AP Lit Vocab- Semester One (ALL) Flashcards
abstract imagery
imagery which describes the intangible, ideas, or emotions
aesthetic
set of artistic principles or sensibilities
Alliteration
Repetition of the initial sound in a series of words
allusion
a reference to something outside of the text
anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
Antithesis
a figure of speech in which opposite words are used for rhetorical effect
Assonance
the repetition of vowel sounds
Asyndeton
the omission of conjunctions in a passage
Bildungsroman
a coming of age or apprenticeship novel
blank verse
Poetic form that uses unrhymed iambic pentameter
claim
part of a larger argument, a statement which must be supported with evidence
cliche
an overused or trite phrase or image
climax
The highest moment of action in a story
conflict
the central problem facing the protagonist
Connotation
associations a word or phrase carries beyond literal meaning
concrete imagery
imagery that is physical, sensory or tangible
controlling metaphor or image
an image or metaphor that runs through a work an serves as a key to understanding the central theme of the piece
Couplet
In poetry, two consecutive rhyming lines
Denotation
the literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word or phrase
denouement
the “untying” of the knot of the conflict, used in detective stories
dichotomy
a thematic divisions between two opposite terms
dramatic monologue
A poem told from the perspective of a historical figure
Enjambment
In poetry, the continuation of a sentence, without a pause, through the end of one line and into the next
epiphany
An interior revelation,”ligthbulb”, a moment of heightened awareness
epistolary novel
a novel consisting of letters written between characters
etymology
the history or origin of a word or phrase
Euphemism
a mild word or phrase substituted for a harsher one
Exegesis
close, critical explanation or interpretation of a text
figurative language
language that must be interpreted, uses figures of speech
foreshadowing
Actions or words early in a story which prefigure or hint at later events
haibun
combination of prose and haiku
Haiku
A three line, 17 syllable poem about nature
hook
An opening to an essay or story designed to catch audience’s attention
hyperbole
The use of exaggeration as a storytelling technique
Irony
Difference (contradiction) between expectations and results
Juxtaposition
two images placed together for contrasting effect
limerick
poetic form 5 lines, humorous, AABBA
literal language
language which means exactly what it says
metafiction
fiction in which author draws attention to the artifice of the text
Metaphor
An implied comparison or the apt relation of dissimilars
Metonymy
figure of speech which substitutes a word closely associated with the word meant; example is “white house” for president or government
myth
A story which shapes our world view or explains a mystery
onomatopoeia
a word or phrase which imitates a sound
Oxymoron
A phrase which consists of two contradictory terms
Paradox
a contradictory statement or situation which is somehow true
Personification
Giving inanimate object human qualities
plot
actions or sequence of events that makes up a story
Polysyndeton
he use of many conjunctions in close succession for rhetorical effect
Quatrain
a four line stanza, usually with two pairs of rhymes
Reservation
A counterargument, or evidence that goes against a claim
Resolution
how the conflict is solved
rhyme scheme
the pattern of end rhyme in a poem
sestina
A complex poetic form which repeats 6 end words in a 39 line structure
Setting
where the story or poem takes place
Simile
An explicit comparison, usually uses “like” or “as”
sonnet
A 14 line poem, usually presents an argument about love
subtext
an implicit or unstated message below the surface of the story
Symbol
An image or object which is a concrete reality, but also takes on or suggests another level of meaning
theme
An idea or issue which runs throughout a story
thesis
central argument, a statement put forward which needs to be proved
tone
Writer’s attitude towards the subject, or emotional feel of a passage
villanelle
French for “little house”, this poetic form repeats two line in a 19 line poem
