AP Lit Poetry Terms

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

ambiguity

uses words or phrases with multiple meanings to create richness, complexity, and deeper engagement

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses to create rhythm, emphasize meaning, build emotion, and make the text memorable

antagonist

a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

anticlimax

a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events.

antihero

a central character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities like bravery, idealism, or morality

apostrophe

a punctuation mark ( ’ ) used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters or numbers

archetype

a universal, original model or pattern (of a person, character, situation, or symbol) that recurs across cultures in myths, stories, and art, representing fundamental human experiences, such as the Hero, Mentor, or the "Quest"

aside

a short, direct address to the reader or a comment on the action that the poem's speaker makes without the other characters or even the other speakers in the poem being aware

assonance

a literary device where the same vowel sound is repeated in nearby words, creating internal rhythm and musicality, but without rhyming the consonants

asyndeton

a rhetorical device that omits conjunctions (like "and," "or," "but") between words, phrases, or clauses in a series to create a faster rhythm, add emphasis, and give a sense of urgency or incompleteness

blank verse

verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter.

cacophony

a harsh discordant mixture of sounds.

catharsis

the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

chiasmus

a rhetorical device where grammatical structures or concepts are repeated in reverse order in subsequent clauses

cliche

an overused phrase, idea, or element in art or writing that has lost its original impact, becoming boring, unoriginal, and predictable

consonance

a literary device where consonant sounds are repeated in nearby words, often in the middle or end of words, creating a musical or rhythmic effect

couplet

1. two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit.

deus ex machina

(Latin for "god from the machine") is a plot device where a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence, character, or object

dialect

a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

diction

the choice, style, and arrangement of words in speech or writing, impacting tone, voice, and clarity by selecting words for their meaning (denotation) and emotional weight (connotation) to suit an audience and purpose, ranging from formal (academic/professional) to informal (slang/colloquial)

dramatic irony

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect

enjambment

(in verse) the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

enigraph

a short, relevant quotation or saying placed at the beginning of a literary work, chapter, or poem to set the tone, suggest a theme, or provide context

epistrophe

the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

euphony

the quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words.

exposition

a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

farce

a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.

foil

a character, setting, or object that contrasts sharply with another (usually the protagonist) to highlight the latter's specific traits, qualities, or flaws, making them stand out more vividly

foreshadowing

be a warning or indication of a future event.

frame narrative

a literary device where one story, the "frame," encloses or introduces one or more other stories

free verse

poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.

genre

a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence.

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

in media res

a narrative technique where a story starts in the middle of the action, plunging the reader into a critical moment rather than beginning chronologically

interior monologue

the silent, inner voice or self-talk we use for thinking, planning, problem-solving, and reflecting

internal rhyme

a rhyme involving a word in the middle of a line and another at the end of the line or in the middle of the next.

juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

kenning

a compound expression in Old English and Old Norse poetry with metaphorical meaning

litotes

ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary (e.g., you won't be sorry, meaning you'll be glad ).

local color

a late 19th-century American movement (often called Regionalism) that uses specific, vivid details—like dialect, customs, landscapes, and unique characters—to capture the authentic atmosphere, culture, and social life of a particular region, preserving it in writing while often contrasting it with the outside world

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

meter

the rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry, creating a poetic "measure"

metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing.

mood

the feeling or atmosphere a writer creates for the reader, evoking emotions like suspense, joy, or sadness through descriptive language, setting, tone, and plot, making the reader feel something about the story

motif

a recurring image, sound, object, idea, or phrase that has symbolic significance and helps to develop a story's theme

onomatopoeia

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle ).

oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).

paradox

a statement, situation, or idea that seems contradictory or illogical but, upon deeper inspection, reveals a hidden truth or profound meaning

parody

a form of humorous or satirical imitation that mimics the style, manner, or conventions of a specific author, work, or genre, often by exaggerating its characteristics for comedic effect or critical commentary. 

persona

the mask or voice an author adopts to speak through, creating a distinct personality (distinct from the real author) that narrates or participates in the work, allowing exploration of different perspectives, creating distance, or building authenticity

personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

polysyndeton

a literary device that repeatedly uses conjunctions (like "and," "or," "but") in quick succession in a list or series, instead of omitting them, to create emphasis, a rhythmic effect, a sense of overwhelming quantity, or a childlike, drawn-out tone, making each item in the list stand out more significantly

protagonist

the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

pun

a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.

quatrain

a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes.

satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

similie

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox )

soliloquy

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.

stream of consciousness

a narrative style mimicking the unfiltered, continuous flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, and sensory impressions, using disjointed sentences, free association, and non-linear time to reveal inner psychological states

suspension of belief

the conscious decision to temporarily set aside our critical judgment and accept the impossible or improbable elements within a story

symbol

an object, person, place, or action that represents something beyond its literal meaning, adding layers of depth and abstract ideas

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

tone

the author's or narrator's attitude toward the subject, characters, or audience, conveyed through word choice (diction), style, and perspective, creating a specific feeling or atmosphere

tragic flaw

less technical term for hamartia; a fundamental character defect or error in judgment in a protagonist that leads to their eventual downfall

verbal irony

a figure of speech in which a speaker says one thing but means the opposite, or uses words to convey a meaning that is different from their literal interpretation