AP Lit Terms - Test 1 Flashcards
Story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities.
Allegory
Repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.
Alliteration
Reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something (usually from literature, etc.).
Allusion
Deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way – this is done on purpose by the author, when it is not on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work.
Ambiguity
Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike
Analogy
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent.
Anaphora
Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony. It is a fancy word for inversion.
Anastrophe
Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual.
Anecdote
Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story.
Antagonist
Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order. For example, “One should eat to live, not eat to live.” In poetry, this is called chiasmus.
Antimetabole
Balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure.
Antithesis
Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. May lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples.
Antihero
Attributing human characteristics to an animal or inane object. (Personification)
Anthropomorphism
Brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation of life, or of a principle or accepted general truth. Also known as maxim or epigram.
Aphorism
Calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration, it is called an invocation.
Apostrophe
Placing an immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first (often set off by a colon).
Apposition
The repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together.
Assonance
Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y, and Z…the writer uses X, Y,Z… see polysyndeton.
Asyndeton
Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well.
Balance
The Process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Characterization
The author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character’s private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effects on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action. Common in modern literature.
Indirect Characterization
The author tells us directly what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean to pets, and so on. Romantic style literature relied more heavily on this form.
Direct Characterization
A character who does not change much in the course of a story.
Static Character
A character who changes in some important way as a result of the story’s action.
Dynamic Character
Character with only one or two personality traits. They are one dimensional, like a piece of cardboard. They can be summed up in one phrase.
Flat Character
Character with more dimensions to their personalities—they are complex, just as real people are.
Round Character
