Toolbox terms for ap lang

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.
These may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes.

Allegory

The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some of these, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. These can be historical, literary, religious,
topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and work may simultaneously use multiple layers of this.

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, THIS expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate THIS, cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent THIS. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element should also become aware of making effective use of subordination in your own writing.
Ex. "The dog barks when the postman arrives" (The dog barks is an independent clause [dog is the subject and barks is the verb] and when the postman arrives is a dependent clause [the dog barks can stand alone as a sentence but the other statement cannot])

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.
(If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.)
This can be a memorable summation of the author's point.
Ex. "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone."
"You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea"

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. This can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. These can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot
answer. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity.
Ex. "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so;" (Death is being addressed as if it is a physical character)

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells"). Although the term is not frequently in the multiple choice section, you can look for this in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the THIS of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.
Ex. ""While giving treats to children or friends offer them whatever they like." (Children and friends are the THIS and they is the pronoun)

Ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

Colloquial/Colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, these give a work a conversational, familiar tone. These expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.

Denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.

Diction

Related to style, this refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

Didactic

From Greek, this literally means "teaching." These works have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles. Usually used to describe author's tone/moral teaching
Ex. Animal Farm (use of common animals rising up against oppression only to become oppressive, teaches the lesson of the failures of communism)

Euphemism

From the Greek for "good speech," these are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. Very little distinction between analogy (usually this is used for two things with little to no connection)

Figure of Speech

A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. These include apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonymy, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement. This just includes these specific devices.

Figurative Language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid. Umbrella term

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, this is a flexible term; within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called these themselves.

Generic Conventions

This term describes traditions for each genre. These help to define each genre; for example, they differentiate an essay and journalistic writing or an autobiography and political writing. Characteristics of a genre.

Homily

This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice. Usually religious in purpose

Hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. These often have a comic effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, these produce irony.

Imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, this uses terms related to the five senses; we refer to visual (sight), auditory (sound), tactile (touch), gustatory (taste), or olfactory (hearing) THIS.

Metonymy

A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "Substitute name". A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. Not necessarily a part of it.,
Ex. Referring to a monarch as "the crown" or the President as "The White House."

Oxymoron

From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," this is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.

Parallelism

Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase.
Ex. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."
"What you see is what you get."
"If the shoe fits, wear it"

Irony

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true.

Mood

Meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect this. In this usage, this is similar to tone and atmosphere.

Paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal enunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

Anaphora

A sub-type of parallelism, when the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences (NOT REPETITION OF SINGULAR LETTER). Opposite of Epistrophe.

Polysyndeton

The use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted.

Asyndenton

Lack of Conjunctions.

Sarcasm

From the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," this involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

Isocolon

A succession of clauses of approximately equal length and corresponding structure.

Point of View

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told.
Ex. 1st person (I, My, Mine), 2nd person (You, Yours), 3rd person (He, Her's, Them)

Prose

One of the major divisions of genre, this refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. In this, the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the poet determines the length of the line. IE. Ordinary Writing
Ex. This:
I walked all about alone on the hillsides.
Poetry (NOT This):
I wondered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. As comedy, this distorts or exaggerates distinctive features of the original.
This should not be confused with a satire or a spoof.
Ex. Music Videos (I'm Bad- Michael Jackson, I'm Fat- Weird Al Yankovic)
Pride and Prejudice vs. Pride and Prejudice with Zombies

Rhetoric

From the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.
Ex. Politicians deliver rallying cries to inspire people to act
Advertisers create catchy slogans to get people to buy products
Lawyers present emotional arguments to sway a jury

Epistrophe

The opposite of anaphora, repetition at the end of successive clauses.
Ex. "They saw no evil, they spoke no evil, and they heard no evil."
Grow feathered wings as you fly, away in the air as you fly, an arrow shot as you fly, crashing down as you fly.

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively by the writer: irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm. The effects of this are varied, depending on the writer's goal, but good this, often humorous, is thought-provoking and insightful about the human condition.
Ex. Saturday Night Live (SNL)
South Park
Animal Farm (both a this, an allegory, and a didactic)

Semantics

The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.
Ex. I bought a new car. It only has 20,000 miles on it.
(The car is actually second hand, the car is new for the buyer but it itself is not a "new" car)

Syllogism

From the Greek for "reckoning together," this is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called "major" and the second, "minor") that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.
Ex.:
Major Premise: All men are mortal.
Minor premise: Socrates is a man.
Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

Trope

An artful variation from expected modes of expression of thoughts and ideas., a use of the word in a sense other than its proper or literal one.
Ex. Metaphor, Synecdoche, Metonymy, Personification, Hyperbole, Litotes, Irony, Oxymoron, Onomatopoeia, etc.

Understatement

The ironic minimizing of fact...presents something as less significant than it is. The opposite of hyperbole, but like it in creating emphasis.
Ex. That was easy (Effort was extreme) (also a form of sarcasm)

Antithesis

The opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.
States strongly contrasting ideas placed in juxtaposition.
Similar in thought to paradox and oxymoron.
Ex. A man with no vices, has very few virtues.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting.

Caricature

A verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person's distinctive physical features or other characteristics.
Ex. John Adams- His Rotundity
Adolf Hitler- Mustache Man

Litote (Little tee)

A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite. This is the opposite of hyperbole. Similar to Understatement.
Examples: "Not a bad idea," "Not many," "It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain" (Salinger, Catcher in the Rye).

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or, occasionally, the whole is used to represent a part. Similar to Metonymy however this must be a part of the object.
Ex: To refer to a boat as a "sail"; to refer to a car as "wheels"; to refer to the violins, violas, etc. in an orchestra as "the strings."

Wit

In modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. A this statement is humorous, while suggesting the speaker's verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks.

Pun

A play on words that often has a comic effect. Associated with wit and cleverness, A writer who speaks of " the grave topic of American funerals" may be employing an intentional or unintentional one. The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

Bathos

Insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to invoke pity.

Chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed. ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")

Epithet

A term used to point out a characteristic of a person. (Straw-Hat Luffy) Can be abusive, or offensive, but are not so by definition. (Pirate Hunter Zoro, Black Leg Sanji, Brook the Soul King)

Zeugma

The use of a word to modify or govern two or more words when it is appropriate to only one of them or is appropriate to each but in a different way. Ex. To wage war and peace or On his fishing trip, he caught three trout and a cold (you can catch fish such as with a rod, you can catch a cold such as through bacteria).