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Figurative Language
AP language terms
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| FIGURE OF SPEECH | imaginative comparisons used for tone, purpose, effect |
| APOSTROPHE | figure of speech that directly addresses an absent person, an object, or an abstraction. Many apostrophes are also personification, using an object as a point of discussion. Ex. "Why didn't you block that shot, Lebron, you idiot?" |
| EUPHEMISM | Greek for "good speech." More agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept Ex. "The Final Solution" for Hitler's extermination policies; "earthly remains" rather than "corpse" |
| ANALOGY | similarity or comparison between two things or the relationship between them. Can explain something by pointing out its similarity or associating it with something more familiar. Ex."Dumb, gorgeous people should not be allowed to use...look at sheet. |
| APHORISM | terse statement that expresses a general truth or moral principle Ex. The road to hell is paved with good intentions |
| HYPERBOLE | deliberate exaggeration or overstatement Ex. "Henry was 18 when we met and I was queen of France. He came down from the north to Paris with a mind like Aristotle's and a form like mortal sin."-delivered by Katherine Hepburn (from The Lion in Winter) |
| IMAGERY | sensory details used to describe, arouse emotion, or repeat abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms related to the five sentences: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory. On a level one image can represent more than one thing |
| EXTENDED METAPHOR | metaphor developed at great length, appearing frequently throughout a piece Ex. Elie Wiesel's use of the word "night" within Night |
| METONYMY | Greek meaning "changed label." Figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it Ex. Elvis...the whole (hospital) stands in for one of its parts (the attending physician and health care workers |
| ONOMATOPOEIA | figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words Ex. buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, murmur |
| OXYMORON | Greek for "pointedly foolish" Author groups two apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox Ex. "Blaring silence" or "burning cold" |
| PARADOX | statement that appears self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but on closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity. Enigma. Ex. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" |
| PERSONIFICATION | figure of speech that endows animal, concept, or inanimate object with human attributes Ex. "Once again, the heart of America is heavy. The spirit of America weeps for a tragedy that denies the very meaning of our land." (LBJ) |
| CLICHE/IDIOM | an overused or trite expression Ex. Cliche=(phrase that is used too often and has literal or figurative meaning): the good old days.Idiom=(phrase that means something else other than literal words; always have figurative, not literal meaning) |
| EPITHET | an adjective or adjectival phrase used to define a characteristic quality or attribute of some person or thing. Ex. rosy-fingered Dawn. |
| IDIOM | a common expression that has acquired a meaning that differs from its literal meaning Ex. "It's raining cats and dogs" |
| JARGON | specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession used in writing/speaking |
| LITOTES | a form of understatement in which a statement is affirmed by negating its opposite Ex. "He is not unfriendly"; "I have this tiny little tumor on the brain" |
| PUN | a play on words that exploits the similarity in sound between two words with distinctly different meanings. Ex. "you're so punny!" |
| SYLLOGISM | from Greek meaning "reckoning together"; deductive form of logic Ex. MC example, a syllogism's conclusion is not always accurate |
| SYNECDOCHE | a form of metonymy in which a part of an entity is used to refer to the whole; the difference is that metonymy uses on thing represented by another thing that is commonly physically associated with it(but not necessarily a part of it) |
| ADAGE/MAXIM | a saying or proverb embodying a piece of common wisdom based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language Ex. It is always darkest before the dawn |
| DOUBLE ENTENDRE | french phrase for double meaning, denotes a pun in which a word or phrase has a second meaning which tends to be sexual Ex. Hamlet calls his mother common. |
Created by:
randomosity123
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