AP Langauge Vocab 51-70 Flashcards
Irony
is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in a quite different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.
Parenthesis
is a stylistic device that comes from a Greek word, that meaning to place or alongside. It is a qualifying or explanatory sentences, clause or word that writers insert into a paragraph or passage.
Sardonic
grimly pocking, sarcastic, satirical, mocking in a humorous manner. This one of those “Tone” words that describe writing that fits the meaning.
Satire
is technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony exaggeration, or ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles.
Polemical
relating to or involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing or speech.
Ambiguity
is a word , phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. Skilled writers use this with purpose and intent.
Archetype
a universal symbol, maybe a character, theme, a symbol or setting. Many literacy critics are of the opinion that archetypes, which have a common and reoccurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literacy
Function Of Archetype
The use of archetypical characters and situations gives a literary work universal acceptance, as readers identify the characters and situations in their social and cultural context. By using common archetype, the writers attempt to impart realism o their works, as the situations and characters are drawn from the experiences of the world
Tragic Flaw
When someone makes a statement investing his strong belief in it, as if it is true though it may not be, he is making an assertion. Assertion is a stylish approach or technique involving a strong declaration, a forceful or confident and positive statement regarding a belief or fact. Often, without proof or support. Its purpose is to express ideas or feelings directly.
Autobiography
Type of biography which tells a life story of its author, meaning it is a written record of the authors life. Rather than being written by somebody else, an autobiography comes through the persons own pen, in his own words.
Memoir
A memoir is a record of memories and particular events that have taken place in the author’s life. In fact, it is the telling of a story or an event from his life; an account that does not tell the full record of a life
Cumulative Sentence
A cumulative sentence is known as a loose sentence that starts with an independent clause or main clause, which is simple and straight, provides main idea and then adds subordinate or modifying elements after the subject and predicate. Writers use these kind of sentences when they want to put forth the main idea first, and provide details to elucidate the idea further, thereafter consider how this is different to the periodic sentence.
Blank Verse
Literary device defined as un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter. In poetry or prose, it has a consistent meter.
Bildungsroman
Story of the ‘growing up’ of a sensitive person who looks for answers to his or her questions through different experiences. Generally, such a novel starts with a loss or a tragedy that disturbs the main character emotionally.
Bildungsroman
During the journey, the protagonist gains maturity gradually and with difficulty. Usually the plot depicts a conflict between the protagonist and the values and they are accepted by the society, ending the dissatisfaction.
Illusion
A false illustration, a deceptive impression, or a false belief literally speaking, an illusion is something that is false and not factual, intended to mislead the perception of readers and deceive their senses.
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Foil
Character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with objective to highlight the traits of the other character. Generally being applied for a contrasting character, may also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things.
Intertextuality
Sophisticated literacy device used in writing. Textual reference within some text that reflects the text used as a reference. Instead of employing referential phrases from different literacy works, this draws upon the concept, rhetoric or ideology from other texts to be merged in the now text.
Litotes
Figure of speech which employs on understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating it’s opposite expression.
Utopia
An illusionary place that projects the notion of a perfect society to the reader. Here, the perfect society refers to ideal conditions achieved within the material world as apposed to the expected idealism of afterlife in Christianity or other religions. A society where all social evils are cured.
Sonnet
Small or little song lyric. In poetry, a sonnet has 14 lines and is written in iambic pentameter.
Round Character
In a novel or play, complex personality. He/She has depths in his feelings and passions. A character with whom the audience can sympathize, associate, or relate to.
Situational Irony
Literacy device that you can easily identify in literacy works. Simply, it occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead. Thus, entirely different happens from what the audience is expecting.
Static Character
A character that does not undergo inner changes or undergoes a little change. Character does not develop inner understanding to know his environment.
Vernacular
is literary genre that uses daily used language in writing and speaking. It is different from written works, as they normally follow the formal variety of language. the word “Vernacular” refers to writing or speaking of the public. We find the origin of literature during the middle ages in different countries.
Vernacular vs. Dialect
Use of ordinary language, dialect refers to specific region.
Understatement
figure of speech employed by writers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.
Eulogy
Known as homily, literacy device that is a laudatory expression in a speech, or a written tribute to a person deceased recently. A commendation of high praise intended to give honor, generally to a dead family member.
Dialect
Language used by people in a specific area, class, district, or an group of people. Involves the spelling, sound, grammar, and pronunciation used by a particular group of people and it distinguishes them from other people around them.
Hubris
Extreme pride or arrogance showed by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall. In literature, portrayal of hubris-tic characters serves to achieve a moralistic end. Such characters are eventually punished thus giving a moral lesson to the audience and the readers so that they are motivated to improve their characters by removing the flows that can cause a tragedy in their lives.
Antihero
Anti-hero is a literary device used by writers for a prominent character in a play or book that has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero. The protagonist is generally admired for his bravery, strength, charm, or ingenuity, while an anti-hero is typically clumsy, unsolicited, unskilled, and has both good and bad qualities.
Bandwagon
Type of propaganda through which a writer persuades his readers, so that majority could agree with the argument of the writer. To follow what others are confirming or doing.
Bandwagon Function
Purpose of this technique to make the audience think and act in a way that majority flows. Tendency of following the beliefs and actions occur when audience sees others are also confirming. Good approach in persuasive writing that successfully works on human mind and psychology. Writers use this as pressure tactic if reader do not agree with them.
Propoganda
Finding in mass media advertising, politics, and literature very popular technique in academic commentary and is taken as a interchangeable form of communication. Used to persuade readers and mold their perceptions about a particular cause.
Propaganda Transfer
Appeals to a persons imagination of something we like or trust.
Propaganda-Glittering Generalities
Virtue words or glittering generality. These words are used to dupe us into accepting and approving of things without the evidence carefully.
Propaganda-testimonial
Represents another type of propaganda that fits into a particular category of its own. When someone in a respected position claims that an idea is good.
Propaganda-Plain Folk
Used by a speaker to convince an audience that an idea is good because they are the same ideas of the vast majority of people like themselves. Similar to bandwagon, but writer is convincing that they are ‘plain folk’ like them.
Propoganda: Distortion of data or Out of Context or Card Stacking or Cherry Picking
This technique is used to convince the audience by using selected information and not presenting the complete story.
Propoganda: Scapegoat
This is often used with guilt by association to deflect scrutiny away from those issues. It transfers blame to one person or group of people without investigating the complexities of the issue.
Propoganda: Artificial Dichtonomy
When someone tries to claim there are only 2 sides to an issue and that both sides must have equal presentation in order to be evaluated. This technique is used to dupe us into believing there is only 1 way to look at an issue, when in fact there may be many alternative view points or “sides”. Like most propoganda techniques similar it simplifies reality and therefore distorts it often to the advantage of the speaker.
Propoganda Perfication
When an idea is appeared to be made holy, sacred, or very special and therefore above all law. Any opposite view points are viewed as bad.
Conceit
Develops a comparison which is exceedingly unlikely but is, none the less, intellectually imaginative. A comparison turns into a conceit when the writer tries to make us admit a similarity between this reason conceits are often surprising.
Claim
If somebody gives an argument to support his position, it is called making a claim. Different reasons are usually presented to prove why a point should be accepted as logical.
Catharsis
Is an emotional discharge through through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress. Catharsis is a Greek word and it means cleansing. In literature, it is used for cleansing of emotions of the characters. It can also be any other radical change that leads to emotional rejuvenation of a person.
Concession
Concession is a literary device used in argumentative writing where one acknowledges a point made by one’s opponent. It allows for different opinions and approaches toward an issue, indicating an understanding of what causes the actual debate or controversy. It demonstrates that the writer is a mature thinker and has considered the issue from all angles.
Cliche
Refers to an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty. A cliche may also refer to actions and events which are predictable because of some previous events.
Concession Part 2
Concession writing style also shows that the writer is a logical and fair minded person, able to realize that every argument has several sides to consider before it is presented. This type of writing can be considered strong as it finds common ground between you and your opponent.
Portmanteau
Literary device in which 2 or more words are joined together to coin a new word. A portmanteau word is formed by blending parts of two or more words, but it always refers to a single concept. Somewhat different than an oxymoron.
The coinage of Portmanteau
Involves linking or blending of 2 or more words and the new word formed in the process shares the same meanings as the original words. It is different from a compound word that in that it could have a completely different meaning from the words that it was coined from.
Litotes
understatement, esp. that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not at all”
Chiasmus
rhetoric reversal of the order of words in the second of two parallel phrases: he came in triumph and in defeat departs; he went in to the country, to the town went he
Anadiplosis-
a rhetorical term for the repetition of the lost word of one live or clause to begin the next. Example: “fear leads to anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to Suffering. I sense much fear in you. (Yoda)
Invective
a verbally abusive attack
Circumlocation
the use of an unnecessarily large number of words or an indirect means of expression to express an idea so as to effect an erasion in speech.
Begging the question
supporting a claim with a reason that is really a restatement of the claim in different words.
Adage
a saying or proverb embodying a piece of common wisdom based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language. (Ex. it is always darkest before dawn).
Verismilitude
similar to truth; the quality of realism in a work that persuades the reader that he/she is getting a vision of life as it is.
malapropism
a confused, comically inaccurate use of a long word or words. Ex. romeo and Juliet the nurse says “I desire some confidence with you sir.”
Cadence
the rising and falling of rhythm of speech especially in free verse or prose
False Analogy (Logical Fallicies)
Error in assuming that because two things are alike in some ways, they are alike in all ways. Ex. A school is no different than a business. It needs a clear competitive strategy that will lead to profitable growth.
Hasty Generalization
Unsound indicative inference based on insufficient, inadequate, unspecified eveidence.
Non sequitar
a statement or idea that fails to follows another, it is held to cause the other.
Post Hoc
because one thing follows another, it is held to cause the other
Ad hominem
Instead of attacking an assertion, the argument attacks the person who made the assertion.
Polyphasic
excessive talking
Diatribe
a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism. A bitter and abusive speech or writing.
Appeal to authoirty
a fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a few famous people or institutions.
Appeal to ignorance
a fallacy based on the assumption that a statement must be true if it cannot be proved false
Concession
an argumentative strategy by which a speaker or writer acknowledges the validity of an opponent’s print.
Encominym
A tribute or eulogy in prose or verse glorifying people, objects, ideas, or events.
False dilemma
a fallacy of oversimplification that offers a limited number of options (usually two) when in fact more options are available.
Running style
sentence style that appears to follow the mind as it worries a problem through mimicking the “rambling, associative syntax of conversation”– the opposite of period sentence style
Explication
an explanation; interpretation
Imperative tone/sentence
commanding
Interragotive
questioning
Exclamatory
expressing enthusiasm or excitement
Declarative
declaring a statement or fact
Infinitives
“to be” verbs “to come” “to show” “to dance”
Implacable
not to be appeased, modified, or pacified. inexorable mitigate- to become milder; lessen in severity.
Eclectic
not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc. but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
Opprobrium
the disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy
Aberant
deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal
Stymie
to hinder, block, or thwart.
Nascent
Beginning to exist or develop
Avarice
insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth
Urbane
having the polish and suavity regarded as characteristics of sophisticated social life in major cities: an urbane manner. Reflecting elegance, sophistication,etc. esp, in expression: he maintained an urbane tone in his letters.
Onerous
burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship.
Discretion (n)
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions. (adj) (discreet)
Burgeon (v)
to grow rapidly or flourish
Axiom (n)
a universally recognized principle (adj) (Axiomatic)
Ubiquitous (adj)
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; wide-spread
Disabuse (verb)
to undeceive; to set right
Heretical (adj)
violating accepted dogma or convention (n) (heresy)
Vilify (verb)
to defame; to characterize harshly
Dogmatic (adj)
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles (n) (dogma)
Perennial (adj)
recurrent through the year or many years; happening repeatedly
A fallacy
is an erroneous argument dependent upon unsound or illogical contention. There are many fallacy examples that we can find in everyday conversation.
Appeal to ignorance
a fallacy based on the assumption that a statement must be true if it cannot be proved false
Appeal to authority
a fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a few famous people or institutions.
Appeal to popular opinion
this sort of appeal is when somebody asserts that a though or conviction is correct, since it is the thing that the general populations exists.
