AP Literary Terms Flashcards
story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities.
Allegory
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 done on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work.
Ambiguity
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
Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual
Anecdote
Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order.
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
brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle or accepted general truth.
Aphorism (Maxim/Epigram)
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 in 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
Asyndeton
Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance.
Balance
the author tells us directly what the character is like
Direct Characterization
is one who does not change much in the course of a story.
Static Character
repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.
Alliteration
Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike
Analogy
Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony.
Anastrophe (Inversion)
Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story.
Antagonist
attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object.
Anthropomorphism (Personification)
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 effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action.
Indirect Characterization
