AP Terms Flashcards
parallelism
Using elements in sentences that are grammatically similar or identical in structure, sound, meaning, or meter.
Ex: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”
antithesis
rhetorical device in which two opposing ideas are put together in a sentence to achieve a contrasting effect
Ex: One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
inversion
Also known as anastrophe, is a literary technique in which the normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter.
Ex: “Half an hour later came another inquiry as to tugs. Later came a message from the Irene, telling of the lifting of the fog.” or Yoda
juxtaposition
Placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose.
Ex: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”
paradox
Statement that seems contradictory but is actually true
Ex: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”
asyndeton
Asyndeton is the removal of conjunctions between phrases in a sentence while keeping grammatical accuracy.
This makes a sentence shorter and more concise.
Ex: The train hummed, rattled, puffed, plowed through the snow.
polysyndeton
the deliberate use of a series of conjunctions.
Ex: “I would like to buy this and that and this one here and those five over there. In, other words, I would like to buy everything.”
zeugma
the construction in which one word (usually a verb) modifies or governs - often in different, sometimes incongruent ways - two or more words in a sentence.
Ex: “ He opened his mind and his wallet at the movies .”
antimetabole
A literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order
Ex: “Eat to live,not live to eat.”
apostrophe
Interrupts the discussion or discourse and addresses directly a person or personified thing
Ex: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.”
metonymy
use of as aspect of something to represent the whole.
Ex: The White House- Used to represent the President or the people who work there,
analogy
A comparison of two things based on their being alike in some way
Ex: She ran as fast as lightning in the race.
ambiguity
multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional
Ex: “Ich bin ein Berliner!!”
understatement
lack of emphasis in a statement or point; restraint in language often used for ironic effect
Ex: “The 9.5 earthquake lightly rocked me to sleep.”
cliche
A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought
Ex: “Fit as a fiddle”(describes someone in great shape)
anecdote
A short story of an event, usually funny or interesting
Ex: At an AA meeting explaining the troubles of Alcohol, an Alcoholic tells the group of the trouble of him relapsing.
euphemism
A sympathetic way to convey a usually harsh or blunt term
Ex: Using the term “pass away” rather than “die”
aphorism
A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise, witty manner
Ex: “The simplest questions are the hardest to answer.”
repetition
A literary device where authors repeat the same word or clauses in order to make an idea clearer.
Ex: anadiplosis (repeats last word/phrase in a clause as the first word of the next) , epanalepsis (repeats the first word again at the end of a clause), and anaphora (repeats words at the start of a clause)
allusion
The act of making reference to something the writer assumes the reader will know and understand
Ex: “I was surprised his nose wasn’t growing like Pinocchio’s!”
satire
the ironic, sarcastic, or witty composition that claims to argue for something, but actually argues against it.
Ex: “I feel so miserable without you, it’s almost like having you here.”
syllogism
A form of deductive reasoning in which the conclusion is supported by a major premise
Ex: All men are mortal, Socrates is a man, Therefore, socrates is mortal
propaganda
a negative writing term for swaying opinion rather than presenting information
parody
A humorous or satiric imitation of a serious piece of literature of writing.
archetype
A character, theme/situation, symbol, or even setting that represents universal patterns of human nature
Ex: “The Hero”- Exhibits goodness and struggles against evil in order to restore harmony and justice.
bias
Having a judgement that intentionally ignores the facts given on a subject when it disagrees with your perception.
Ex: The mainstream media said that the shooting occurred due to racial tensions, though in court it was found out that the shooting was from an unresolved debt.
allegory
A complete narrative which involves characters, and events that stand for an abstract idea or an event
Ex: The ant and the grasshopper- the grasshopper can’t provide for himself for the winter because he is too busy mocking the ant.
anathema
An object of detestation. It is used to denote something or someone that is reviled by a particular group.
Ex: The children hate wearing uniforms to school and view the dress code as an anathema.
Antecedent
Anything that is replaced by a pronoun.
Ex: “the police man asked the boy what he was doing.” The phrase “the boy” is the antecedent of the pronoun “he.”
