AP Lit Terms Set 4 (25 words) Flashcards
metaphor
figure of speech wherein a comparison is made between two unlike quantities without the use of the words “like” or “as”
metonomy
substituting a word naming an object for another word closely associated with it: ex- pay tribute to the crown - it is a figure of speech in which a word represents something something else which it suggests. (i.e. a herd of 50 cows might be a fifty head of cattle).
microcosm
a small “world” that stands for a larger one.
mixed metaphor
a metaphor whose elements either incongruent or contradictory by the use of incompatible identifications, such as “the dog pulled in its horns” or “to take arms against a sea of troubles”.
montage
a series of images that appear one after another
motif (leitmotiv)
a recurring concept or story element in literature. It includes concepts such as types of incident or situation, as in the parting of lovers at dawn; plot devices; patterns of imagery; or archetypes and character types, such as the despairing lover, conquering hero, or wicked stepmother.
omniscient
all knowing point of view - stands outside the characters and cell tell inner thoughts of two or more characters (limited omniscient - lets us into thoughts of one reader).
onomatopoeia
the use of a word to represent or to imitate natural sounds (sizzle, pop).
paradox
a statement which contains seemingly contradictory elements or appears contrary to common sense, yet cn be seen as perhaps true when viewed from another angle.
paralipsis
the suggest, by deliberately concise treatment of a topic, that much of significance is being omitted, as in “not to mention other faults”; withholding to the end - in stories- some piece of information crucial to the reader’s understanding.
parallel structure
a repetition of sentences using the same structure
parallelism
the repetition of syntactical similarities in passages closely connected for rhetorical effect.
parody
ludicrous imitation, usually for comic effect but sometimes for ridicule, of the style and content of another work.
pastoral
a literary work that has to do with rustic settings
pathetic fallacy
overdone writing that sees the inadequacy fo human reason to explain the enigma of hte unverse (And the Wild Winds flew round, sobbing in their dismay). Writing that uses cliches to show nature mirroring what happens in real ife. Evil always happens on dark and stormy nights, while spring days are when new lovers meet, etc.
pathos
the Greek term for deep emotion, passion, or suffering. Applied to literature, refers to tragic emotions, describing the language and situations which deeply move the audience or reader by arousing sadness, sympathy, or pity. Excessive Pathos can seem melodramatic or sentimental.
personification
a figure of speech in which inanimate objects are given qualities of speech and/or movement.
polysyndeton
the repetition of a number of conjunctions in close succession, as in “We have men and arms and planes and tanks”.
rhetorical question
a questions solely for effect, with no answer expected. By the implication that the answer is obvious, it is a means of achieving an emphasis stronger than a direct statement.
round character
a fully developed character; complex, multidimensional, and convincing.
sarcasm
the caustic and heave use of apparant praise
satire
literature designed to ridicule the subject of the work. While it can be funny, its aim is not to amuse but to arouse contempt. Arouses laughter or scorn as a means of ridicule and derision, with the avowed intention of corrrecting human faults.
simile
figure of speech which takes the form of a comparison between two unlike quantites for which a basis for comparison can be found, and which uses the words “like” or “as” in the comparison
Sonnet
English or Shakespearan- divided into three quatrains (four line groupings - aka three sets of 4 lines) and a final couplet (2 lines) for a total of 14 lines. Set rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. The change in rhyme in the English Sonnet explores variations on a theme in the first three quatrains and concludes with an epigrammatic couplet. A Spenserian sonnet is a nine-line stanze, with the first 8 lines in iambic pentameter and the last in iambic hexameter.
iambic pentameter
a metrical pattern in poetry which consists of five iambic feet per line (An iamb, or iambic foot, consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, ie. “away” or “trapeze”
