AP Lit Terms Flashcards
major unit of action in a drama or a play
Act
a story where something or someone represents an idea about life; often have morals involved
Allegory
repetition of constant sounds at the beginning of words
Alliteration
reference in a work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events
Allusion
comparison of two or more alike objects suggest if they are alike in one way, they will be alike in other ways as well
Analogy
Brief account of an event or incident that usually is said to make a point or enterain
Anecdote
Actors speech, that is directed to the audience, that isn’t supposed to be heard by other actors on stage
Aside
Repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry
Assonance
Particular group of readers or viewers that the writer is addressing.
Audience
Writer of a book, article, or other text
Author
the reason the author created a particular work
Authors Purpose
Form of nonfiction where a person tells the story of their life
Autobiography
Story of a person’s life that is written by someone else
Biography
Poem that tells a story and is meant to be sung or recited
Ballad
Unrhymed iambic pentameter
Blank Verse
Pause or sudden break in a line of poetry
Caesura
Two events are related; one event brings about causes and the other brings abput effects
Cause and Effect
Person who is responsible for thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Every one has their own personality.
Character
Character who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character in some way. Doesnt have to ne a person just something that prevents “happily ever after”
Antagonist
Characters who are cental to the plot of a story; usually dynamic and round
Main Characters
A less important character who interacts with main characters, helping move the plot along and providingbbackground for the story, usually static and flat
Minor Characters
All techniques that writers use to create characters
Characterization
Characters personality
Character trait
Author directly states a characters traits or makes direct comments about a characters nature
Direct Characterization
Character who changes throughout the course of the story
Dymanic Character
Character about whom little information is provided
Flat Character
Author doesnt directly state a characters traits; they leave that for the reader to conclude
Indirect Characterization
Character who is fully described by author
Round Character
Character who doesnt change or who changes very little in a story
Static Character
Order in which events happen in time
Chronological Order
Readers process of pausing occasionally while reading to quickly review what he or she understands
Clarifying
Type of figurative language. Containing an overused unoriginal expression
Cliche
Dramatic work that is often light and often humorous in tone. It usually ends happily
Comedy
Process of identifiying similarities
Comparison
Type of poetry that uses ots physical or visual formto present its message
Concrete Poetry
Tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces
Conflict
Dominate or most important conflict in the story
Central Conflict
Problem or struggle that exists between the main character and an outside force
External Conflict
Problem that takes place in the main characters mind
Internal Conflict
Readers process of rearing the content of a literary work to his/her own knowledge and experience
Connecting
Idea, feelings associated by a word opposed to its dictionary definition
Connotation
Reletition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry
Consonance
Hints or suggestions that surround unfamiliar words/phrases and clarify their meaning
Context clues
Process of pointing out differences between things
Contrast
a rhymed pair of lines in a poem. One of Shakespeare’s trademarks was to end a sonnet with one of these.
Couplet
Opposite of connotation in that it is the exact or dictionary meaning of a word
Denotation
form of language that is spoken in a particular place by a particular group of people
Dialect
conversation between characters in a drama or narrative. A dialogue occurs in most works of literature
Dialogue
meant to be performed by actors before an audience, characters actions or dialogues tell a story
Drama
combining several pieces of information to make an inference
Drawing Conclusions
Literary device that is used when a character revels his/her innermost thoughts and feelings, those that are hidden throughout the course of the story line
Dramatic Monologue
type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died.
Elegy
in poetry, incomplete syntax at the end of a line, meaning running over into the next line without terminal punctuation
Enjambment
short poem or verse that seeks to ridiculed throughout, usually with witticism or sarcasm
Epigram
