line is the first word of the next line

analogy

A comparison to a directly parallel case, arguing that a claim reasonable for one case is reasonable for the analogous case;A comparison made between two things that may initially seem to have little in common but can offer fresh insights when compared

anaphora

Repetition of a word, phrase or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row

anastrophe (inversion)

Inversion of the normal syntactical structure of a sentence (think yoda)

example: ready are you

antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun

anthropomorphism

The endowment of something that is not human with human characteristics

anticlimax

An event (as at the end of a series) that is strikingly less important than what has preceded it'; transition towards the ending

antimetabole

A sentence strategy in which the arrangement of ideas in the second clause is a reversal of the first; it adds power to the sentence

antithesis

A balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases or clauses

anecdote

A brief recounting of a relevant episode

aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship that expresses a general truth or moral principle

apostrophe

An interruption in a poem or narrative so that the speaker or writer can address a dead or absent person or particular audience or notion directly

appositive

Nonessential word groups (phrases and clauses) that follow nouns and identify or explain them

example: my aunt, who lives in Montana, is taking surfing lessons in Hawaii

archaic

Language that is old-fashioned –not completely obsolete but no longer in current use

archetype

applies to narrative designs, character types, or images which are said to be identifiable in a wide variety of works of literature, as well as myths, and even ritualized modes of social behavior

assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words, usually with different consonant sounds either before or after the same vowel sounds

asyndeton

Sentence where commas are used with no conjunctions to separate a series of words

example: x, y, z instead of x, y, and z

atmosphere

The prevailing mood created by a piece of writing

balanced sentence

The phrases or clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness or structure, meaning, or length

example: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

ballad

A narrative poem that tells a story (traditional ballads were songs) usually in a straightforward way. The theme is often tragic or contains a whimsical, supernatural, or fantastical element

bathos

A sudden drop from the sublime or elevated to the ludicrous; anticlimax

blank verse

Unrhymed poetry that adheres to a strict pattern in that each line is an iambic pentameter (a ten-syllable line with five stresses)

bombast

Adopted to signify verbose and inflated diction that is disproportionate to the matter it expresses

bowdlerize

Means to expurgate from a work any passages considered indecent or indelicate

cacophony

Harsh clashing, or dissonant sounds, often produced by combinations of words that require a clipped, explosive delivery or words that contain a number of plosive consonants

caesura

A conscious break in a line of poetry

caricature

A character described through the exaggeration of a small number of features that he or she possesses

catharsis

A purging of the emotions which takes place at the end of a tragedy

chiasmus/antimetabole

Arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of X Y Y X; short and summarizes main idea

example: *“The years to come seemed waste of breath,* 

*A waste of breath the years behind.”*

cliche

A phrase, idea, or image that has been used so much that it has lost much of its original meaning, impact, and freshness.

clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb

coin a verb

Thus, to “coin a verb” is to “invent a verb.”

example: Olivia: “There lies your way, due west.”

Viola:   “Then westward ho!”

colloquial

Ordinary, everyday speech and language

example: ya’ll

comedy

Originally simply a play or other work which ended happily. Now we use this term to describe something that is funny and which makes us laugh. In literature the comedy is not necessarily a lightweight form

common knowledge

Shared beliefs or assumptions between the reader and the audience; Used to argue that if something is widely believed, readers should accept it

truism

A self-evident, obvious truth, especially one too obvious to mention

complex sentence

Contains an independent clause and one or more subordinate clause

example: “Because the singer was tired, she went straight to bed after the concert”

compound sentence

Contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon

compound complex sentence

Contains two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses

example: The singer bowed while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores

conceit

An elaborate, extended, and sometimes surprising comparison between things that, at first sight, do not have much in common

concrete diction

Specific words that describe physical qualities or conditions

connotation

An implication or association attached to a word or phrase. A connotation is suggested or felt rather than being explicit

contrast

A traditional rhetorical strategy based on the assumption that a subject may be shown more clearly by pointing out ways in which it is unlike another subject

consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity; Sometimes refers to repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words

example:  “And *all* the air a *solemn stillness* *holds*.”

slant rhyme/partial rhyme

Initial and final consonants are the same but the vowels are different

example: litter letter, green groan

conventional

following certain conventions or traditional techniques of writing; over reliance may result in lack of originality

example: five paragraph theme format

couplet

two consecutive lines of verse that rhyme

declarative sentence

makes a statement

deconstruction

A critical approach that debunks single definitions of meaning based upon the instability of language

deconstructionist

reexamines literary conventions in light of the belief that because of the instability of language, the text has already dismantled itself

denotation

exact, literal, definition of a word independent of any emotional association or secondary meaning

denouement

the ending of a play, novel, or drama where “all is revealed” and the plot is unraveled

dialect

Nonstandard subgroup of a language with its own vocabulary and grammatical features; writers often use regional dialects or dialects that reveal a person’s economic or social class

diatribe

“to spend time” or “ti wear away;” a prolonged discourse or a bitter abusive speech or writing; ironical or satirical criticism

example: The challenging candidate shouted his diatribe against the incumbent platform to several thousand supporters in attendance

diction

refers to word choice as a reflection of style; different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning; purpose, tone, point of view, persona, verve, color, all are affected by diction

didactic

Fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking; Designed to expound a branch of theoretical, moral, or practical knowledge, or else to instantiate, in an impressive and persuasive imaginative or fictional form, a moral, religious, or philosophical theme or doctrine

dramatic monologue

a poem or prose piece in which a character addresses an audience; often the monologue is complete in itself

double entendre

term is used to indicate a word or phrase that is deliberately ambiguous especially when one of the meanings is risque or improper

either or reasoning

reducing an argument or issue to two polar opposites and ignoring any alternatives

elegy

a meditative poem, usually sad and reflective in nature; sometimes, though not always, it is concerned with the theme of death

ellipsis

The deliberate omission of a word or words that are readily implied by the context; it creates and elegant or daring economy of words

empathy

a feeling on the part of the reader of sharing the particular experiences being described by the character or writer

emotional appeal

appealing to the emotions of the reader in order to excite and involved them in the argument; makes use of pathos

pathos

the quality in an experience narrative literary work, etc. which arouses profound feelings of compassion or sorrow

end stopping

a verse line with a pause or a stop at the end of it

enjambment

a line verse that flows on into the next line without a pause

epanalepsis

The repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause; it tends to make the sentence or clause in which it occurs stand apart from its surroundings

epic

A long narrative poem, written in an elevated style and usually dealing with a heroic theme or story

epic simile

Formal and sustained similes that are developed far beyond its specific points of parallel to the primary subject (tenor); secondary subject (vehicle)

epigraph

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme of the fiction or nonfiction text

epigram

Extended to encompass a very short poem whether amorous (sexual love), elegiac (longing for the past), meditative (contemplative), anecdotal (description, story, episode), or satiric (witty, sarcasm)

epiphany

Traditionally, Christianity used the word to signify a manifestation of God’s presence in the world; a sudden radiance and revelation while observing a commonplace object

epistrophe

The repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses; it sets up a pronounced rhythm and gains a special emphasis both by repeating the word and by putting the words in the final position

epithet

An adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing to emphasize a characteristic quality or attribute, such as “lily-livered coward”

equivoque

Special type of pun that makes use of a single word or phrase which has two disparate meanings, in a context which makes both meanings equally relevant

ethical appeal

When a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect him or her based upon a presentation of self through the text; reputation is often a factor in ethical appeals; done to gain audience’s confidence

ethos

a person’s character or disposition; characteristic spirit or prevalent tone or a people or a community

euphemism

to speak well in place of the blunt, disagreeable, terrifying or offensive term

euphony

use of pleasant or melodious sounds

exclamatory sentence

Provides emphasis or expresses strong emotion often indicated by punctuation

exemplum

a story that contains or illustrates a moral point put forward as an example

exposition

Background information provided by author to enhance the audience’s understanding of the context of a fiction or nonfiction story

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work

fable

A short story that presents a clear moral lesson

fabliau

A short comic tale with a bawdy element, akin to the “dirty story”

farce

A play that aims to entertain the audience through absurd and ridiculous characters and actions

feminine ending

An extra unstressed syllable at the end of a line of poetry. (Contrast with a stressed syllable, a masculine ending).

figurative language

Language that is symbolic or metaphorical and not meant to be taken literally

figure of speech

A device used to produce figurative language