AP Literature Vocabulary

allegory

story or poem that can be used to reveal a hidden meaning

alliteration

beginning of same letter or sound in closely connected words

allusion

indirect of passing reference

anaphora

repetition in first part of a sentence , to have an artistic meaning

antagonist

a hostile person who is opposed to another character

apostrophe

figure of speech used to adresss an imaginary character

approximate rhyme

words in rhyming pattern that sound alike

aside

when a character's dialogue is spoken but not heard by other actors on the stage

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds

blank verse

poetry written in meter without an ending rhyme

cacophony

blend of unharmonious sounds

caesura

pause in the middle of a line

catharsis

the release of emotions through art (emotional cleanse)

flat character

story character who have no depth, usually has one personality or characteristic

round character

character who has complex personality: contradicted person

dynamic character

changes throughout the story, through major conflict

static character

person who doesn't change throughout story keeps same personality

characterization

process of revealing characters personality

climax

point where conflict hits its highest point

comedy

drama that is amusing or funny

conflict

struggle between opposing forces

connotation

secondary meaning to a word

consonance

repetition of same consonant in words close together

couplet

two rhyming lines in a verse

denotation

the literal meaning of a word

denouement

final outcome of the story

deus ex machina

resolution of a plot by chance or coincidence

didactic writing

writing with a primary purpose to teach or preach

direct presentation of character

author telling the reader how a character is and what actions it will do further in the story

double rhyme

rhyme where the repeated vowel is in the second last syllable of words involved (ex; born scorn)

dramatic exposition

prose commentaries, to provide background information about the characters and their world

end rhyme

rhymes occurring at the end of line

end stopped line

line ending in regular punctuation

English sonnet

a sonnet rhyming ababcdcdededgg

epiphany

when a character receives a spiritual insight into they life

euphony

smooth choice and arrangement of sounds

extended figure

A figure of speech sustained or developed through a considerable number of lines or through a whole poem.

falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

feminine rhyme

lines rhymed by their final two syllables

figurative language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

figure of speech

a way of saying something other than the ordinary way

foot

basic unit in the scansion or measurement of verse , stressed and un stressed syllables

form

external pattern or shape of a poem

free verse

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

hamartia

tragic flaw which causes a character's downfall

imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

indirect presentation of character

the personality of a character is revealed by what he or she does or says

internal rhyme

A word inside a line rhymes with another word on the same line

irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

verbal irony

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

dramatic irony

Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.

irony of situation

refers to an occurrence that is contrary to what is expected or intended

italian sonnet

A sonnet consisting of an octave with the rhyme pattern abbaabba, followed by a sestet with the rhyme pattern cdecde or cdcdcd

masculine rhyme

A rhyme ending on the final stressed syllable

melodrama

a play based upon a dramatic plot and developed sensationally

metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

meter

A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry

metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

motivation

A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

narrator

Person telling the story

octave

8 line stanza

onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

hyperbole

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

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

paradox

A contradiction or dilemma

paraphrase

A restatement of a text or passage in your own words.

personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

plot

Sequence of events in a story

point of view

The perspective from which a story is told

omniscient point of view

The point of view where the narrator knows everything about the characters and their problems - told in the 3rd person.

third person limited point of view

narrator tells the story from only one character's pov

first person point of view

a character in the story is actually telling the story himself/herself

objective point of view

a narrator who is totally impersonal and objective tells the story, with no comment on any characters or events.

protagonist

Main character

quatrain

A four line stanza

rhythm

A regularly recurring sequence of events or actions.

rhyme scheme

A regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem

rising action

Events leading up to the climax

sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

satire

A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.

scansion

Analysis of verse into metrical patterns

sestet

6 line stanza

setting

The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.

simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage

sonnet

14 line poem

stanza

A group of lines in a poem

stream of consciousness

private thoughts of a character without commentary

syllabic verse

Verse measured by the number of syllables rather than the number of feet per line.

symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else

synecdoche

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

synesthesia

describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound")

tercet

3 line stanza

terza rima

a verse form with a rhyme scheme: aba bcb cdc, etc.

theme

Central idea of a work of literature

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

tragedy

A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character

truncation

Utilizing a melody with part of the end omitted.

understandment

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis

verse

A single line of poetry

writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme