AP Lang Comp Vocab Flashcards
Exigence
Situation of the piece
Rhetorical Structure
How a subject is presented
Tone
The attitude towards the subject
Simile
Comparison using “like” or “as”
Metaphor
Implied comparison
Extended Metaphor
Metaphor that continues through more than one sentence
Personification
Inanimate objects are treated as if they had human attributes
Synecdoche
A part of something represents the whole
Metonymy
Name for something substituted with something closely associated with it
Verbal Irony
Implying a meaning different from the one that is explicitly stated
Situational Irony
An outcome different from the expected
Dramatic Irony
When the audience knows something the characters don’t
Hyperbole
An exaggerated statement
Understatement
When a point is deliberately expressed as less than it actually is
Paradox
A statement that appears to be contradictory, but actually expressed a truth
Oxymoron
A compressed paradox
Pun
A play on words that have the same sound or similar sounds but have sharply contrasted meanings
Apostrophe
Addressing a dead or absent person or an inanimate object or abstract concept
Rhetorical question
When a question is posed without expecting an answer, but instead expecting you to think
Hypophora
When one or more question is asked and then answered by the speaker
Anaphora
Intentional repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of lines, stanzas, sentences, or paragraphs
Antithesis
Where the words or phrases that are parallel in order and syntax express opposite or contrasting meanings
Chiasmus
When two successive phrases or clauses are parallel in syntax but reverse in order of the analogous words
Syntax
Word order, punctuation, sentence length, and sentence structure
Persona
A role or character adopted by an author or an actor
Diction
The word choice and phrasing in a piece
Colloquial
Regional ways of using language appropriate in informal speech and writing
Jargon
Words and expressions of a particular trade, profession, or pursuit
Dialect
Part of a language with its own vocabulary and grammar
Abstract Diction
Describing intangible things
Concrete Diction
Describing physical qualities or conditions
Allegory
Using something to hint at an abstraction in addition to the symbols’ literal meaning
Allusion
A reference in a piece to something that the author assumes the reader knows
Epiphany
A sudden spiritual manifestation of the significance of something
Diacope
Repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase
Natural Symbols
Things in nature used to represent ideas commonly associated with them
Conventional Symbols
Symbols in a given culture that are widespread
Literary Symbols
Found in a variety found works and are generally recognized
Invective Adjective
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong abusive language
Euphonious Diction
Pleasant sounding language
Cacophonous Diction
Harsh sounding language
Aphorism
A statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth
Euphemism
Substitutes for a generally unpleasant word or concept
