Ap Literature Literary Terms Review

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Allegory

Back 1

narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one - a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.

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Alliteration

Back 2

repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables
ex: round the rugged rock

Front 3

allusion

Back 3

reference to a person, event, or place, supposed to be known
ex: Pearl Harbor = sneak attack

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antagonist

Back 4

person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another

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anticlimax

Back 5

an event, or outcome that is less important or dramatic than expected

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Allegory

Back 6

narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one - a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.

Front 7

Alliteration

Back 7

repetition of the same sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables
ex: round the rugged rock

Front 8

allusion

Back 8

reference to a person, event, or place, supposed to be known
ex: Pearl Harbor = sneak attack

Front 9

antagonist

Back 9

person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another
ex: Draco Malfoy (harry potter)

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anticlimax

Back 10

an event, or outcome that is less important or dramatic than expected
ex:pirates finally found the treasure chest... only to find it empty

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antithesis

Back 11

Juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas
ex: We are caught in war, wanting peace.

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antonomasia

Back 12

giving a proper name to something that has qualities related to that name
ex: "His Majesty" for a king

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aphorism

Back 13

a short, concise statement of a principle
ex: Everything is relative

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apostrohe

Back 14

a punctuation mark or a diacritic mark
ex: it's

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approximate

Back 15

Almost exact or correct
ex: we will be there at approximatly 1:00

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rhyme

Back 16

repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words
ex:tree, flea

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imperfect rhyme

Back 17

partial or near rhyme
ex: move and love

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archaic/archais

Back 18

use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current
ex: latin

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assonance

Back 19

repetition of vowel sounds
ex: Try to light the fire.

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ballad

Back 20

narrative poem intended to be sung
ex: "On top of Speghetti

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bathos

Back 21

writer describes the emotions created in a tragic situation in a exaggerated way so the piece loses its tragic tone and becomes melodramatic and comic.

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bombastic

Back 22

Pompous or overly wordy.

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cacophony

Back 23

use of harsh or discordant sounds for poetic effect

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comedy

Back 24

humorous

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conceit

Back 25

an exaggerated opinion of oneself (arrogance)

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conflict

Back 26

a struggle or argument

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connotation

Back 27

idea or feeling from a word in addition to its literal meaning

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consonance

Back 28

repetition of consonant sounds, but not vowels
ex: lady lounges lazily

Front 29

denotation

Back 29

literal meaning of a word, the dictionary meaning
ex:Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest (sleep)

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denouement (resolution)

Back 30

the series of events that follow the plot's climax
ex:resolution of Charles Dickens

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deus ex machina

Back 31

an improbable contrivance in a story

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diction

Back 32

Choice and use of words in speech or writing

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didactic

Back 33

Inclined to teach or moralize excessively

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dynamic

Back 34

relating to physical force or energy

Front 35

character

Back 35

people in a plot
ex: harry potter

Front 36

elegy

Back 36

a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem

Front 37

empathy

Back 37

understanding of another's situation and feelings

Front 38

epigram

Back 38

short poem dealing with a single subject and ending with a witty turn of thought.

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epiphany

Back 39

a moment of revelation and insight

Front 40

epithet

Back 40

characterizing word or phrase associated with a person or thing
ex:“man's best friend”

Front 41

euphemism

Back 41

substitution of a mild or indirect expression for one thought harsh
ex: “To pass away” = “to die.”

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euphony

Back 42

any pleasing sounds
ex: "he fell asleep to the music of the wind chimes"

Front 43

farce

Back 43

combines exxageration with an improbable plot and stereotyped characters to achieve humor
ex: Rat Race

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figurative language

Back 44

describe something by comparing it with something else
(simile, metaphor, and alliteration)

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foreshadowing

Back 45

hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature

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fustian

Back 46

inflated or turgid language in writing
?

Front 47

genre

Back 47

class or category in literature
ex: Twighlight is fantasy

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grotesque

Back 48

unnatural in shape, appearance, or character

Front 49

hyperbole

Back 49

figure of speech which is an exaggeration
ex:"I nearly died laughing,"

Front 50

imagery

Back 50

show instead of just telling the reader what they think

Front 51

interior

Back 51

internal or inner part; inside

Front 52

monologue

Back 52

written literature spoken by one person who exposes inner thoughts
ex:"Hamlet" - The "To be or not to be"

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inversion

Back 53

word or name written so it reads in more than one way
ex:Only at night can I study.

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irony

Back 54

intended meaning of a statement differs from the meaning that the words appear to express
ex: Procrastinate now, dont put it off.

Front 55

litotes

Back 55

Understatement used deliberately
ex: "not a few" to mean " many"

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malapropism

Back 56

humorous misuse of a word, by confusion with one of similar sound
ex:Density has brought me to you. (Instead of destiny)

Front 57

melodrama

Back 57

drama, characterized by exaggerated emotions, stereotypical characters

Front 58

metaphor

Back 58

figure of speech. comparison between two unlike things that have something in common
ex:“She's the apple of my eye”

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metonymy

Back 59

Reference to something or someone by naming one of its attributes.
ex: The pen is mightier than the sword

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mise en scene

Back 60

A stage setting.

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Omniscient author

Back 61

the author knows everything about characters and events and can move into all the minds of the characters
ex: Tess of the D'Urbervilles

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onomatopoeia

Back 62

Any word that sounds like what it names
ex: whoosh, clang, meow, chirp

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oxymoron

Back 63

figure of speech
combines contradictory words and meanings for special effect.
ex: the lonely crowd, a roaring silence, sweet sorrow

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paradox

Back 64

contradictory statement that, when taking a closer look makes sense
ex:"If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in frankness."

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parallelism

Back 65

a repetition of phrases, sentences or ideas, using an identical format
ex: "It is by logic we prove, but by intuition we discover."

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parody

Back 66

imitation of the style of a writer with exaggeration for comic effect
ex: Shakespeare's Scum, parody of Romeo and Juliet

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pathos

Back 67

a quality that creates pity or sadness
ex: ads to deter drivers from drunk driving

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periodic sentence

Back 68

sentence that is not grammatically complete until its end
ex:Whenever you go outside, into the daylight, and see the blue sky, and the birds flying high above, you must be inspired.

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personification

Back 69

attribution of human characteristics to something nonhuman
ex:“My computer hates me.”

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platitude

Back 70

statement that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful
ex: "you are what you eat"

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precis

Back 71

a summary or abstract of a text or speech

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protagonist

Back 72

main character who is hindered by a conflict (hero)
ex: Frodo, from Lord of the Rings

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provincial

Back 73

belonging or strange to some particular province
?

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rhyme scheme

Back 74

he pattern of rhyming lines in a poem
ex:
There once was a big brown cat
that liked to eat a lot of mice. He got all round and fat Because they tasted so nice.

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rhyme

Back 75

the recurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables in a pattern
ex: fish and wish

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sarcasm

Back 76

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt
ex: oh yeah, this is really fun, waiting 10 hours a bus that takes us who knows where

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satire

Back 77

use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize people's stupidity
ex: The Daily Show with John Stuart

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setting

Back 78

a time and place a piece of literature occurs
ex: in the jungle, 2088, when the sun is rising

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simile

Back 79

figure of speech
comparison where a similarity is expressed using like or as
ex: she was like a frozen eggplant

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soliloquy

Back 80

speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself
ex: Hamlet's "to be or not to be"

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stereotype

Back 81

widely held and oversimplified image or idea of a particular of person or thing
ex: substitutes are always easy to mess with

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static character

Back 82

character who never changes or grows
ex: Corolla Divill, mean in the beginning and the end or any cartoon character

Front 83

style

Back 83

how the writer says what they want to communicate
ex:C. S. Lewis' religious style of writing

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symbol

Back 84

represents or stands for something else
ex: lion is a symbol of courage (the wizard of oz)

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synecdoche

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figure of speech
a part is made to represent the whole or vise versa
ex: "lend me your ears" meaning listen to me

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theme

Back 86

a dominant idea revealed through plot, characters, setting, point of view and symbols
ex: Man vs. Machine in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest

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tone

Back 87

the attitude a writer conveys toward their subject and audience
ex:happy. sad. sarcastic

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tragedy

Back 88

event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress
ex: romeo and juliet

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villain

Back 89

person guilty of a crime or wickedness
ex: Hook in Peter Pan

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unity

Back 90

joined as a whole

Front 91

universality

Back 91

affecting, or done by all people or things in the world