Ap Lit Terms: Allegory, Antecedent, Aphorism, Archaism, Couplet, Dramatic Irony, Euphony, Foreshadowing, Gothic Novel, Inversion, Masculine Rhyme, Melodrama, Rhetorical Question, Theme, Utopia

AP Literature Terms

• Allegory: A narrative with a hidden meaning, often moral or political.

• Antecedent: The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

• Aphorism: A concise statement expressing a general truth or principle.

• Archaism: The use of outdated language or expressions.

• Couplet: Two consecutive rhyming lines of poetry.

• Dramatic Irony: When the audience knows something the characters do not.

• Euphony: Pleasant, harmonious sound in language.

• Foreshadowing: Hints about what will happen later in the story.

• Gothic Novel: A genre characterized by mystery, horror, and the supernatural.

• Inversion: Reversal of the normal order of words.

• Masculine Rhyme: A rhyme that ends on a stressed syllable.

• Melodrama: A dramatic work emphasizing sensational events and strong emotions.

• Rhetorical Question: A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer.

• Theme: The central idea or message in a literary work.

• Utopia: An imagined perfect society or place.