AP Lang Literary Devices and Elevated Words - Lit Devices Flashcards
Allegory
a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.
Allusion
casual literary, historical or biblical reference within a larger work
Ambiguity
the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines
Anecdote
a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate to a point.
Antagonist
the character who works against the protagonist in the story
Antihero
A protagonist who is markedly unheroic: morally weak, cowardly, dishonest, or any number of other unsavory qualities.
Antithesis
the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
Antithetical
sharply contrasted in character or purpose, directly opposing
Aphorism
a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance
Asyndeton
a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions
Chiasmus
a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed
Cliche
a worn-out idea or overused expression
Colloquialism
a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y’all, ain’t)
Conceit
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness due to the unusual comparison being made.
