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AP LIT Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Allegory | a literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation |
| Antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. |
| Aphorism | a brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life. |
| Archaism | the use of deliberately old-fashioned language |
| Couplet | two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme |
| Dramatic Irony | (theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play |
| Euphony | any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds |
| Foreshadowing | the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot |
| Gothic Novel | a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action |
| Inversion | the reversal of the normal order of words |
| Masculine Rhyme | final syllable of first word rhymes with final syllable of second word (scald recalled) |
| Melodrama | a form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure. |
| Rhetorical Question | a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered |
| Theme | the main idea of the story |
| Utopia | an imaginary place considered to be perfect or ideal |
| Abstract | (in writing) this is typically complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points |
| Anticlimax | a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events |
| Ballad | any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form |
| Denotation | the dictionary definition of a word |
| Epic | a long narrative poem written in elevated style which present the adventures of characters of high position and episodes related to the history of a race or nation |
| Foot | the basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry |
| Hyperbole | exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. |
| Irony | a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens |
| Nemesis | the protagonist's arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty |
| Paradox | a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth |
| Personification | the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc. |
| Pun | a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings |
| Simile | a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as') |
| Symbolism | a device in literature where an object represents an idea |
| Travesty | a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation |
| Anachronism | something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred |
| Assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds |
| Burlesque | a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor |
| Dirge | a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person |
| Feminine Rhyme | latter two syllables of first word rhyme with latter two syllables of second word (ceiling appealing) |
| Interior Monologue | a narrative technique that records a character's internal flow of thoughts, memories, and ideas; a longish passage of uninterrupted thought |
| Metaphor | a figure of speech comparing to unlike things without using like or as |
| Parallelism | the use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical form |
| Persona | the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing |
| Stock Character | standard or cliched character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc. |
| Subjunctive Mood | a grammatical situation involving the words "if" and "were," setting up a hypothetical situation. |
| Tragic Flaw | the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall |
| Accent | in poetry, refers to the stressed portion of a word |
| Aesthetic | used as an adjective meaning "appealing to the senses” |
| Analogy | a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way |
| Antihero | a protagonist who lacks the characteristics that would make him a hero (or her a heroine) |
| Atmosphere | the emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene |
| Caricature | drawing, imitation, or description that ridiculously exaggerates peculiarities or defects |
| Conceit | a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects |
| Doggerel | badly written or trivial verse, often with a singsong rhythm |
| Elegy | a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme |
| Enjambment | the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause |
| Parable | a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson |
| Pastoral | a literary work idealizing the rural life (especially the life of shepherds) |
| Academic (style) | dry and theoretical writing. When a piece of writing seems to be sucking all the life out of its subject with analysis. |
| Alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| Bombast | speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning |
| Cadence | rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words |
| Chorus | In Greek drama, the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it. |
| Euphemism | a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term |
| Lampoon | ridicule with satire |
| Objectivity | an impersonal presentation of events and characters |
| Onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds |
| Requiem | a song of prayer for the dead |
| Subjectivity | a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions |
| Zeugma | when a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them |
| Allusion | a reference to another work of literature, person, or event |
| Aside | a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage |
| Black Humor | the use of disturbing themes in comedy |
| Colloquialism | informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing |
| Diction | a writer's or speaker's choice of words |
| Free Verse | unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern |
| Hubris | excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy |
| Metonym | a word that is used to stand for something else that it has attributes of or is associated with |
| Protagonist | the main character in a literary work |
| Satire | a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision |
| Thesis | the primary position taken by a writer or speaker |
| Anecdote | a short narrative |
| Anthropomorphism | the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects |
| Apostrophe | address to an absent or imaginary person |
| Cacophony | harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance |
| Catharsis | an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal |
| Connotation | the implied or associative meaning of a word |
| Dissonance | harsh or grating sounds that do not go together |
| Dramatic Monologue | when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience. |
| Epitaph | a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone |
| Farce | a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose |
| Foil | a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another |
| Oxymoron | a figure of speech consisting of two apparently contradictory terms |
| Refrain | the repetition of one or more phrases or lines at definite intervals in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza |
| Soliloquy | in drama, a character speaks alone on stage to allow his/her thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience |
| Canto | a major division of a long poem |
| Consonance | repetition of consonant sounds |
| Decorum | conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior |
| Lyric | of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way) |
| Pathos | a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow) |
| Plaint | a poem or speech expressing sorrow |
| Rhapsody | an intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise. |
| Parody | a work which imitates another in a ridiculous manner |
| Stanza | a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem |
| Summary | a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form |
| Truism | an obvious truth |
Created by:
Dylanohlendorf
Popular English Vocabulary sets