First Semester Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds, especially initial constant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in “she sells sea shells”). Although the term is not used frequently in the multiple-choice section, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage. The repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, supply a musical sound, and/or echo the sense of the passage.
Allegory
The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.
Allusion
A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.
Ambiguity
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Anadiplosis
The repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. “Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering.” Yoda
Analogy
A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. Analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.
Anaphora
One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences. “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”
Anecdote
A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event. The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person.
Antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.
Antithesis
The use of a contrast in language to bring out a contrast in ideas. Antithesis can be built by contrasting any of the different parts of the statement. (Neil Armstrong’s “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”)
Aphorism
A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) Aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author’s point.
Apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The fact me at familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes, “Milton, thou shouldn’t be living at this hour: /England hath need of thee.”
Asyndeton and polysyndeton
asyndeton leaves out conjunctions in a list it between clauses (for example: “He was tall, dark, handsome”), while polysyndeton puta a conjunction between every item or clause (for example: “We have an army of soldiers and tanks and planes”). Asyndeton is often used to give the feeling of fast movement to the writing. Polysyndeton usually increases the urgency and power of the message communicated, with an almost hypnotic rhythm.
Atmosphere
The emotional mood 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. Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere foreshadows events. Perhaps it can create a mood.
Chiasmus
A special form of parallelism that flips the original form around. (Example: parallelism: “He smiled happily and laughed joyfully.”
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by a independent clause. The point that you want to consider is the question of what or why the author subordinates one element to the other. You should also become aware making effective use of subordination your own writing.
Colloquial/colloquialism
The use of slang or formalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give me work a conventional, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects.
Coherence
The principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear intelligible. Words, phrases, clauses within the sentence; and sentences, paragraphs, and chapters in large pieces of writing are the units that, by their progressive and logical arrangement, make for coherence.
Conceit
A financial expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly just dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness as a result of the unusual comparison being made.
Conduplicatio
Similar to anadiplosis but takes an important word from anywhere in one sentence or phrase and repeats it at the beginning of the next sentence or phrase. This technique is helpful to organization within an essay; it helps guide the reader from one idea to the next by aiming directly at the key point of topic, discussion, theme.
Connotation
The nonliteral, 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, diction refers to the reefers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP exam, you should be able to describe an author’s diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author’s purpose. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author’s style.
Didactic
Greek word, didactic which means teaching. Teaching moral or ethical principals
Distinctio
Rhetorical technique in which the writer/rhetor elaborates on the definition of the word, to make sure there is no misunderstanding. (“Before we can discuss immigration, we need to agree on the fact that there are huge differences between legal and illegal immigration.”)
Epistrophe
The opposite of anaphors, repetition at the end of successive clauses. “They saw no evil, they spoke no evil, and they hear no evil.”
Epithet
A common stylistic at a place that involves attaching a descriptive adjective to a noun to bring a scene to life or evoke a particular idea or emotion, as in the example, “The clear-eyed pilot safety landed the plane.” Often epithets combine unusual adjectives with nouns for a stronger effect; for example, “The redemptive clouds hovered close to a parched horizon” shoes the unusual adjectives modifying ordinary nouns to make them more open to interpretation.
