APL Vocab Flashcards
Act
a major unit of action in a drama or play. Each act can be further divided into smaller sections called scenes.
Allegory
a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea about life; allegories often have a strong moral or lesson.
Alliteration
the representation of consonant sounds at the beginning..(finish def)
Allusion
a reference in a literary work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events
Analogy
a comparison of two or more like objects that suggests if they are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well.
Anecdote
a brief account of an interesting incident or event that usually is intended to entertain or to make a point.
Aside
an actor’s speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to be heard by other actors on stage. An aside is used to let the audience know what a character is about to do or what he/she is thinking.
Assonance
repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry.
Audience
the particular group of readers or viewers that the writer is addressing. A writer considers his/her audience when deciding on a subject, a purpose for writing, and the tone and style in which to write.
Author
the writer of the book, article, or text.
Author’s Purpose
an author’s purpose is his/her reason for creating a particular work.
Autobiography
nonfiction; person tells his/her life story
Ballad
a poem that tells a story and is ment to be sung or recited
Biography
the story of a persons life that is written by someone else.
Blank Verse
un-rhymed iambic pentameter (see meter)
Caesura
a pause or sudden break in a line of poetry.
Cause and Effect
when two events are related as cause and effect when one event brings about or causes the other. 1st event= CAUSE & 2nd=EFFECT
Character
person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature.
Antagonist
character who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character (protagonist) in some way.
Caricature
a picture or imitation of a person’s habits, physical appearance or mannerisms exaggerated in a comic or absurd way.
Foil
character who serves as a contrast or a conflict to another character.
Hero/Heroine
a character whose actions are inspiring or nobel; often the main character in a story.
Main Character(s)
the characters who are central to the plot of the story…(dynamic…round).
Minor Character(s)
less important character who interacts with the main characters; helps move plot.
Characterization
all of the techniques that use to create characters.
Character Trait
a characters personality
Direct Characterization
author directly states a characters traits or makes direct comments about a characters nature.
Dynamic Character
a character who changes throughout a story .
Flat Character
a character about whom little info is provided
Indirect Characterization
the author does not directly state the character’s traits.
Static Character
does not change or who changes very little.
Chronological Order
the order in which events happen.
Clarifying
the process of pausing occasionally while reading to quickly review what he/she understands.
Cliche
an overused expression.
Comedy
dramatic work that is light and humerus.
Comparison
process of identifying similarities.
Concrete Poetry
type of poetry that uses its physical pf visual form to present it’s message
Context Clues
hints or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases and clarify their meaning.
Contrast
the process of pointing out differences between things.
Conflict
the tension or problem in a story; a struggle between opposing forces.
Central Conflict
the dominant or most important conflict in the story.
External Conflict
the problem the exists between the main character and an outside force.
Internal Conflict
the problem that takes place in the main characters mind (person vs self)
Connecting
a readers process of relating the content of a liter
Couplet
a rhymed pair of lines in poem. One of William Shakespeare’s trademarks was to end a sonnet with a couplet.
Denotation
the opposite of connotation in that it is the exact meaning of a word.
Dialect
a form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people.
Drama
a drama or play that is performed by actors before an audience.
Drawing Conclusions
combining several pieces of information to make an inference.
Dramatic Monologue
a literary device that is used when a character reveals his/her innermost thoughts and feelings, those that are hidden throughout the course of the storyline, through poem or speech.
Elegy
a type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died.
Enjambment
incomplete syntax at the end of a line.
Main Characters
the characters that are central to the plot of a story. They are usually dynamic and round.
Minor Characters
less important character who interacts with the main characters helping to move the plot along and providing background for the for the story. They are usually static and flat.
Characterization
all the techniques a writer uses to create characters.
Character Trait
a character’s personality; a trait that is not a physical description.
Direct Characterization
author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a characters nature.
Dynamic Character
a character who changes throughout the course of a story.
Flat Character
a character whom little information is provided.
Indirect Characterization
the author does not directly state a characters traits; instead the reader drawls conclusions and discovers a characters traits based on the clues provided by the author.
Round Character
character who is fully described by the author.
Static Character
does not change or who changes very little.
Humor
the quality the provokes laughter or amusement.
Hyperbole
a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.
Idiom
a phrase or expression that means something from what the words actually say.
Imagery
the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses.
Inference
a logical guess based on evidence in the text.
Fable
a brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature. often features animals as characters
Fact and Opinion
fact is a statement that can be proven. Opinion is a statement that reflects the writers belief but cant be proven.
Fantasy
work of literature that contains at least one fantastic or unreal element.
Interview
a meeting in which one person asks another about personal matters, professional matters, or both.
Irony
a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.
Verbal Irony
occurs when the speaker says something totally…*****
Legend
a story handed down from the past about a specific person, usually someone or heroic accomplishments.
Limerick
a short humorous poem composed of five lines that usually has the rhyme scheme aabba, created by two rhyming couplets followed by a 5th line that rhymes w/ the fist couplet. typically a sing-a-long
Lyric Poem
a song-like poem written mainly to express the feelings or emotions of a single speaker.
Main Idea
the most important point that a writer wishes to express.
Memoir
specific type of autobiography; like autobio., a memoir is about authors personal experiences. * may not cover entire life*
Metaphor
fig lang comparison is made between two things that are essentially unalike but may have one thing in common.
Meter
regular pattern of accented and unaccented syllables.
Ambiguity
the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Aphorism
a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral principle.
Apostrophe
a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.
Atmosphere
the emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting.
Clause
a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
Colloquail
the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
Conceit
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
Connotation
the nonliteral, associative meaning of a word.
Diction
referring to style, diction refers
Soliloquy
A speech delivered by a character who is alone on the stage.
Sonnet
distinct poetic style that uses a system or pattern of metrical structure and verse composition usually consisting of 14 lines.
Speaker
the voice that talks to the reader in a poem
Speech
a talk given in public
Stage Directions
the instructions to the actors, director and stage crew in the script of the play.
Stanza
a grouping of two or more lines within a poem.
Stereotype
a broad generalization or an oversimplified view that disregards individual differences.
Story Mapping
a visual organizer that helps a reader understand a work of literature by tracking setting, characters, events and conflicts
Style
how a writer says something; many elements contribute to style, including word choice, sentence length, tone and fig lang
Summerizing
briefly restating the main ideas of a piece of writing
eye rhymes
words that appear to rhyme but when spoken do not.
Theme
the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person’s thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic.
Symbol
A symbol is an object that represents, stands for, or suggests an idea, visual image, belief, action, or material entity.
Motif
a decorative design or pattern.
