AP literary terms Flashcards
asyndeton
writing style that omits conjunction between phrases but is still grammatically correct
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” –Julius Caesar
anastrophe
inversion of the usual word order or clauses
“Strong in the force, you are.” – Yoda
chiasmus
two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structure in order to produce an artistic effect
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” – Keats
conceit
elaborate metaphor that compares two very unlike things in a surprising and clever way (i.e. Marriage is like a root canal.)
metonymy
a word or phrase that is used to stand in for another word
The WHITE HOUSE will be announcing its decision later today.
synecdoche
a part is made to represent the whole
I just bought some new WHEELS. (meaning a new car)
assonance
used to refer to the repetition of a vowel sound in a line of text
“In the sky a bird was heard to cry misty morning whisperings and stirring sounds” – Pink Floyd
polysyndeton
several coordinating conjunctions are used in succession after every word or term
“Let the whitefolks have their money and power and segregation and sarcasm and big houses and schools and lawns like carpets, and books, and mostly–mostly–let them have their whiteness.” – Maya Angelou
juxtaposition
unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to each other creating an effect of surprise or wit
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
epistrophe
same expression is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
apostrophe
calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or a personified or abstract idea.
“O Ford!” – Brave New World
“O happy dagger” – Juliet, Romeo and Juliet
lyric poem
a poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of the speaker.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou are more lovely and more temperate.” – Shakespeare
quatrain
4 lines of a poem, usually considered a unit
a sonnet usually has 3 quatrains followed by a couplet
couplet
2 lines of a poem, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme; sonnets usually end in a couplet
“The time is out of joint, o cursed spite
That ever I was born to set it right!”
diction
writer’s specific choice of words; can be formal vs. informal
colloquialism
word or phrase in everyday use and conversation but is inappropriate in formal situations
“ain’t” “gonna” “wanna” “howbowdah”
epithet
descriptive phrase which becomes a “nickname”
Elvis Presley was given the epithet “The King of Rock and Roll” and eventually “The King.”
euphemism
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing
for death: “passed on,” “kicked the bucket,” “moved to the other side,” “met fate,” etc.
foil
a character who contrasts with another character —usually the protagonist— in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character
Juliet vs. the nurse
Romeo vs. Mercutio
Benvolio vs. Tybalt
syllogism
a deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion
“every virtue is laudable; kindness is a virtue; therefore kindness is laudable”
pastoral imagery
deals with shepherds or rural life in a usually artificial manner. Typically draws a contrast between the innocence and serenity of the simple life and the misery and corruption of city and especially court life
allegory
a story or poem in which the characters, events, and/or objects act as symbols.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm
allusion
reference to a famous literary work, place, or person
ethos
credibility of the author
pathos
emotional appeal to the audience
logos
logical appeal to the audience
