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AP Literary Terms > 5 Steps to a 5: AP Literature & Composition Glossary > Flashcards

5 Steps to a 5: AP Literature & Composition Glossary Flashcards

1
Q

allegory

A

a work that functions on a symbolic level

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2
Q

alliteration

A

the repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

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3
Q

allusion

A

a reference contained in a work

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4
Q

anapest

A

a metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable

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5
Q

antagonist

A

the force or character that opposes the main character, the protagonist

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6
Q

apostrophe

A

direct address in poetry; Yeat’s line “Be with me Beauty, for the fire is dying” is a good example

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7
Q

aside

A

words spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage

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8
Q

aubade

A

a love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved

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9
Q

ballad

A

a simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of a b c d

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10
Q

blank verse

A

unrhymed iambic pentameter; most of Shakespeare’s plays are in this form

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11
Q

cacophony

A

harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work

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12
Q

caesura

A

a break or pause within a line of poetry indicated by punctuation and used to emphasize meaning

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13
Q

catharsis

A

according to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences

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14
Q

character

A

one who carries out the action of the plot in literature; major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of characters

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15
Q

climax

A

the turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension

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16
Q

comic relief

A

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event

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17
Q

conflict

A

a clash between opposing forces in literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. God; man vs. self

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18
Q

connotation

A

the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning

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19
Q

convention

A

a traditional aspect of a literary work, such as a soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy

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20
Q

couplet

A

two lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or important passage

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21
Q

dactyl

A

a foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

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22
Q

denotation

A

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word

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23
Q

denouement

A

the conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot

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24
Q

deus ex machina

A

a Greek invention, literally “the god from the machine” who appears at the last moment and resolved the loose ends of the play; today, the term refers to anyone, usually of some stature, who untangles, resolves, or reveals the key to the plot of a work

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25
diction
the author's choice of words
26
dramatic monologue
a type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener; Browning's "My Last Duchess" is a perfect example
27
elegy
a poem that laments the dead or a loss; "Elegy for Jane" by Roethke is a specific example while Gray's "Elegy in a Country Church Yard" is a general example
28
enjambment
a technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza; it enables the poem to move and to develop coherence as well as directing the reader with regard to form and meaning
29
epic
a lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero; Beowulf is a prime example
30
epigram
a brief witty poem; Pope often utilizes this form for satiric commentary
31
euphony
the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work
32
exposition
background information presented in a literary work
33
fable
a simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters; Aesop and La Fontaine are authors who excel at this form
34
figurative language
the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one; it includes metaphor, simile, symbol, motif, and hyperbole
35
flashback
a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes
36
foot
a metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee
37
foreshadowing
hints of future events in a literary work
38
form
the shape or structure of a literary work
39
free verse
poetry without defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme
40
hyperbole
extreme exaggeration
41
iamb
a metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language
42
idyll
a type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time
43
image
a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion
44
imagery
the total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature
45
impressionism
writing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept; The Secret Sharer is a fine example
46
irony
an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen; it involves dialogue and situation, and in can be intentional or unplanned; dramatic irony centers around the ignorance of those involved while the audience is aware of the circumstance
47
lyric poetry
a type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity; a large and inclusive category of poetry that exhibits rhyme, meter, and reflective thought
48
magical realism
a type of literature that explores narratives by and about characters who inhabit and experience their reality differently from what we term the objective world; writers who are frequently placed in this category include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gunter Grass, and Isabel Allende
49
metaphor
a direct comparison between dissimilar things
50
metaphysical poetry
refers to the work of poets like John Donne who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox
51
meter
a pattern of beats in poetry
52
metonymy
a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea
53
monologue
a speech given by one character
54
motif
the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters
55
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story
56
narrator
the speaker of a literary work
57
octave
an eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet
58
ode
a formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject
59
onomatopoeia
words that sound like the sound they represent
60
oxymoron
an image of contradictory terms
61
parable
a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson; The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a fine example
62
paradox
a set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth
63
parallel plot
a secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot
64
parody
a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original
65
pathos
the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience
66
personification
the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts
67
plot
a sequence of events in a literary work
68
point of view
the method of narration in a work
69
protagonist
the hero or main character of a literary work, the character the audience sympathizes with
70
quatrain
a four-line stanza
71
resolution
the denouement of a literary work
72
rhetorical question
a question that does not expect an explicit answer; it is used to pose an idea to be considered by the speaker or audience
73
rhyme/rime
the duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines
74
rhyme scheme
the annotation of the pattern of the rhyme
75
rhythm
the repetitive pattern of beats in poetry
76
romanticism
a style or movement of literature that has as its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape
77
satire
a mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution
78
scansion
analysis of a poem's rhyme and meter
79
sestet
a six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet
80
sestina
a highly structured poetic form of 39 lines, written in iambic pentameter; it depends upon the repetition of six words from the first stanza in each of six stanzas
81
setting
the time and place of a literary work
82
simile
an indirect comparison that uses the word, "like" or "as" to link the differing terms in the comparison
83
soliloquy
a speech in a play which is used to reveal the character's inner thoughts to the audience
84
sonnet
a 14-line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter
85
spondee
a poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables
86
stage directions
the specific instructions a playwright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc.
87
stanza
a unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem
88
structure
the organization and form of a work
89
style
the unique way an author presents his ideas; diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to a particular style
90
subplot
a secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main storyline
91
subtext
implied meaning of a work or section of a work
92
symbol
something in a literary work that stands for something else
93
synecdoche
a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of a whole
94
syntax
the grammatical structure of prose and poetry
95
tercet
a three-line stanza
96
theme
the underlying ideas that the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.
97
tone
the author's attitude toward his subject
98
tragic hero
according to Aristotle, a basically good person of noble birth or exalted position who has a fatal flaw or commits and error in judgement which leads to his downfall; the tragic hero must have a moment of realization and live and suffer
99
trochee
a single metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable
100
understatement
the opposite of exaggeration; it is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended
101
villanelle
a highly structured poetic form that comprises six stanzas: five tercets and a quatrain; the poem repeats the first and third lines throughout

AP Literary Terms (1 decks)

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