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AP Lit > AP Lit Terms > Flashcards

AP Lit Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Absolute

A

A word free from limitations or qualifications.

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2
Q

Adage

A

A familiar proverb or wise saying.

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3
Q

Allegory

A

A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions.

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4
Q

Alliteration

A

The repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words.

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5
Q

Allusion

A

a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.

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6
Q

analogy

A

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.

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7
Q

anaphora

A

the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences.

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8
Q

anecdote

A

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

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9
Q

antecedent

A

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

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10
Q

antithesis

A

a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced.

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11
Q

aphorism

A

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.

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12
Q

apostrophe

A

a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction.

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13
Q

archetype

A

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response.

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14
Q

argument

A

a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work.

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15
Q

asyndeton

A

a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions.

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16
Q

balanced sentence

A

a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast.

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17
Q

bildungsroman

A

a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character: in particular, his or her psychological development and moral education.

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18
Q

chiasmus

A

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed. (Ex: “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”)

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19
Q

cliché

A

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off.

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20
Q

climax

A

the point of highest interest in a literary work.

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21
Q

colloquialism

A

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing.

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22
Q

complex sentence

A

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

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23
Q

compound sentence

A

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions.

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24
Q

conceit

A

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor.

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25
Q

concrete details

A

details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events.

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26
Q

connotation

A

the implied or associative meaning of a word.

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27
Q

cumulative sentence

A

a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases.

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28
Q

declarative sentence

A

a sentence that makes a statement or declaration.

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29
Q

deductive reasoning

A

reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.)

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30
Q

denotation

A

the literal meaning of a word.

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31
Q

dialect

A

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region.

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32
Q

dialogue

A

conversation between two or more people.

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33
Q

diction

A

the word choices made by a writer.

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34
Q

didactic

A

having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing.

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35
Q

dilemma

A

a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives.

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36
Q

dissonance

A

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds.

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37
Q

elegy

A

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme.

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38
Q

ellipsis

A

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (“Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.”)

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39
Q

epic

A

a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation.

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40
Q

epigram

A

a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying.

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41
Q

epigraph

A

a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work.

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42
Q

epiphany

A

a moment of sudden revelation or insight.

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43
Q

epitaph

A

an inscription on a tombstone or burial place.

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44
Q

epithet

A

a term used to point out a characteristic of a person. Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives (“swift-footed Achilles”) that become an almost formulaic part of a name.

Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of their given epithets (Ex: “The Rocket.”)

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45
Q

eulogy

A

a formal speech praising a person who has died.

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46
Q

euphemism

A

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant.

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47
Q

exclamatory sentence

A

a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark.

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48
Q

expletive

A

an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity

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49
Q

fable

A

a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters.

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50
Q

flashback

A

the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

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51
Q

flat character

A

a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story.

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52
Q

foreshadowing

A

the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work.

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53
Q

frame device

A

a story within a story. An example is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in which the primary tales are told within the “frame story” of the pilgrimage to Canterbury.

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54
Q

genre

A

a major category or type of literature.

55
Q

homily

A

a sermon, or a moralistic lecture.

56
Q

hubris

A

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy.

57
Q

hyperbole

A

intentional exaggeration to create an effect.

58
Q

hypothetical question

A

a question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition.

59
Q

idiom

A

an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect.

60
Q

imagery

A

the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

61
Q

implication

A

a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly. NOTE: the author/sender implies the reader/audience infers.

62
Q

inductive reasoning

A

deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (“Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals).

63
Q

inference

A

a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence.

64
Q

invective

A

an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack.

65
Q

irony

A

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs.

66
Q

jargon

A

the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession.

67
Q

juxtaposition

A

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast.

68
Q

legend

A

a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements.

69
Q

limerick

A

light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the second and third lines rhyme.

70
Q

limited narrator

A

a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character

71
Q

literary license

A

deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect (intentional sentence fragments, for example.)

72
Q

litotes

A

a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, “It was not a pretty picture.”)

73
Q

malapropism

A

the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (“The doctor wrote a subscription.”)

74
Q

maxim

A

a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage.

75
Q

metaphor

A

a direct comparison of two different things.

76
Q

metonymy

A

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it. (“The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting.]”)

77
Q

mood

A

the emotional atmosphere of a work.

78
Q

motif

A

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works.

79
Q

motivation

A

a character’s incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act.

80
Q

myth

A

a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events.

81
Q

narrative

A

a story or narrated account.

82
Q

narrator

A

the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient.

83
Q

omniscient narrator

A

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

84
Q

onomatopoeia

A

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds.

85
Q

oxymoron

A

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

86
Q

paradox

A

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

87
Q

parallelism

A

the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms.

88
Q

paraphrase

A

a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity.

89
Q

parody

A

a humorous imitation of a serious work.

90
Q

parenthetical

A

a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain.

91
Q

pastoral

A

literature that deals with people living off the land, revealing the challenges and blessings of nature.

92
Q

pathos

A

the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity.

93
Q

pedantic

A

characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship.

94
Q

personification

A

endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics.

95
Q

philippic

A

a strong verbal denunciation.

96
Q

point of view

A

the vantage point from which a story is told.

97
Q

polysyndeton

A

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural.

98
Q

pun

A

a play on words, often using words with similar sounds but different meanings

99
Q

resolution

A

the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax.

100
Q

rhetoric

A

the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner.

101
Q

rhetorical question

A

a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer.

102
Q

rhetorical devices

A

literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression.

103
Q

riddle

A

a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum

104
Q

romantic

A

a term describing a character or literary work that reflects the characteristics of Romanticism, the literary movement beginning in the late century that stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism.

105
Q

round character

A

a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work.

106
Q

sarcasm

A

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule.

107
Q

satire

A

the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions

108
Q

scapegoat

A

a person or group that bears the blame for another.

109
Q

simile

A

a comparison of two things using “like,” “as,” or other specifically comparative words.

110
Q

simple sentence

A

a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause

111
Q

solecism

A

nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules.

112
Q

style

A

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work.

113
Q

surrealism

A

an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control.

114
Q

syllepsis

A

a construction in which one word is used in two different senses (“After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.”)

115
Q

syllogism

A

a three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise.and a minor premise (“All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal”.)

116
Q

synecdoche

A

using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as “wheels.”)

117
Q

synesthesia

A

describing one kind of sensation in terms of another (“a loud color” or “a sweet sound.”)

118
Q

syntax

A

the manner in which words are arranged into sentences.

119
Q

tautology

A

needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding (“widow woman,” “free gift.”)

120
Q

theme

A

a central idea of a work.

121
Q

thesis

A

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker.

122
Q

tone

A

the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience

123
Q

tragedy

A

a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction.

124
Q

trilogy

A

a work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself.

125
Q

trite

A

overused and hackneyed.

126
Q

turning point

A

the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs.

127
Q

understatement

A

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is—a deliberate under-emphasis.

128
Q

usage

A

the customary way language or its elements are used.

129
Q

vernacular

A

the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage.

130
Q

figurative language

A

language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)

131
Q

non sequitur

A

an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, “does not follow.”)

132
Q

parable

A

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.

133
Q

symbol

A

an object that is used to represent something else.

134
Q

topic

A

the subject treated in a paragraph or work.

AP Lit (1 decks)

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