AP Literature Fall Final

vocab and literary terms

Cohesiveness

The quality of forming a unified whole in a literary work, where all elements contribute to a central theme or idea.

Resonant

capable of producing a deep, full sound or having a lasting effect in literature.

Secular

Not connected to religious or spiritual matters, focusing instead on worldly or temporal themes in literature.

Acute

Having a sharp or intense quality, often referring to a deep understanding or insight in literary analysis.

Ambivalent

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Irresoluteness

uncertain, indecisive, or wavering in their purpose, often leading to internal conflict, missed opportunities, and dramatic tension

Lament

Deep feeling of sorrow , regret, or grieve.

Homage

A show of deep respect, honor, or admiration for someone or something, often through artistic imitation, reference, or a formal tribute

Incongruous

not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.

Sedate

calm, dignified, and unhurried.

deferential

describes characters who show deep respect, submission, or yielding to superiors, elders, or authority figures

Tumiltuous

describes scenes, characters, or periods filled with great noise, confusion, disorder, or intense emotion

Apprehension

anxious feeling or dread about future misfortune, a foreboding sense of impending trouble, often creating suspense and tension

Austere

simple, severe, unadorned, or strictly disciplined, lacking luxury, warmth, or excessive detail

affluence

wealth

Laudatory

high praise, admiration, or commendation for a person, work, or idea

Fickle

frequently changing

Benevolent

showing kindness, goodwill, and a desire to help others, often through charity or philanthropy

Monotony

uses sameness, repetition, and lack of variety in style

Diluting

weakening meaning, impact, or clarity, often by adding unnecessary words

Invigorating

describes experiences, settings, or writing that energizes, refreshes, and strengthens the mind or spirit

Eccentricity

describes characters with strange, unconventional behaviors, beliefs, or appearances that deviate from societal norms

Malleable

describes characters, themes, or even language that is easily shaped, influenced, or changed

Pedantic

describes characters or writing that is overly focused on minor details, rules, or obscure facts, appearing pretentious, boring, or showing off book learning rather than common sense

Foreboding

creates a sense of dread or an ominous feeling that something bad will happen

Stream of Conciousness

a narrative technique mimicking the free-flowing, often illogical, internal thoughts, feelings, and sensations of characters

Satire

uses humor, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize human vices, follies, and societal shortcomings, often with the intent to inspire social or political change

Declarative sentences

uses humor, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize human vices, follies, and societal shortcomings, often with the intent to inspire social or political change

Complex Sentences

combines an independent clause (a complete thought) with one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses, using subordinating conjunctions (like because, although, when) or relative pronouns to add detail

Expository sentences

aims to inform, explain, or clarify a topic, character, or concept objectively, rather than persuade or entertain, by presenting facts, details, and definitions clearly and concisely, often breaking down complex ideas into understandable parts for the reader.

Modifying phrases

adding descriptive details with words, phrases, or clauses

Subordinate clauses

a group of words with a subject and verb that can't stand alone as a complete sentence but adds crucial detail, context, or description to the main idea

exclamatory

uses exclamations (often marked by "!" or strong phrasing) to convey intense emotions like surprise, joy, anger, or shock

Stanzas

a structured grouping of lines in a poem, acting like a paragraph for verse, creating visual units and separating ideas, moods, or shifts in time

Euphemism

uses mild, indirect words or phrases to soften harsh realities

Parallel structure

uses similar grammatical forms (words, phrases, clauses) to express related ideas, creating rhythm, emphasis, clarity, and memorability

free verse

poetry without a fixed meter or rhyme scheme, mimicking natural speech rhythms while using poetic tools like line breaks, imagery, repetition, and sound devices

English sonnet

The English (or Shakespearean) sonnet revolutionized poetry with its three quatrains (ABAB CDCD EFEF) building an idea, culminating in a powerful rhyming couplet (GG) for resolution

Italian sonnet

a 14-line poem, famed in literature for its structure: an octave (eight lines, usually ABBAABBA) presenting a problem/question, and a sestet (six lines, varying rhymes like CDECDE or CDCDCD) offering a resolution or turn (volta)

Ode

a formal, often lengthy lyric poem that praises or glorifies a specific subject, person, object, or idea, characterized by elevated language, deep emotion, and a serious tone

Ballad

a narrative poem, often set to music, that tells a story, typically in short, rhythmic stanzas with an ABCB rhyme scheme

iambic pentameter

a foundational rhythm in English literature, featuring lines of ten syllables alternating unstressed and stressed (da-DUM) across five "iambs," mimicking natural speech and creating musicality

Assonance

the repetition of similar vowel sounds within words close together, creating internal rhythm, musicality, and mood, unlike rhyme which matches final sounds.

Alliteration

the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely connected words, creating rhythm, emphasis, and musicality

oxymoron

a figure of speech combining two contradictory words (like "sweet sorrow" or "deafening silence") to create a new, deeper meaning,

Parable

a short, simple story using realistic human situations to teach a moral lesson or spiritual truth

Parody

a creative work that imitates the style of another specific work, artist, or genre in an exaggerated and humorous or satirical way, typically to comment on or critique the original

Allegory

a story where characters, events, and settings symbolize deeper moral, philosophical, or political meanings, creating a second layer of interpretation beyond the literal plot, often to teach a lesson, critique society

paradox

a statement or situation that seems self-contradictory or absurd but, upon deeper reflection, reveals a profound truth

Oxymoron

a figure of speech combining two contradictory words (like "sweet sorrow" or "deafening silence") to create a new, deeper meaning,