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AP English > Literary Terms > Flashcards

Literary Terms Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
0
Q

narrator

A

person telling the story

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1
Q

Narration

A

telling a story

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2
Q

n. b.

A

note well

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3
Q

nom de plume

A

pen name or pseudonym used by aurthor

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4
Q

novel

A

long, fictional prose story

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5
Q

novella

A

short novel with fewer characters than novel

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6
Q

novel, gothic

A

novel with medieval setting suggestion mystery and/or horror

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7
Q

historical novel

A

full-length fiction book, using historical facts as its basis for plot or setting, but including imaginary characters and dialogue

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8
Q

picaresque novel

A

novel characterized by a young hero of lower-class, unrespectable background, who leaves home and is face with a harsh, cruel world, and eventually conforms to its realities.

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9
Q

nuance

A

slight shade of meaning or detail

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10
Q

op. cit

A

used in footnotes/bibliographies to refer to work previously cited or quoted

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11
Q

oxymoron

A

use of paradoxical or opposite words for effect. Ex: poor little rich girl

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12
Q

paradox

A

contradictory statement that makes sense. Ex: She loved and hated him at the same time

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13
Q

paraphrase

A

restatement of writing, keeping the basic meaning, but telling it in one’s own words

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14
Q

literary parody

A

satire imitating an author or work with the aim of mockery

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15
Q

purple passage

A

writing that contains flowery, ornate language, often in the midst of otherwise dull passages

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16
Q

personification

A

literary device where writer attributes human qualities to objects or ideas. Ex: Fear raised its ugly head

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17
Q

plot

A

structure of the literature; the way it is put together; the unfolding or sequence of the events

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18
Q

poetry

A

poem collection; genre characterized by rhythm, rhyme, and stanzas, as opposed to prose

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19
Q

point-of-view

A

perspective form which the story is written; can be omniscient, first-person, shifting between characters, or other

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20
Q

prose

A

literature written in sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to poetry or verse

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21
Q

pprotagonist

A

main characters, hero, or heroine in a written work

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22
Q

proverb

A

saying, adage, or maxim, usually short and generally believed to be true. Ex: A stitch in time saves nine

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23
Q

pseudonym

A

name author uses instead of his/her real name; nom de plume

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24
Q

pun

A

play on words; words put together in such a way as to be humorous

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25
Q

rhetorical question

A

question asked without expecting an answer; used for effect. Ex: Oh, what does it matter, anyway?

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26
Q

literary realism

A

literature reflecting real life, rather than imaginary or idealistic life

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27
Q

redundancy

A

repetition that is unnecessary and awkward, as contrasted with intentional repetition for a particular effect. Ex: rich, wealthy individual

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28
Q

resolution

A

clarification, solution, or outcome of the conflict in a story

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29
Q

rhetoric

A

persuasive writing

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30
Q

roman a clef

A

novel based on actual people and places, but written as fiction instead of fact

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31
Q

romance

A

story about heroic deeds, mysterious settings, or love

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32
Q

romanticism

A

literary moment characterized by emotion, imagination, and goodness of people; little emphasis on reason. Opposite of classicism

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33
Q

sarcasm

A

form of irony which seems to praise, but really criticizes. Ex: Mother always knows best!

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34
Q

satire

A

Literature that makes fun of social conditions or conventions, often for the purpose of creating change.

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35
Q

sequel

A

a subsequent work similar to an original, often with the same characters

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36
Q

setting

A

time and place of a story

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37
Q

simile

A

comparison of one thing to another using the words like or as

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38
Q

short story

A

fiction story shorter than a novel, often having a surprise ending

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39
Q

style

A

the way an author characteristically expresses him or herself

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40
Q

symbol

A

a word or object that stands for something else

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41
Q

synonym

A

words meaning the same

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42
Q

synopsis

A

summary or condensed statement of a literary work

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43
Q

fairy tale

A

fanciful, imaginary story about a hero or heroine overcoming a problem often involving mystical creatures, supernatural power, or magic; often a type of folktale

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44
Q

theme/thesis

A

main idea in a piece of literature; topic or subject

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45
Q

thriller

A

story or movie filled with suspense

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46
Q

tone

A

mood brought forth by story of poem

47
Q

tragedy

A

literature, often drama, ending in catastrophe for the protagonists after dealing with a series of problems

48
Q

understatement

A

form of irony where the author intentionally understates the facts

49
Q

verse

A

writing with thyme and meter; as opposed to prose; often verse refers to poetry of a less serious nature

50
Q

flashback

A

jumping backward in the chronology of a narrative, often through a dream or musing sequence

51
Q

foil

A

character opposite or different from the protagonist, used to highlight the protagonist’s traits; incidents or setting may also be used as foils

52
Q

folklore/folktales

A

stories and legends transmitted by word of mouth, rather than in writing

53
Q

foreshadow

A

hints during the narrative about what will happen later; can be literal ints or symbolic hints

54
Q

literary genre

A

kind or type of literature; literary classification. Ex; novel; science fiction

55
Q

hero

A

character, usually the protagonist, who rises above and conquers a series of problems and events in the story

56
Q

homonyms

A

words that sound alike, are spelled alike, but have different meanings. Ex: trunk (of tree and a suitcase)

57
Q

homophones

A

words that sound alike (includes homonyms and also words that have different spellings) Ex: sea and see

58
Q

hyperbole

A

use of extreme exaggeration for effect. Ex: his breath could wilt a flower

59
Q

i.e.

A

that is (followed usually by explanatory matter)

60
Q

ibid.

A

used in footnotes and bibliographies to refer to the source mentioned directly above

61
Q

idiom

A

phrase in common use that does not literally mean what it says
Ex: Hold on to your hat and pocketbook

62
Q

imagery

A

creation of mental pictures by pertinent word choice and heightened description. Ex: His leathery, sun-abused face was ridged like corrugated cardboard

63
Q

in medias res

A

beginning in the middle of events. Ex: Odyssey by Homer opens in the middle of a journey

64
Q

irony

A

phrases or words with meanings quite different from what is actually states. Ex: “Brutus is an honorable man.”

65
Q

malapropism

A

confusion of similar-sounding words which often ends up sounding humorous. Ex: The Calvary had well-groomed horses (calvary; Calvary)

66
Q

metaphor

A

comparison of unlike things without using worlds like or as

67
Q

moral

A

a lesson the literature is teaching; fables usually teach a lesson about life

68
Q

literacy motif

A

recurrent words or phrases

69
Q

mythology

A

traditional tales about goddesses, gods, heroes, and other characters, often telling about the creation of the universe, talking about death, or otherwise philosophically explaining human existence

70
Q

conflict

A

opposing elements or characters in a plot

71
Q

connotation

A

feelings and associations added to specific word meaning. Ex: mother–kindly, self-sacrificing, nurturing woman

72
Q

consonance

A

repetition of similar consonant sounds, with changes in intervening vowel sounds

73
Q

convention

A

accepted literary form of the past

74
Q

copyright

A

legal rights to published works which stop anyone else from using the work without permission

75
Q

critic

A

person who evaluates literature or other art

76
Q

criticism

A

essays and critiques evaluating a writer or his work, based on set standards, according to the philosophy of the critic

77
Q

denotation

A

dictionary meaning of word. Ex: mother–female who bears or adopts a child

78
Q

denouement

A

outcome, resolution, solution of a plot

79
Q

dialogue/dialog

A

speaking and conversation between characters in stories, plays, and in person

80
Q

didactic

A

describes literary works meant to teach a moral or lesson

81
Q

doppelganger

A

personification of a character’s darker side; ghost

82
Q

double entendre

A

double meaning of word, phrase, or sentence, often raucous or sexual in implication. Ex: all eyes to the rear

83
Q

editorial

A

newspaper or magazine article expressing opinion of an editor or publisher

84
Q

ellipsis

A

three dots (…) to show words have been left out of a quotation or to indicate the passage of time

85
Q

envoy/envoi

A

brief postscript to book, essay, or poem; often the concluding stanza to a ballade, summarizing the poem

86
Q

epigram

A

witty, often paradoxical, saying or brief poem. Ex: Absence makes the heart grow fonder– of somebody else

87
Q

epitaph

A

inscription on tombstone or marker for the dead

88
Q

eponym

A

person whose name is the source of a new word. Ex: Peter Magnol (Magnolia)

89
Q

essay

A

short prose work expressing author’s views on a subject

90
Q

euphemism

A

more palatable word for less pleasant subject. Ex: “lady of the evening” is a euphemism for “prostitute”

91
Q

fable

A

story with moral or lesson about life, often with animal characters possessing human characteristics

92
Q

popular fiction

A

fiction aimed at the mainstream population. Ex: romances; detective stories

93
Q

science fiction

A

fiction concerning advanced technology, usually imagined, not actual scientific advancement

94
Q

first-person narratives

A

story told form first person point of view, usually using “i”

95
Q

allegory

A

writing that has a deeper meaning hidden beneath the obvious one

96
Q

alliteration

A

repetition of sounds at the beginning of words. Ex: Slug in the slime

97
Q

alllusion

A

reference, without explanation, to a work of literature, a character, a principle, and so on, assuming that the reader is familiar with its implication

98
Q

analogy

A

comparison of two dissimilar things that are alike in some way, often using simile or metaphor. Ex: He reminded me of a pig eating his swill

99
Q

antagonist

A

person who opposes or competes with the main character, hero, or heroine; often the villain

100
Q

antihero

A

character, usually the protagonist, who faces a series of problems and events in a story, but often is going against traditional societal standards

101
Q

aphorism

A

wise saying, usually brief, reflecting a general truth. Ex: Haste makes waste

102
Q

bildungsroman

A

fiction depicting the moral and intellectual growth of a protagonist, often intended for the education and guidance of others

103
Q

bowdlerize

A

to excise material deemed objectionable from a piece of writing. (Named after Thomas Bowdler, who censored and deleted passages and words form Shakespeare’s plays in 1818)

104
Q

burlesque

A

literary form which ridicules or mocks

105
Q

catharsis

A

therapeutic release of emotion upon identifying with and being moved by a piece of literature

106
Q

catastrophe

A

final event of a dramatic work, usually ruin or death

107
Q

characterization

A

the process of developing a character in a narrative or drama, often through the conflict of the plot

108
Q

circumlocution

A

writing or speaking that goes around the subject instead of getting directly to the point. Ex: This was not unlike

109
Q

classicism

A

literary movements of ancient Greece and Rome, using strict forms, accenting reason, and characterized by restraint. Opposite is romanticism

110
Q

cliche

A

trite, overused idea or statement.Ex: Have a nice day

111
Q

climax

A

high point in the plot where the reader is most intrigued and does not yet know the outcome

112
Q

coherence

A

clarity in connecting ideas

113
Q

comedy

A

fictional writing that has a happy ending for its major characters and contains humor

114
Q

conciseness

A

“tight” writing; use of only the necessary words to express thoughts

115
Q

concision

A

see conciseness above

116
Q

concrete

A

opposite of abstract; refers to specific people and things that can be perceived with the five sense

AP English (25 decks)

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