AP Language Terms & Vocab Flashcards
adage
a wise saying
allegory
a literary work with characters, objects, or actions that represent a broader image
altercation
a nasty dispute
anaphora
the repetition of words/phrases at the beginning of lines
anecdote
a brief narrative that focuses on a particular event
antithesis
a statement that is balanced with two opposing ideas
aphorism
a concise statement that expresses a general truth, often using rhyme/balance
apostrophe
a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent/imaginary person or some abstraction
archetype
a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and appeals in a universal way to evoke a response
asyndeton
a constitution in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions
balanced statement
a sentence with words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast
bathos
insincere or overly sentimental quality of speech/willing to evoke pity
benevolent
kindly, charitable
chiasmus
a parallel in which the second part is structurally reversed
cliche
in expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has warn off
colloquialism
informal words or expression not usually acceptable in formal writing
complex sentence
a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
compound sentence
a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses often joined by one ore more conjunctions
conceit
a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor
condescending
patronizing
cryptic
secret, mysterious
cumulative sentence
a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases
declarative sentence
a sentence that makes a statement a declaration
deductive reasoning
reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific clause
