AP Terms

Question 1

parallelism

Answer 1

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”

Question 2

antithesis

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

inversion

Answer 3

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

Question 4

juxtaposition

Answer 4

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”

Question 5

paradox

Answer 5

Statement that seems contradictory but is actually true

Ex: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”

Question 6

asyndeton

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

polysyndeton

Answer 7

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.”

Question 8

zeugma

Answer 8

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 .”

Question 9

antimetabole

Answer 9

A literary term or device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order

Ex: “Eat to live,not live to eat.”

Question 10

apostrophe

Answer 10

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.”

Question 11

metonymy

Answer 11

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,

Question 12

analogy

Answer 12

A comparison of two things based on their being alike in some way

Ex: She ran as fast as lightning in the race.

Question 13

ambiguity

Answer 13

multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional

Ex: “Ich bin ein Berliner!!”

Question 14

understatement

Answer 14

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.”

Question 15

cliche

Answer 15

A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought

Ex: “Fit as a fiddle”(describes someone in great shape)

Question 16

anecdote

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

euphemism

Answer 17

A sympathetic way to convey a usually harsh or blunt term

Ex: Using the term “pass away” rather than “die”

Question 18

aphorism

Answer 18

A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise, witty manner

Ex: “The simplest questions are the hardest to answer.”

Question 19

repetition

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

allusion

Answer 20

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!”

Question 21

satire

Answer 21

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.”

Question 22

syllogism

Answer 22

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

Question 23

propaganda

Answer 23

a negative writing term for swaying opinion rather than presenting information

Question 24

parody

Answer 24

A humorous or satiric imitation of a serious piece of literature of writing.

Question 25

archetype

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

bias

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

allegory

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

anathema

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Antecedent

Answer 29

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.”