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AP Lang Literary Devices > Literary Devices > Flashcards

Literary Devices Flashcards

1
Q

Alliteration

A

When a sentence contains words beginning with the same letter.

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2
Q

Allusion

A

When another piece of literature is referred in a piece of literature.

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3
Q

Ambuguity

A

To have a vague meaning or to be able to be interpreted multiple ways.

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4
Q

Allegory

A

A piece of literature with a hidden, deeper meaning

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5
Q

Analogy

A

A comparison of two things to prove a point or show the likes of two things.

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6
Q

Anaphora

A

Use of a word as a regular grammatical substitute for a previous word.
Eg. “I know it and he does too”
(He replacing it replacing I.)

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7
Q

Antecedent

A

A word or phrase substitute that is replaced by a pronoun or another substitute earlier.
“Jane lost a glove and she can’t find it”

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8
Q

Antimetabole

A

A phrase that is said and reversed.

I go where I please and I please where I go.”

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9
Q

Antithesis

A

Device in which two opposite ideas are put in a sentence for contrasting effect.

“Speech is silver, but silence is gold”

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10
Q

Aphorism

A

A statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witter manner.

Pride hath fall

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11
Q

Apostrophe

A

A figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O”. Writer detaches himself from reality and addresses an imaginary character in speech.

Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are

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12
Q

Appositive

A

A phrase after a word to rename or define it.

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13
Q

Archaic Diction

A

Using words that are old fashioned.

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14
Q

Asyndeton

A

A stylistic device in which coordinating clauses, connected with commas, are repeated for a stylistic effect.

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15
Q

Polysyndeton

A

A stylistic device in which coordinating conjunctions are used in a row for artistic effect.

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16
Q

Atmosphere

A

A way to depict a certain mood or setting for effect.

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17
Q

Clause

A

A grammatical unit at a level between a phrase and a sentence.

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18
Q

Chiasmus

A

When 2 or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures.

Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.

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19
Q

Colloquialism

A

Informal words, phrases, or slang in writing.

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20
Q

Conceit

A

Comparing two unlike things with similes or metaphors

21
Q

Connotation

A

How a term is used in every day conversations opposed to its literal definition

22
Q

Denotation

A

The literal use of a word for its dictionary definition

23
Q

Diction

A

An author’s specific word choice

24
Q

Didactic

A

Literary texts which are overloaded with informative and realistic matter and are marked by omission of pleasing details.

25
Q

Euphemism

A

A way of putting things in different terms to soften the meaning of the word.

26
Q

Exigence

A

An issue, problem, or situation that cause or prompts someone to write or speak

27
Q

Extended metaphor

A

A comparison between 2 unlike things throughout sentences in a paragraph

28
Q

Zeugma

A

A figure of speech in which a word, (verb or adjective) applies to more than one noun, blending together grammatically and logically different ideas.

29
Q

Tropes V. Schemes

A

Trope: The use of a word, phrase, or image in a way not intended by its normal signification.

Scheme: A change in standard word order or pattern.

30
Q

Synesthesia

A

A technique adopted by writers to present ideas, characters or places in such a manner that they appeal to more than one sense, like hearing, seeing, etc, at a given time.

Tasting of flora and the country green, dance, and provincial song, and sun burnt mirth!”

31
Q

Synecdoche

A

A literary device in which a part of something represents the whole.

Different than metonymy. Synecdoche represents a whole thing by the name of any one of its parts, while metonymy is a word used to link it, but it’s not a part of it.

32
Q

Syllogism

A

A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.
Major: All mammals are warm-blooded
Minor: All black dogs are mammals
Conclusion: All black dogs are warm-blooded.

33
Q

Subordinate Clause

A

A clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it does not express a complete thought.

34
Q

Subject Complement

A

Predicate nominative: a noun following a linking verb that restates or stands for the subject.

Predicate adjective: an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the subject of the linking verb.

35
Q

Sentence Structures:

P, C, H, I

A

Periodic: Making your point at the end of a long sentence.
Cumulative: Independent clause followed by a series of phrases or clauses that gather details about a person, place, event, or thing.

Hortative: A sentence urging to some course of conduct or action; exhorting, encouraging, “pep talk”

Imperative: A type of sentence that gives advice or instructions or that expresses a request or command.

36
Q

Semantics

A

The study of the meaning of language. Deals with varieties and changes in the hearing of words.

37
Q

Rhetorical Modes

N, A, D, E

A

Narration: Provides details of what happened chronologically.
Argument: An educated guess or opinion. Something debatable.
Description: “Illustrative detail”.
Exposition: A statement intended to give information about something.

38
Q

Prose

A

A form of language that has no formal metrical structure.

39
Q

Periodic Sentence

A

When your point is at the end of a long sentence.

40
Q

Pedantic

A

Someone who’s too concerned with literal accuracy or formality.

41
Q

Parallelism

A

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same, or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter.

42
Q

Metonymy

A

A figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which is closely associated.

43
Q

Litotes

A

A figure of speech in which employs an understatement by using double negatives, or positives expression is states by negating its opposite expressions.

44
Q

Non-periodic sentence

A

When you put your main point at the beginning of a long sentence.

45
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Where 2 or more ideas or things and their actions are placed side by side in a piece of literature for developing comparisons and contrasts.

46
Q

Invective

A

Writing that attacks, insults, or denounces a person, topic, or institution.

47
Q

Inversion

A

A literary technique in which the normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect.

48
Q

Homily

A

A type of inspirational, moralizing, admonitory, or Biblical phrase or sermon.

AP Lang Literary Devices (1 decks)

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