AP LANG VOCAB

Allusion

A word or phrase that references something outside the piece of literature without explaining how it corresponds

Alliteration

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

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sentences, verses, or successive clauses to create a memorable rhythm and emphasize key ideas.

Antimetabole

A rhetorical device that repeats words or phrases in an inverse order to create a memorable statement. 

Antithesis

A contrast between two opposing ideas within a parallel structure. Asyndeton

Asyndeton

The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Polysyndeton

A rhetorical device where multiple conjunctions are used in close succession to connect words, phrases, or clauses.

Juxtaposition

The act of placing two or more unrelated things side by side to highlight their differences.

Metaphor

A figurative comparison between two unlike things, that are not literally applicable,  without the use of like or as 

Oxymoron

A phrase where two contradictory words are placed next to each other to create a new meaning. 

Parallelism

Parallelism is a literary device that involves using repeated grammatical structures in successive sentences, phrases, or clauses to create rhythm and emphasis.

Periodic Sentence

A type of complex sentence where the main clause, or main idea,  is delayed until the end, preceded by dependent clauses or phrases that build anticipation.

Cumulative Sentence

A cumulative sentence places the main clause at the beginning and follows it with a series of subordinate phrases that adds layers of detail on the initial idea. 

Personification

Personification is a literary device that attributes human characteristics to non-human entities. 

Rhetorical Question

A question asked to create a dramatic effect or to make a point/statement rather than to get an answer.

Synecdoche

A part/word that is made to represent a whole verse or phrase.  

Zeugma

A figure of speech in which a word usually a verb modifies two or more other words, although it applies to them in different senses-often one literal and one figurative.  

Metonymy

A figure of speech where a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. 

Diction

The choice of words and phrases in speech and writing.