Basic AP Lit vocabulary Flashcards
Allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds, the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Allusion
a direct or indirect reference to something which is commonly known such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.
Ambiguity
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage
Analogy
Similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them
Antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun
Antithesis
the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite
Aphorism
terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a 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 nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described
Caricature
verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person’s distinctive physical features or other characteristics
clause
a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
conceit
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects
Connotation
The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. connotations may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes
denotation
the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.
Diction
related to style and refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
Didactic
From the Greek word that means “teaching”. Words that have the primary aim of teaching or instructing especially the teaching of moral or ethical principle
Euphemism
From the Greek for “good speech”, and are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.
Extended metaphor
a metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work
figurative language
writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid
figure of speech
a device used to produce figurative language. Includes hyperbole, irony metaphor, personification, understatement, etc.
generic conventions
this term describes traditions for each genre. these ______ help to define each genre.
Genre
The major category into which a literary work fits. the basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.
homily
this term literally means “sermon”, but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
