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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
Q

diction

A

the author’s choice of words

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26
Q

dramatic monologue

A

a type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener; Browning’s “My Last Duchess” is a perfect example

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27
Q

elegy

A

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

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28
Q

enjambment

A

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

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29
Q

epic

A

a lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero; Beowulf is a prime example

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30
Q

epigram

A

a brief witty poem; Pope often utilizes this form for satiric commentary

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31
Q

euphony

A

the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work

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32
Q

exposition

A

background information presented in a literary work

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33
Q

fable

A

a simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters; Aesop and La Fontaine are authors who excel at this form

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34
Q

figurative language

A

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

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35
Q

flashback

A

a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes

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36
Q

foot

A

a metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee

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37
Q

foreshadowing

A

hints of future events in a literary work

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38
Q

form

A

the shape or structure of a literary work

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39
Q

free verse

A

poetry without defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme

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40
Q

hyperbole

A

extreme exaggeration

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41
Q

iamb

A

a metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language

42
Q

idyll

A

a type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time

43
Q

image

A

a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion

44
Q

imagery

A

the total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature

45
Q

impressionism

A

writing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept; The Secret Sharer is a fine example

46
Q

irony

A

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
Q

lyric poetry

A

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
Q

magical realism

A

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
Q

metaphor

A

a direct comparison between dissimilar things

50
Q

metaphysical poetry

A

refers to the work of poets like John Donne who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox

51
Q

meter

A

a pattern of beats in poetry

52
Q

metonymy

A

a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea

53
Q

monologue

A

a speech given by one character

54
Q

motif

A

the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters

55
Q

narrative poem

A

a poem that tells a story

56
Q

narrator

A

the speaker of a literary work

57
Q

octave

A

an eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet

58
Q

ode

A

a formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject

59
Q

onomatopoeia

A

words that sound like the sound they represent

60
Q

oxymoron

A

an image of contradictory terms

61
Q

parable

A

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
Q

paradox

A

a set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth

63
Q

parallel plot

A

a secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot

64
Q

parody

A

a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original

65
Q

pathos

A

the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience

66
Q

personification

A

the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts

67
Q

plot

A

a sequence of events in a literary work

68
Q

point of view

A

the method of narration in a work

69
Q

protagonist

A

the hero or main character of a literary work, the character the audience sympathizes with

70
Q

quatrain

A

a four-line stanza

71
Q

resolution

A

the denouement of a literary work

72
Q

rhetorical question

A

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
Q

rhyme/rime

A

the duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines

74
Q

rhyme scheme

A

the annotation of the pattern of the rhyme

75
Q

rhythm

A

the repetitive pattern of beats in poetry

76
Q

romanticism

A

a style or movement of literature that has as its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape

77
Q

satire

A

a mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution

78
Q

scansion

A

analysis of a poem’s rhyme and meter

79
Q

sestet

A

a six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet

80
Q

sestina

A

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
Q

setting

A

the time and place of a literary work

82
Q

simile

A

an indirect comparison that uses the word, “like” or “as” to link the differing terms in the comparison

83
Q

soliloquy

A

a speech in a play which is used to reveal the character’s inner thoughts to the audience

84
Q

sonnet

A

a 14-line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter

85
Q

spondee

A

a poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables

86
Q

stage directions

A

the specific instructions a playwright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc.

87
Q

stanza

A

a unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem

88
Q

structure

A

the organization and form of a work

89
Q

style

A

the unique way an author presents his ideas; diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to a particular style

90
Q

subplot

A

a secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main storyline

91
Q

subtext

A

implied meaning of a work or section of a work

92
Q

symbol

A

something in a literary work that stands for something else

93
Q

synecdoche

A

a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of a whole

94
Q

syntax

A

the grammatical structure of prose and poetry

95
Q

tercet

A

a three-line stanza

96
Q

theme

A

the underlying ideas that the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.

97
Q

tone

A

the author’s attitude toward his subject

98
Q

tragic hero

A

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
Q

trochee

A

a single metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable

100
Q

understatement

A

the opposite of exaggeration; it is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended

101
Q

villanelle

A

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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