Ap English Literary Terms

Front 1

STORY IN WHICH CHARACTERS, SETTINGS, AND EVENTS STAND FOR OTHER PEOPLE, EVENTS, ABSTRACT IDEAS OR QUALITIES

EX. ANIMAL FARM

Back 1

ALLEGORY

Front 2

FANCY WORD FOR INVERSION

EX. INVERSION OF USUAL OR LOGICAL ORDER OF PARTS OF A SENTENCE

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ANASTROPHE

Front 3

EX. "ONE SHOULD EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT."

Back 3

ANTIMETABOLE

Front 4

SYNONYM OF PERSONIFICATION

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ANTHROPOMORPHISM

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BRIEF, CLEVERLY WORDED STATEMENT THAT MAKES A WISE OBSERVATION ABOUT LIFE, OR OF A PRINCIPLE OR ACCEPTED GENERAL TRUTH

SYNONYM: MAXIM, EPIGRAM

Back 5

APHORISM

Front 6

CALLING OUT TO AN IMAGINARY, DEAD OR ABSENT PERSON, A PLACE, THING, OR ABSTRACT IDEA

IF ASKING A GOD FOR INSPIRATION THIS IS CALLED INVOCATION

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APOSTROPHE

Front 7

PLACING IN IMMEDIATELY SUCCEEDING ORDER OF TWO OR MORE COORDINATE ELEMENTS, THE LATTER OF WHICH IS AN EXPLANATION, QUALIFICATION, OR MODIFICATION

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APPOSITION

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REPETITION OF SIMILAR VOWELS FOLLOWED BY A DIFFERENT CONSONANT SOUNDS

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ASSONANCE

Front 9

EX."FLOWERS ARE LOVELY, LOVE IF FLOWERLIKE"

IN PROSE, THIS IS CALLED ANTIMETABOLE

Back 9

CHIASMUS

Front 10

WORD OR PHRASE IN EVERYDAY USE IN CONVERSATION ND INFORMAL WRITING BUT IS INAPPROPRIATE IN WRITING

Back 10

COLLOQUIALISM

Front 11

ELABORATE METAPHOR THAT COMPARES TWO THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT

Back 11

CONCEIT

Front 12

ASSOCIATIONS AND EMOTIONS OVERTONES THAT HAVE BECOME ATTACHED TO A WORD OR PHRASE

Back 12

CONNOTATION

Front 13

WAY OF SPEAKING THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF A CERTAIN SOCIAL GROUP

Back 13

DIALECT

Front 14

FICTION OR NONFICTION THAT TEACHES A LESSON OR MORAL

Back 14

DIDACTIC

Front 15

POEM OF MOURNING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO HAS DIED

RELATED TO EULOGY

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ELEGY

Front 16

EX. "COMMON SENSE IF NOT SO COMMON"

Back 16

EPANALEPSIS

Front 17

QUOTATION OR APHORISM AT THE BEGINNING OF A LITERARY WORK SUGGESTIVE OF THE THEM

Back 17

EPIGRAPH

Front 18

REPETITION IN WHICH THE SAME EXPRESSION IS REPEATED AT THE END OF TWO OR MORE LINES

ANTONYM OF ANAPHORA

Back 18

EPISTROPHE

Front 19

ADJECTIVE APPLIED TO A PERSON OR THINGS THAT IS FREQUENTLY USED TO EMPHASIZE A CHARACTERISTIC QUALITY

EX. "FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY"

Back 19

EPITHET

Front 20

BATHETIC, INSINCERE

Back 20

BATHOS

Front 21

SUBSTITUTE A PART TO REPRESENT THE WHOLE

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SYNECDOCHE

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APPEAL TO LOGIC

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LOGOS

Front 23

APPEAL TO ETHICS

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ETHOS

Front 24

APPEAL TO EMOTIONS

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PATHOS

Front 25

ONE OF THE FOUR MAJOR FORMS OF DISCOURSE, IN WHICH SOMETHING IS EXPLAINED OR "SET OFF"

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EXPOSITION

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TYPE OF COMEDY IN WHICH RIDICULOUS AND OFTEN STEREOTYPED CHARACTERS ARE INVOLVED IN A SILLY, FAR-FETCHED SITUATION

Back 26

FARCE

Front 27

CHARACTER WHO ACTS IN CONTRAST TO ANOTHER CHARACTER

EX. FUNNY SIDE KICK, VILLAIN TO A HERO

Back 27

FOIL

Front 28

EX. "I AM TIRED BECAUSE IT IS HOT"

SYNONYM HYPOTAXIS

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HYPOTACTIC

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EMOTIONAL CLEANSING

Back 29

CATHARSIS OR CATHARTIC

Front 30

TERM APPLIED TO FICTION OR POETRY WHICH TENDS TO PLACE SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON A PARTICULAR SETTING, INCLUDING CUSTOMS, CLOTHING, DIALECT AND LANDSCAPE

Back 30

LOCAL COLOR

Front 31

SENTENCE IN WHICH THE MAIN CLAUSE COMES FIRST, FOLLOWED BY FURTHER DEPENDENT GRAMMATICAL UNITS

SYNONYM PERIODIC SENTENCE

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LOOSE SENTENCE

Front 32

METAPHOR THAT HAS BEEN USED TO MUCH THAT THE COMPARISON IS NO LONGER VIVID

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DEAD METAPHOR

Front 33

PERSON, PLACE OR THING IS REFERRED TO BY SOMETHING CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH IT

EX. "WE REQUESTED FROM THE CROWN SUPPORT FOR OUR PETITION" -THE CROWN IS USED TO REPRESENT THE MONARCH

Back 33

METONYMY

Front 34

ATMOSPHERE THE AUTHOR CREATES BY HIS/HER DICTION AND DETAIL SELECTED

Back 34

MOOD

Front 35

SHORT STORY THAT TEACHES A MORAL OR LESSON ABOUT HOW TO LEAD A GOOD LIFE

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PARABLE

Front 36

STATEMENT THAT APPEARS SELF-CONTRADICTORY, BUT THAT REVEALS A KIND OF TRUTH

SYNONYM KOAN, IN ZEN BUDDHISM

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PARADOX

Front 37

REPETITION OF WORKS OR PHRASES THAT HAVE SIMILAR GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE

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PARALLELISM OR PARALLEL STRUCTURE

Front 38

SIMPLE JUXTAPOSES CLAUSES OR SENTENCES.

EX. "I AM TIRED: IT IS HOT."

Back 38

PARATACTIC SENTENCE

Front 39

SENTENCE THAT PLACES THE MAIN IDEA AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE

Back 39

PERIODIC SENTENCE

Front 40

A SAYING OFTEN IN METAPHORICAL FORM THAT EMBODIES A COMMON OBSERVATION

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ADAGE

Front 41

LANGUAGE USED AND/OR ASSOCIATED TO A PARTICULAR PROFESSION

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JARGON

Front 42

NARRATOR WHO IS TOTALLY IMPERSONAL AND OBJECTIVE TELLS THE STORY IN TO FOCUS ON THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF ONLY ONE CHARACTER

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OMNISCIENT POINT OF VIEW

Front 43

WORD, PHRASE, LINE OR GROUP OF LINES THAT IS REPEATED, FOR EFFECT, SEVERAL TIMES IN A POEM

Back 43

REFRAIN

Front 44

TYPE OF WRITING THAT RIDICULES THAT SHORTCOMINGS OF PEOPLE OR INSTITUTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ABOUT A CHANGE

Back 44

SATIRE

Front 45

LONG SPEECH MADE BY A CHARACTER IN A PLAY WHILE NO OTHER CHARACTERS ARE ON STAGE

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SOLILOQUY

Front 46

OUTRAGEOUSLY EXAGGERATED, HUMOROUS STORY IS OBVIOUSLY UNBELIEVABLE

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TALL TALE

Front 47

STATEMENT THAT SAYS LESS THAN WHAT IS MEANT

Back 47

UNDERSTATEMENT

Front 48

LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A PARTICULAR LOCALITY

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VERNACULAR

Front 49

19TH CENTURY MOVEMENT THAT WAS AN EXTENSION OF THE REALISM MOVEMENT AND CLAIMED TO PORTRAY LIFE EXACTLY AS IT WAS

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NATURALISM

Front 50

MOVEMENT THAT CAN BE REFERRED TO AS NEOCLASSICISM AND AGE OF REASON

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RATIONALISM