AP Vocab 1-30 Flashcards
Abstraction
A concept or value that cannot be seen (love, honor) and which the writer illustrates by comparing it metaphorically to a known, concrete object.
Allegory
A literary work that portrays abstract ideas concretely. Characters in an allegory are frequently personifications of abstract ideas and are given names that refer to these ideas.
Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds in a sentence of words or syllables.
Allusion
A reference to another work of literature or to art, history, or current events.
Ambiguity
Expression of an idea in such a way that suggests more than one meaning.
Analogy
In literature, a comparison between two things that helps explain or illustrate one or both of them.
Anaphora
Repetition of an initial word or words to add emphasis.
Anecdote
A brief story that illustrates a point.
Annotation
The act of noting observations directly on a text, especially anything striking or confusing, in order to record ideas and impressions for later analysis.
Antagonist
Character in a story or play who opposes the protagonist; while not necessarily an enemy, the antagonist creates or intensifies a conflict for the protagonist.
Antithesis
A contrast of ideas expressed in a grammatically balanced statement.
Aphorism
A brief, clever saying that expresses a principle, truth, or observation about life.
Apostrophe
A direct address to an abstraction (such as time), a thing (the wind), an animal, or an imaginary or absent person.
Approximate Rhyme
Using words that have some sound correspondence but imperfect rhyme.
Archaic Language
Words that were once common but that are no longer used.
