Ap English Literary Terms

Front 1

abstract language

Back 1

describing ideas and qualities rather than observable things (caring, beautiful)

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active voice

Back 2

subject performs the action (the boy grabbed his books)

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ad hominem

Back 3

writer personally attacks his or her opponents instead of their arguments

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allegory

Back 4

a story in which characters, things, and eevnts represent qualities or concepts - symbolic of ideas

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alliteration

Back 5

repition of initial identical consonant sounds

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allusion

Back 6

an indirect reference to something

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ambiguity

Back 7

an event that may be interpreted in more than one way

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analgoy

Back 8

a comparison to a directly parallel case, designed to teach (complex --> basic)

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anaphora

Back 9

repition of a wore, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row

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anecdote

Back 10

a brief recounting of a relevant episode

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annotation

Back 11

explanatory notes

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antecedent

Back 12

the wore, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun (what is the antecedent for "it"?)

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antithesis

Back 13

two opposite or contrastin words

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aphorism

Back 14

a terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle, summation of author's point

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apostrophe

Back 15

directly adresses an absent or imaginary person (Oh God!)

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Appositive

Back 16

a word placed beside a noun to substitute to supplement its meaning (Jim, the plumber, fixed it.)

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Argumentation

Back 17

to prove the validity of an idea by presenting good reasoning

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assonance

Back 18

repitition of a vowel sound

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causal relationship

Back 19

one thing results from another

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clause

Back 20

contains both a subject and a verb

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colloquial

Back 21

familiar type of conversation

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colloquialism

Back 22

familiar type of saying

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complex sentence

Back 23

at least one main clause and one subordinate clause

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concession

Back 24

accepting at least part of all of an opposing viewpoint, conceding

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concrete language

Back 25

describes specific, observable things

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connotation

Back 26

rather than the dictionary definition, implied meaning

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consonance

Back 27

repitition of a consonant sound

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coordination

Back 28

combinining sentences into one single sentence

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deduction

Back 29

moving from general statements to an inevitable conclusion (All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therfore, Socrates is mortal)

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denotation

Back 30

to signify or stand as a name for. explicit meaning of a word

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description

Back 31

to recreate, invent, or visually present a person place event or action using 5 senses

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diction

Back 32

word choice, different types and arrangements of words have significant effects on meaning

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didactic

Back 33

used to describe fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that teaches a specific lesson

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ellipsis

Back 34

deliberate omission of a word from prose done for effect

it was almost nightfall. the whole day (there was) rain, torrents of rain

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epigraph

Back 35

quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of theme

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euphemism

Back 36

a less offensive substitute for unpleasant words

physically challenged

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explication

Back 37

interpreting the meaning of a text

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exposition

Back 38

explain and analyze information by presenting an idea

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false analogy

Back 39

2 cases are not parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection

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genre

Back 40

major category into which a work fits into

prose, poetry, drama, lyric, dramatic, biography, criticism, essay, political

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homily

Back 41

"sermon" includes serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral advice

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hyperbole

Back 42

exaggerates - used for comedy or irony

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induction

Back 43

bring together pieces of evidence and arrive at a conclusion

i want new shoes. i have 5 pairs of Nikes and don't have foot problems. Therefore, i should buy Nike

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interrogative sentences

Back 44

what, which, who, whom, whose

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invective

Back 45

emotionally violent, verbal denunciation using abusive language

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imperative

Back 46

issues a command

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verbal irony

Back 47

when you say something and mean something different

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dramatic irony

Back 48

audience knows more that character

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situational irony

Back 49

found in the plot of a story.

Johnny spent 2 hours planing on sneaking in and missed the movie. We he did sneak in he found out kids were free today.

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juxtaposition

Back 50

placing things side by side for the purpose of comparison

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loose sentence

Back 51

complex sentence in which main clause comes first and subordinate follows

I do not wish to go to school, even though i might learn something.

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mood

Back 52

atmosphere created by literatre through word choice

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non-sequitur

Back 53

somethings that doesnt logically follow

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onomatopoeia

Back 54

figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in sounds of words

buzz, roar, gurgle

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oxymoron

Back 55

rhetorical antithesis

jumbo shrimp, wise fool

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paradox

Back 56

seemingly contradictory statement that is true

you cant get a job without experience, and you cant get experience without a job.

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parallelism

Back 57

repetition of structure in different words

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness

i came, i saw, i conquered

she looked tired, frustrated, and disgusted

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parenthetical idea

Back 58

paranthese are used to set off an idea from rest of the sentence

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parody

Back 59

exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes, pokes fun at

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passive voice

Back 60

subject of sentence receives the actions

the books were grabbed by pete

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pedantic

Back 61

observing strict adherence to formal rules or literal meaning at expense of a wider view

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periodic sentence

Back 62

main clause comes last

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persona

Back 63

fictional mask or narrator that tells a story

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persuasive writing

Back 64

arugmentation having additional aim of urging some form of action

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predicate adjective

Back 65

an adjective that follows a linking verb

my dog is fat, slow, and shaggy.

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predicate nominative

Back 66

a noun that renames the subject that follows a linking verb

my dog is a mutt with character. (mutt with character renames dog)

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refutation

Back 67

writes musteres relevant opposing arguments

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repetition

Back 68

reinforcing a point by repeating

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rhetoric

Back 69

art of effective communication

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sarcasm

Back 70

bitter comment this is ironically worded

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satire

Back 71

work that reveals critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect

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simple sentence

Back 72

one independent clause

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compound sentence

Back 73

2 independent clauses, no dependent

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complex sentence

Back 74

1 independent and 1 dependent clause

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balanced sentence

Back 75

two parallel elements are set off against each other

if a free society cant help the many who are poor, it can't save the few who are rich.

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simile

Back 76

usage that compares

Like, as, if

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style

Back 77

choice in diction, tone, and syntax

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subordination

Back 78

less important ideas and placing them in dependent clauses.. focusing readers attention on main idea and placing it in independent clause

although he was tired and wet, bill was determined to get to school on time

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subordinate clause

Back 79

subject and a verb but can not stand alone

although, because, unless, even though

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syllogism

Back 80

deductive system of formal logic that presents 2 premises

All men are mortal
Socrates is a man
Therefore, Socrates is mortal

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syntax

Back 81

grammatical arrangement of words

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vernacular

Back 82

language or dialect of a certain country

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anadiplosis

Back 83

"doubling back" repetition of one or several words [repetition of a word that ends one clause at the beginning of a next]

men in great places are thrice servants: servants of the state; servants of fame.

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anaphora

Back 84

repetition of a word at the beginning of successive phrases

we shall not flag. we shall go on to the end. we shall fight in france

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anastrophe

Back 85

transposition of normal word order

the helmsman steered; the ship moved on; yet never a breeze up blew.

as not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country

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antistrophe

Back 86

repetition of same word or phrase at end of successive clause

in 1921, Japan invaded -without warning. In 1935, Italy invaded - without warning.

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asyndeton

Back 87

lack of conjunctions

we shall pay, bear any burden, meet hardships, support, oppose any foe to assure the survival.

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cacophony

Back 88

harsh joining of sounds

we want no parlay with you and your grisly gang who work your wicked will

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chiasmus

Back 89

2 corresponding pairds arranged not in parallels (a-b-a-b) but inverted order (a-b-b-a)

Those gallant men will remain often in my thoughts and in my prayers always.

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litotes

Back 90

understatement, for intensification, by denying the contrary of the thing being affirmed

a few unannounced quizzes are inconceivable.

war is not healthy for children and other living things.

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metonymy

Back 91

substitution of one word for another which it suggests

he is a man of the cloth.
the pen is mightier than the sword

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polysyndeton

Back 92

repition of conjunctions

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syllepsis

Back 93

use of a word with 2 others, with each of which it is understood differently

we must all hang together or assuredly we will all hang separately

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synecdoche

Back 94

understanding one thing with another, part for the whole

US won three gold medals.
(instead of members of the US boxing team won..)

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tautology

Back 95

repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or sentence

With malice toward none, with charity for all.

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Zeugma

Back 96

2 different words linked to a verb or adjective which is appropriate to only one of them

Nor mars his sword, nor war's quick fire shall burn the living record of your memory.