AP Notes 1-20

Question 1

short, simple, narrative of an event, often used for humorous effect or to make a point

Answer 1

Anecdote

Question 2

Writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation and is the focus of AP Lang and Composition program

Answer 2

Argumentation

Question 3

An extended narrative of an incident in pros or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities, and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; underlying meaning may be moral, religious, social, or satiric

Answer 3

Allegory

Question 4

Explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical data

Answer 4

Annotation

Question 5

Presentation of two contrasting images. Ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraph. “To be or not to be.”

Answer 5

Antithesis

Question 6

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques

Answer 6

Rhetoric

Question 7

Word or phrase used in everyday conversation. Informal writing that is often inappropriate for formal writing

Answer 7

Colloquialism

Question 8

Words suggesting implied meaning because of its association in a readers mind. Opposite of denotation

Answer 8

Connotation

Question 9

Repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity. Even compound words

Answer 9

Consonance

Question 10

Descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or facet of personality

Answer 10

Caricature

Question 11

The quality of a piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea/theme or organizing principal

Answer 11

Coherence

Question 12

Short often witty statement of a principle or truth about life

Answer 12

Aphorism

Question 13

Usually in poetry, but sometimes in prose: the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction

Answer 13

Apostrophe

Question 14

Also referred to as dissonance… hard, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose. The opposite of euphony

Answer 14

Cacophony

Question 15

Feeling a word invokes

Answer 15

Connotation

Question 16

Rhetorical device used of listing the details or a process of mentioning words or phrases step by step. In fact, it is a type of amplification or division in which a subject is further distributed into component parts. Writers use this to clarify and detail understanding

Answer 16

Enumeration

Question 17

A comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared that is quite different from it. Aims at explaining an idea or thing by comparing to something familiar

Answer 17

Analogy

Question 18

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning

Answer 18

Parallelism

Question 19

A brief or indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. Does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. Just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to understand

Answer 19

Allusion

Question 20

A figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with something that is closely associated

Answer 20

Metonymy

Question 21

The deliberate repetition of the first part of a sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect

Answer 21

Anaphora

Question 22

Same word returns at end of each sentence

Answer 22

Epistrophe

Question 23

Stylistic device that intentionally eliminates conjunctions, usually with commas

Answer 23

Asyndeton

Question 24

Adds coordinating conjunctions to to join successive words, phrases, or clauses where unnecessary

Answer 24

Polysyndeton