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AP Language & Composition > Glossary #2 > Flashcards

Glossary #2 Flashcards

1
Q

Definition - When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.

A

Foreshadowing

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2
Q

Example - If a character mentions that they have a bad feeling about going to a party, you may expect something bad to happen at the party, due to this device.

A

Foreshadowing

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3
Q

Impact - Gives the reader a hint and insight into what may happen in the future.

A

Foreshadowing

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4
Q

Definition - The major category into which a literary work fits.

A

Genre

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5
Q

Definition - Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear, and/or death. Also refers to an architectural style of the Middle Ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period.

A

Gothic

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6
Q

Example - Edgar Allen Poe’s works

A

Gothic

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7
Q

Definition - Word or words that create a picture in the reader’s mind. Usually, this involves the five senses.

A

Imagery

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8
Q

Example - Her eyes were shimmering like golden stars.

A

Imagery

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9
Q

Impact - Enhances description with sensory details, immersing and engaging readers.

A

Imagery

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10
Q

Definition - A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.

A

Invective

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11
Q

Example - “You sniveling, cowardly cur! You’re nothing but a spineless worm, afraid to stand up for yourself!”

A

Invective

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12
Q

Impact - This language creates an intense feeling of anger in writing.

A

Invective

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13
Q

Definition - When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.

A

Irony

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14
Q

Definition - When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.

A

Verbal Irony

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15
Q

Example - If your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it a “walk in the park” it would be…

A

Verbal Irony

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16
Q

Impact - This device can add sarcasm and bitterness to your tone.

A

Verbal Irony

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17
Q

Definition - When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn’t and would be surprised to find out.

A

Dramatic Irony

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18
Q

Example - In many horror movies, we (the audience) know who the killer is, but the victim-to-be has no idea who is doing the slaying.

A

Dramatic Irony

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19
Q

Impact - This device creates suspense and tension, as well as engages the reader.

A

Dramatic Irony

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20
Q

Definition - Found in the plot (or storyline) of a book, story, or movie: the outcome is the opposite of what is expected.

A

Situational Irony

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21
Q

Example - A fire station burns down in a story.

A

Situational Irony

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22
Q

Impact - This can bring humor and an element of surprise to writing.

A

Situational Irony

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23
Q

Definition - Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.

A

Juxtaposition

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24
Q

Example - The average day of a typical American paired with that of someone in the third world to make a point of social commentary

A

Juxtaposition

25
Q

Impact - Allows for clarity in ideas and expresses a point.

A

Juxtaposition

26
Q

Definition - The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction).

A

Mood

27
Q

Definition - A recurring idea in a piece of literature.

A

Motif

28
Q

Example - In To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea that “you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view”

A

Motif

29
Q

Impact - Allows for a specific point or value to be emphasized, resonating with the audience.

A

Motif

30
Q

Definition - When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox

A

Oxymoron

31
Q

Example - “jumbo shrimp.”

A

Oxymoron

32
Q

Impact - This device adds complexity and irony/humor to writing.

A

Oxymoron

33
Q

Definition - The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.

A

Pacing

34
Q

Example - “The car screeched around the corner, tires squealing. Rain lashed against the windshield, blurring the already fading light. He slammed on the brakes, his heart hammering against his ribs. A figure emerged from the shadows, a glint of metal in their hand.” (fast-____)

A

Pacing

35
Q

Impact - This device can change the mood of the writing, as well as build suspense and emotion through varying tempos.

A

Pacing

36
Q

Definition - A seemingly contradictory situation that is actually true.

A

Paradox

37
Q

Example - “The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.”

A

Paradox

38
Q

Impact - Highlights challenging assumptions and the complexities of human experience.

A

Paradox

39
Q

Definition - Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.

A

Parallelism

40
Q

Example - “Cinderella swept the floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rugs.”

A

Parallelism

41
Q

Impact - Adds emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing.

A

Parallelism

42
Q

Definition - Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row.

A

Anaphora

43
Q

Example - “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

A

Anaphora

44
Q

Impact - Brings coherence through deliberate repetition.

A

Anaphora

45
Q

Definition - When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.

A

Chiasmus

46
Q

Example - “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

A

Chiasmus

47
Q

Impact - Creates balance and rhythm and deepens an idea through contrast.

A

Chiasmus

48
Q

Definition - Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure.

A

Antithesis

49
Q

Example - “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”

A

Antithesis

50
Q

Impact - Adds clarity and enhances artistic effect in writing through contrast.

A

Antithesis

51
Q

Definition - When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.

A

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

52
Q

Example - “The butler killed the lights, and then the mistress.”

A

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

53
Q

Impact - This device adds conciseness and unexpected connections and possibly creates humor.

A

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

54
Q

Definition - Parentheses are used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence. It is almost considered an aside…a whisper, and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly.

A

Parenthetical Idea

55
Q

Example - “The dog, a scruffy terrier mix (who always seemed to be muddy), greeted me with enthusiastic barks.”

A

Parenthetical Idea

56
Q

Impact - Adds detail, context, and clarity, and makes a connection and interaction with readers through creating asides.

A

Parenthetical Idea

57
Q

Definition - An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original and pokes fun at it.

A

Parody

58
Q

Example - “It was the best of dogs, it was the worst of dogs, it was the age of fetching, it was the age of chewing…” (referencing Charles Dickens’s work)

A

Parody

59
Q

Definition - The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.

A

Persona

AP Language & Composition (4 decks)

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