Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

AP English > Literary Terms > Flashcards

Literary Terms Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

How is active voice different from passive voice?

A

A direct statement where the subject performs the action rather than the subject being acted upon.
Example: I wrote this essay vs This essay was written by me.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

allegory

A

A narrative with literal and symbolic meaning. Characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. AKA extended metaphor
Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory for Communist Russia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

alliteration

A

Repetition of similar sounds usually at the start of the word.
Example: Sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark, dock

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

allusion

A

Brief indirect reference to a person, place, event, or literary work that is recognizable. Adds layer of meaning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

ambiguity

A

Describes a literary work that may have many possible meanings when only one may be intended. Meanings may be contradictory and show division in the author’s mind.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

analogy

A

A comparison between things similar in a number of ways. Using the familiar to explain the familiar.
Example: The heart’s structure is like a pump.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

anecdotal evidence

A

Short narrative to support a claim

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

antagonist

A

The main force or character that opposes the protagonist

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

anti-climax

A

Sudden descent from the impressive to the trivial for ludicrous or humorous effect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

antithesis

A

Juxtaposition of contrasting or opposite ideals, often in parallel structure.
Example: “to err is human, to forgive is divine”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

apostrophe

A

Figure of speech in which an absent/dead person, an abstract quality, or something non-human is addressed directly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

archaic language

A

Language that is old-fashioned or obsolete

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

aside

A

A speech directed to the audience (breaking the 4th wall) that is unheard by the other characters in the play

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

assonance

A

Close repetition of similar vowel sounds.

Example: twinkle twinkle little star

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

atmosphere

A

The prevailing feeling created by the story through descriptive diction, imagery, and dialogue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

audience

A

The people reading the literary work

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

autobiography

A

Description of a life written by the person who has lived it and intends the public to read it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

ballad

A

A simple and short narrative poem originally meant to be sung

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

ballad stanza

A

A common meter found in ballads: quatrain in iambic meter, alternating tetrameter and trimeter lines, usually rhyming abcb

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

bias

A

A preference that makes it difficult to judge fairly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

blank verse

A

Unrhymed iambic pentameter (10 syllables alternating unstressed and stressed)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

cacophony

A

Jarring language that sounds bad

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

caricature

A

A portrait that ridicules a person by exaggerating their most prominent features and characteristics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

case study

A

Detailed analysis of an individual or group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

catastrophe

A

The final disaster of a tragedy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

cause and effect

A

Strategy in argumentative essay: argue from an effect back to a cause or start with a cause and argue it will produce a particular effect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

flat character

A

A character with only 1 or 2 qualities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

round character

A

A developed character with multiple qualities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

static character

A

A character that does not change through the story

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

dynamic character

A

A character that undergoes significant change

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

stereotyped character

A

A predictable one dimensional character

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

character foil

A

A character who contrasts another character (usually protagonists)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

characterization and what it is influenced by (5)

A

The creation or description of a character in a work of fiction usually influenced by:

  • description of features and traits by authors and other characters
  • name
  • narrative perspective (first person, omniscient)
  • the actual actions of the character
  • the ethos (world or setting the character is in)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

chorus

A

A group of singers and dancers in Greek drama that appear at intervals within a play to comment on the action, or antagonists, or sing the praises of the gods. Usually expresses judgement of an objective bystander or best morality of the community.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

chronological order

A

The order of events based on time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

cliche

A

An overused expression that was once clever but is now timeworn.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

climatic order

A

Ideas arranged in the order of least to most important, a strategy common in composing an argument

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

climax

A

The point of greatest intensity in a narrative that usually marks a story’s turning point.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

coincidence

A

A happenstance that is usually exploited by comedies for humour (especially if highly improbable).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

colloquialism

A

Informal expression characteristic of speech and acceptable in informal writing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

comedy

A

A literary work that ends happily with a healthy amicable armistice between the protagonist and society. Usually exposes human folly and depicts the overthrow of rigid social fashions and customs. Wit, humour, and sense of festivity are found in many comedies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

comic relief

A

A comic element inserted into a tragic or somber work to relieve tension, widen a work’s scope, and heighten by contrasting the tragic emotion.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

compare and contrast

A

To look at multiple works and examine their similarities and differences. Used to illuminate important differences (possibly theme) and lead to a better understanding of the literature.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

comparison

A

Consideration of separate things in light of similarities.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

conflict (3 types)

A

The struggle between opposing characters or forces. Types:

  • man vs man
  • man vs environment
  • man vs self
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

connotation

A

Emotions and associations with a word.

Example: springtime; youth, new, beginning, fresh

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

consonance

A

The repition of similar consonant sound in the middle or the end of words.
Example: And all the air a solemn stillness holds (l sound)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

contrast

A

Juxtaposition of different images, ideas, or both to clarify or heighten a scene, theme, or episode.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

couplet

A

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

denotation

A

The dictionary meaning of a word.

Example: spring; the season between winter and summer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

dénouement

A

The resolution of the plot that follows the climax. The falling action of the story. (pronounced like day-new-manh)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

deus ex machina (should be italicized)

A

Means god out of the machine. Refers to the resolution of the plot by use of highly improbable chance or coincidence to rescue the protagonist from an improbable situation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

dialect

A

Language belonging to a particular time, place, or social group.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

dialogue

A

Conversation between multiple people as opposed to monologue.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

diary

A

Daily record of events and observations, especially personal ones.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

diction

A

A writers choice of words, particularly for clarity, effectiveness, and precision. A wrtier’s diction can be formal or informal, abstact or concrete, simple or oranate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

didactic

A

To describe a literary work with the primary aim is to expound some moral, political, or other teaching.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

dilemma

A

A situation requiring a choice between two equally balanced alternatives that are both equally unfavorable.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

direct presentation

A

Author or character tells the reader straight out what a character is like.
Example: Robert is a hot-headed boss who runs his business with an iron grip.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

dissonance

A

A harsh disagreeable combination of sounds. AKA as cacophony.
Example: Gas! Gas! Quick boys! - An ecstacy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
- creates the effect of confusion and anxious haste during a WWI gas attack

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

drama

A

Form of fiction that is acted infront of an audience. Is collaborative, communal, and immediate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

dramatic form

A

The structure of telling a story

Example: a tragedy’s dramatic form is exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, catastrophe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

dramatic monologue

A

A narrative poem where one character speaks to an audience that gives no replies in the poem. Used in crucial occasions and reveals speaker’s personality while also explaining incident that is subject of the poem.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

editorial

A

Newspaper or magazine commentary on an issue of public concern that carries the opinion of the staff and editor.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

elegy

A

A lyric poem that is formal in language in structure. usually solemn or melancholy in tone. Used to mourn a death or lament over life and death

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

emotional appeal

A

Persuasion that stirs an audience’s emotions in hopes of moving people to action. Writer may tap into humour, anger, sadness, righteousness, patriotism, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

epic

A

Long narrative poem that tells about the deeds of a great hero and reflects on the society that it originated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

epigram

A

Short, witty, pointed statement often in the form of a poem.
Example: “Tis education forms the common mind,
Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

epiphany

A

A moment of significant realization and insight experienced by the protagonist.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
70
Q

epitaph

A

An inscription or gravestone or monument that memorializes a person or persons buried there.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
71
Q

escape fiction

A

Stories written primarily to entertain, thus helping the reader escape daily concerns and problems of reality.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
72
Q

argumentative essay

A

Essay that attemps to lead the reader to share the writer’s belief, especially through the use of logic, using such devices as inductive or deductive reasoning, facts, statistics, and so on.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
73
Q

descriptive essay

A

An essay most noteworthy of its rendition in words (especially of observations of the human or natural environment), use of imagery, and sense impressions (feel, smell, etc). The objective is to immerse the reader

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
74
Q

expository essay

A

An essay that explains something usually using strategies like cause and effect, compare and contrast, logic, etc,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
75
Q

formal essay

A

An essay dealing seriously with a subject characterized by careful organization, formal diction, and formal sentence structure. Many essays on literature are formal, keeping the focus on the literature discussed rather than the writer’s personal response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
76
Q

informal/personal essay

A

An essay that is brief and written conversationally, sometimes with a personal/ humorous style. May be written in first person POV

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
77
Q

narrative essay

A

An essay that tells a story to illustrate a point, persuade, entertain, reinforce a thesis, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
78
Q

persuasive essay

A

An essay that tries to convince but takes appeals to emotions mostly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
79
Q

euphemism

A

Using a mild or pleasant expression to replace a bad one.

Example: correctional facility vs jail

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
80
Q

euphony

A

Melodious sounds, as opposed to cacophony. Smooth meter, sentence rhythm and and word choice create this.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
81
Q

expert testiomny

A

A qualified person’s official/ formal statement. Generally used in an argumentative/ persuasive essay to give expertise in a subject.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
82
Q

exposition

A

Explaining an idea or developing a thought. An important approach to essay writing to explain events to understand the plot.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
83
Q

fable

A

A brief story with a moral or lesson. Characters are usually animals who speak and act like humans.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
84
Q

falling action

A

Follows the climax and shows a reversal of fortune for the protagonist. In tragedy, this leads to disaster. In comedy, it leads to a happy ending.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
85
Q

fantasy

A

Type of story which transcends the bounds of known reality. Story may introduce the supernatural or bend the laws of nature.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
86
Q

farce

A

A wildly comic play that mocks dramatic and social conventions. Farces features a lot of exaggerations and absurd and improbable events.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
87
Q

figurative language

A

Language that is not meant to be interpreted in a literal sense. Includes metaphor, simile, hyperbole, etc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
88
Q

flashback

A

Switch in the plot from the present to the past to illustrate a point or aid in characterization.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
89
Q

foreshadowing

A

Device that hints at events that will happen later in the story.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
90
Q

form

A

Refers to the shape and structure and the manner of which a literary work is made. Work made be made in the form of verse or prose, etc. Form kind may be sonnet, short story, essay, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
91
Q

formal language

A

Refers to a serious and carefully organized level of language. There are no colloquialisms, contractions, or incomplete sentences.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
92
Q

free verse

A

Verse that lacks regular meter and line length and relies on natural speech rhythms.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
93
Q

genre

A

Loosely applies to the larger forms of literary convention. Similar to species in biology
Examples: tragedy, comedy, drama, satire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
94
Q

graphic text

A

Work told through pictures. Reading the visual text of the work is as important as the written text. Uses drawings, paintings, photographs, and or etchings , etc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
95
Q

hero/heroine

A

A person with superhuman powers (possibly a demigod) in classic mythology. In more modern day, can also be a brave leader or person with great moral/physical strength.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
96
Q

historical reference

A

Any reference to an actual event from the past

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
97
Q

humour

A

Designed to induce laughter or amusement. Can also refer to the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is comical or funny

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
98
Q

hyperbole

A

Exaggeration for emphasis or to make a point

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
99
Q

iambic pentameter

A

Most common verse line in English poetry. Each poetic line consists of five verse feet with each foot containing an unstressed and stressed syllable. Each line would have ten syllables

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
100
Q

idiom

A

Expression peculiar to language, not literally translatable. Idioms in English could be: “It’s raining cats and dogs” or “My nose is running”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
101
Q

image/imagery

A

Images of a literary work. Single image is a concrete picture, either literally descriptive (“Red roses covered the white wall) or figurative (“She is a rose”), that carries sensual and emotive connotation. Images are representative to things accessible to five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
102
Q

indeterminate ending

A

Plot term for ending where no definitive conclusion is reached. Story does not simply stop, but conclusion is not resolved conflict or tidy finish. Story may be effective without resolution to force reader to ponder possibilities.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
103
Q

indirect presentation

A

Author shows us characters in action; we infer what they are like from what they think/say/do. Effective way of dramatizing character as reader is more likely to determine character traits from behaviour and action. (Showing, not telling!)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
104
Q

informal lagnuage

A

Level of language is usually less serious in tone and purpose than formal expression. May have colloquialism (word or phrase that is not formal or literary), jargon, slang, contractions, conversational tone, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
105
Q

interior monologue

A

Fictional presentation of unspoken thoughts as though delivered in monologue typically characterized by STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS content and technique.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
106
Q

internal conflict

A

Conflict arising from within character’s consciousness: moral conscience, dilemma, desire to conform, peer pressure, opposition of ideas, fear, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
107
Q

internal rhyme

A

Rhyme within a line rather than at the beginning (initial rhyme) and end (end rhyme).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
108
Q

interpretive fiction

A

Literature has meaningful, usually realistic plots, conflicts, settings and characters. May be serious or comedic. Written to broaden, deepen, and sharpen awareness of life, illuminates human condition, and brings reader closer to understanding us and our world.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
109
Q

irony

A

a literary device where what appears, on the surface, to be the case, differs radically from what is actually the case

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
110
Q

verbal irony

A

Discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, saying “What a beautiful day it is!” when it is pouring rain. Speaker and listeners must all get irony intended.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
111
Q

situational irony

A

What finally takes place is different from what is expected or seems appropriate. Contrast generates meaning and power.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
112
Q

dramatic irony

A

When what a character says or thinks contrasts with what reader (and possible other characters in story) knows to be true. At least one character must be ignorant of irony.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
113
Q

jargon (2 meanings)

A
  1. Language peculiar to a trade or calling. Kind of useful for communication among those within a group, but remains mysterious to outsiders. (Ex. Language specific to plumbers)
  2. Confused or confusing language, jargon communicates to nobody
114
Q

juxtaposition

A

Device of placing side by side, without comment, elements that normally aren’t associated. May be words, images, ideas, events, or quotations. Those juxtaposed elements are intended to be united by reader’s imagination.

115
Q

legend

A

Folk story concerning historical or reputedly historical figures with less supernatural and more authenticity than myth.

116
Q

literal language

A

Precise, plain meaning of word or phrase in simplest, original sense, considered apart from figurative sense. Opposed to figurative language.

117
Q

lyric

A
  • can describe songs
  • loosely describes poems different from narrative or dramatic verse
  • fairly short, no longer than 50-60 lines
  • expresses feelings and thoughts of a single speaker (not necessarily the poet) in a personal and subjective fashion.
118
Q

melodrama

A

Drama with stereotyped characters, exaggerated emotions, and conflict that pits on all-good hero against all-evil villain. Good characters always win and evils ones punished.

119
Q

metaphor

A

A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another.

120
Q

plain/explicit metaphor examples

A

“He was a peacock”, “John is a dead duck”

121
Q

implied metaphor examples

A

“He swelled and displayed his finery”, “He swelled and ruffled his plumage”

122
Q

extended metaphor

A

metaphor that extends throughout poem/literary work.

123
Q

dead metaphor

A

metaphor that becomes so commonplace it seems literal rather than figurative: “a jacket”, for paper around a book, with no mental image of the human coat that prompted original metaphor. Other examples: “the foot of the mill”, “working like a dog”, “run of the mill”. Most cliches are dead metaphors.

124
Q

mixed metaphor

A

Using 2 or more inconsistent metaphors in one expression. Usually a fault with writing, but occasionally can be effective.

125
Q

meter/metre

A

Term refers to pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in verse, unit of pattern is foot, containing one stressed syllable and 1 - 2 unstressed syllables. One meter - iambic - has dominated English poetry, but others occur as well.

126
Q

types of meter

A 
Iambic: U I
Anapestic: U U I
Trochaic: I U
Dactylic: I U U
Spondaic: I I
127
Q

types of verse names from amount of feet

A 
1 foot: monometer
2 feet: dimeter
3 feet: trimeter
4 feet: tetrameter
5 feet: pentameter
6 feet: hexameter
7 feet: heptameter (rare)
128
Q

metonymy

A

substitution of some suggestive words for what is actually meant. It’s like metaphor by association.
Examples: Crown for government, the stage for theatrical profession, and in a famous quote “the pen is mightier than the sword”

129
Q

monologue (and four types)

A

An extended speech by one person with or without an audience. There are four types:

  • monodrama (play with one character)
  • soliloquy (speaking thoughts aloud to self)
  • solo address to an audience in a play
  • dramatic monologue
130
Q

mood

A

The intangible feeling or quality appealing to extra-sensory as well as sensory perception evoked through diction, description, irony, etc. Many associate mood with the tone or atmosphere of a literary work.

131
Q

mystery

A

Work of fiction in which a crime or mysterious event presents evidence to the reader so they may have the opprotunity to solve the problem. The climax is the solving of the crime and the explanation is the dénouement.

132
Q

myth and mythology

A

A story which is not necessarily true and may involve supernatural beings or events. Myths are often concerned with the creation of people and the world and how it has come to exist. Myths serve a purpose as stories to illustrate a society’s religion, history, social class structure, and natural environment. Various myths may link together to form mythology, interconnected stories that illustrate a scoiety’s major concerns in religion and history particularly.

133
Q

narration

A

The act of telling a story.

134
Q

narrative

A

A story!

135
Q

narrator; how does the narrator define the POV?

A

The person telling a story. If the narrator is in the story, the POV is first person. If the narrator is not within the story the POV is third person.

136
Q

objective

A

Refers to language, tone, or a person who is uninfluenced by emotion, surmise, or bias. Common for formal essays to be objective. The opposite is subjective.

137
Q

octave/octet

A

The first unit in Italian sonnet. It consists of eight lines of iambic pentameter that rhymes like ABBAABBA.

138
Q

ode

A

A complex and often lengthy lyric poem written in a formal and dignified way. Odes are often written to honour a person, season, event, etc

139
Q

onomatopoeia

A

Use of words that sound like what they signify.

Examples: buzz, crack, smack, whinny

140
Q

oxymoron

A

The combination of contradictory ideas for effect.

Examples: jumbo shrimp, a wise fool, dear enemy

141
Q

paradox

A

A self-contradictory statement or circumstance that proves true when reflected on or examined in another light.
Example: Shakespeare - “When my love swears that she is made of truth/ I do believe her, though I know she lies”
Example: Wordsworth - “The child is father of the man.”

142
Q

parallelism

A

The arrangement of ideas in words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that balances one element with another of equal importance. The repetition of sounds, meanings, and structures serve to order, emphasize, and point out relationships.
Example: “I am a simple citizen who wants to live in peace and be taxed out of existence or poisoned out of oxygen or sonically boomed out of my sanity and my home by all the things you do to help me, to defend me, to better provide me speed, electricity, national prestige, and freedom from bugs.”

143
Q

parody

A

The imitation, exaggeration, and distortion of prominent features of particular genres, writers, and styles to criticize it for its flaws for comic effect.

144
Q

pastoral

A

A type of poem or literary work that deals in an idealized way with shepherds and rustic life.

145
Q

pathos

A

The feeling of pity, sypathy, tenderness, compassion, or sorrow evoked by characters who are helpless and innocent, suffering through no fault of their own

and

an appeal to emotion. using a heartfelt plea or sob story etc to convince

146
Q

personification

A 
Treating abstractions, things, or animals as persons. These may be given human like qualities. Personification can be seen as a metaphor.
Example: 
"Blow, blow, thou winter wind.
Thou art not so unkind.
As man's ingratitude. 
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen, 
Although they breath be rude."
- Shakespeare
147
Q

persuasive technique

A

Any technique used to convince an audience of a thesis. Logic, emotional appeal, expert testimony, compare and contrast, pro and con, and diction may be involved

148
Q

plagiarism and how to avoid it

A

The act of taking the writings of another and passing them off as one’s own. Taking the ideas of another is also plagiarism. Don’t do it! To avoid this, cite quotations appropriately

149
Q

plot

A

The sequence of events or incidents of which a story is composed of. These are presented in a signifcant order. Most follows the common structure of rising action, climax, and falling action. A story with a big plot has many events. Plot answers, “What happened?”

150
Q

first person POV

A

First person POV tells the story directly from a participant. This can illuminate character psychology and motivation.

151
Q

omniscient POV

A

Omniscient POV has a third person narrator with unlimited knowledge. They can give us the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters. They can tell us as much or as little as they please.

152
Q

limited omniscient POV

A

Limited omniscient POV has a third person narrator with limited knowledge. They are limited to only giving the thoughts and feelings of one character.

153
Q

objective POV

A

Objective POV has a third person narrator that is like a camera. They tell us what occurs factually but offers no interpretation.

154
Q

pro and con argument

A

A persuasive writing strategy that explores all sides of an issue. Discusses the good and the bad.

155
Q

prologue; what was in a Greek tragedy’s prologue?

A

The opening section of a work that serves to introduce a moral point, theme, and/or action. In Greek tragedy, a prologue contained either a monologue or dialogue that was devoted to the exposition of a character.

156
Q

propaganda

A

Information that spreads a particular idea or belief that is generally misleading or biased in nature. Propaganda tends to be religious, social, or political in nature.

157
Q

protagonist

A

The main character of a story. They may be the hero but don’t necessarily have to be.

158
Q

proverb

A

A short concise saying that frequently embodies the wisdom of a group or nation.
Examples: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
“When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”
“Snitches get stitches yo.”

159
Q

pun

A

Puns are words or phrases that suggest two or more meanings at the same time.
Example: “The ink, like our pig, keeps running out of the pen.”

160
Q

purpose

A

The main effect a literature work intended to achieve. Authors may wish to enlighten, entertain, persuade, inform, etc.

161
Q

quatrain

A

A stanza of four lines, rhymed or unryhmed.

162
Q

question and answer

A

A stylistic technique in a composition. Questions are an effective way of arousing interest or concern in a subject which can then be answered within the essay.

163
Q

refrain

A

A word, phrase, line, or group of lines repeated regularly in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza. Refrains are often found in ballads and narrative poems to create a songlike rhythm, build suspense, or emphasize an idea.

164
Q

repetition

A

Anything repeated

165
Q

resolution

A

AKA dénouement. The falling action of the story.

166
Q

rhetorical question

A

A question that does not expect an answer. The answer is usually self-evident. This is used for stylisticc effect and to rouse emotions.
Example: “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, sense of affections, passions?… If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”
- Shakespeare

167
Q

rhyme

A

The repetition of sounds in two or more words or phrases that appear close to each other in a poem.
Example: river/shiver, song/long, leap/deep

168
Q

rhyme scheme

A

The pattern of rhymes in a stanza or poem.

169
Q

rhythm

A

The arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a pattern.

170
Q

rising action

A

Rising action provides background information, introduces conflict, and builds suspense. It is followed by the climax.

171
Q

sarcasm

A

A cutting personal remark that uses irony to mock or convey contempt.

172
Q

satire

A

Literature that ridicules vices and follies. Satire uses humour to persuade the reader to see their point of view.

173
Q

sestet

A

A six-line poem or stanza. Italian sonnets end in a sestet.

174
Q

setting

A

The time and place of a poem.

175
Q

simile

A

The explicit form of metaphor that compares two things. These comparisons must be between two unlike things. Uses: like, as, as if, than, resembles, etc
Example: He is LIKE a peacock. She swims AS IF she were a fish.
Not a simile: Susan is like her grandma.

176
Q

slang

A 
Special vocabulary of a class or group of people that is low standard when measured against formal, educated language.
Example: "His duds are always sweet!" vs "He dresses in a contemporary fashion."
177
Q

soliloquy

A

A long speech in which a character, alone on stage, expresses their thoughts and feelings. This speech usually serves great importance in the play and gives the audience insights on the speaker and the events within the play.

178
Q

sonnet; what are the two main types?

A

Fourteen line lyric poem usually written in iambic pentameter. Types: Petrarchan/Italian sonnet and Elizabethan/Shakespearean sonnet

179
Q

Petrarchan/ Italian sonnet

A

Poem that consists of an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines). Rhyme scheme: abbaabbacdecde. The octave may raise a question or problem and the sestet answers or solves it. Sometimes the sestet may oppose what the octave asserts.

180
Q

Elizabethan/ Shakespearean sonnet

A

Consists of 3 quatrains (4 line stanzas) and a concluding couplet with a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg.

181
Q

Spenserian sonnet

A

Type of sonnet with a rhyme scheme ababbcbccdcdee.

182
Q

speaker

A

The person who is understood to be speaking in a particular work.

183
Q

stanza

A

A division of a poem consisting of a group of lines arranged as a group.

184
Q

statistical evidence

A

Important writing strategy in argumentative and persuasive essays. Statistics can confirm a fact, add support, and add authority. However, be careful in using statistics to make unwarranted inferences made from a fact.
Example: A book on the best seller list for 12 months confirms that many people have bought it. However, this doesn’t mean that you will love the book if you buy it!

185
Q

stream of consciousness

A

The style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character’s thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images as the character experiences them. Suggests the mind’s similarity to a stream: continually flowing, swift or slow, varying in depth, accessible on the surface or on a deeper level, and carrying a mix of natural and foreign objects picked up along the journey.

186
Q

style

A

The way an author writes

187
Q

stylistic technique

A

Refers to aspects of a writer’s method of expression. Involves diction, sentence type and length, description, dialogue, archaic language, connotations, figurative language, etc

188
Q

subjective

A

With regard to language and tone, an adjective that refers to personal or emotional expression instead of objective impersonal expression. Subjective writing refers to a writer that is concerned with personal experience and feeling - as in autobiography, or an autobiographical novel.

189
Q

surprise ending

A

Twist at the end of the story in a sudden/ unexpected turn of fortune or action.

190
Q

suspense

A

A state of uncertainty, anticipation, or curiosity concerning the outcome of a plot or the resolution of a conflict.

191
Q

symbol

A

Something that stands for something else. In literature, symbols usually do not have a publically accepted meaning but rather they take on meaning from the total context in which they appear. Whole stories may be symbols.

192
Q

natural symbols

A

Symbols that present things not for themselves, but for the ideas people commonly associate with them.
Examples: stars for hope, stormclouds for despair, night for death, sunrise for a new beginning

193
Q

conventional symbols

A

Symbols that present things for the meanings people within a certain group have agreed upon.
Example: national flag for home or patriotism, cross or star of David for religion

194
Q

literary symbols

A

Symbols that build upon natural or conventional symbols, adding meaning appropriataely fitting within the work and also sometimes creating meanings with in a work.

195
Q

synecdoche

A

The understanding of one thing by another. A metaphor where one part stands for the whole.
Example: “give us this day our daily bread”
bread stands for food
Example: silver for money or change
Example: steel for sword

196
Q

theme

A

The central idea of a story that is implied rather than directly stated. It is the story’s observation about life or human nature. Ask yourself, what does the story reveal? NOT, what does the story teach?

197
Q

thesis

A

The central idea of an essay.
Examples: The media is the single biggest instigator of eating disorders in Canada. Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s dream both examine that folly of love.

198
Q

thesis statement

A

A sentence that expresses an essay’s main point. It is specific, to the point, but not too obvious.
Example: The English teacher is responsible for the two most important skills we possess as adults: reading and writing” vs “English teachers are important.”

199
Q

third person narrative; what are the two types?

A

Uses “she”, “it”, and “they” instead of “I”, “we”, “you” in a story. Two common types of third persons are omniscient or limited omniscient.

200
Q

tone

A

The attitude a writer takes toward their subject, characters, or audience.
Examples: serious, playful, ironic, formal, somber, friendly, pompous, intimate

201
Q

tragedy

A

A literary work where the protagonist meets an uphappy or disastrous end. The protagonist is usually a hero but that doesn’t mean they may not be flawed. Fate, flaws, or errors in judgement may lead to their downfall. A tragic hero usually gains wisdom or self-awareness from this defeat.

202
Q

understatement

A

Minimizing something in order to emphasize it. Can be seen as ironic when describing something of a big deal as “not bad” or “OK”.

203
Q

universality

A

The quality of a story that gives it relevance beyond the narrow confines of its characters, subject, or setting. Stories have universality when they reveal human nature or common truths of life experience.

204
Q

verisimilitude

A

Life-like quality possed by a story as revealed through its plot, setting, conflict, and characterization. Taken together, a true-to-life impression is created for the reader.

205
Q

voice

A

Describes a person’s writing. Voice incorporates diction, imagery, vigor, tone, irony, and the audience’s perception of the writer’s purpose.

206
Q

volta

A

Turn of thought occuring after the octave of an Italian sonnet. Applies to other places where a turn of thought occurs, sometimes after the first two quatrains of a Shakespearean sonnet.

207
Q

wit

A

Biting or insightful humour that is often cynical or insulting which provides it with its known sharpness.
Consists of: sharp comebacks, clever batner, dry ojkes, and one liners

208
Q

assess (when used in an essay question)

A

Estimate the value of something based on some criteria; present an inform judgement.

209
Q

compare (when used in an essay question)

A

Describe how some elements or qualities of one event, issue, or character are similar to those of another. Often used in conjunction with contrast

210
Q

contrast (when used in an essay question)

A

Describe how the elements or qualities of one event, issue, or character, are different from those of another.

211
Q

describe (when used in an essay question)

A

Give a detailed or graphic account of an object, event, or concept.

212
Q

discuss (when used in an essay question)

A

Present the various points of view in a debate or argument. Engage in written discourse on a particular topic, process, or concept.

213
Q

evaluate (when used in an essay question)

A

Use criteria or standards to make judgements about the strengths and weaknesses of a position on a particular issue.

214
Q

explain (when used in an essay question)

A

Give an account of a topic, process, or concept, providing evidence and reasons.

215
Q

To what extent (when used in an essay question)

A

Advance arguments in favour of a position or point of view and respond to or take into account arguments opposed to that positon or point of view.

216
Q

anachronism

A

A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.
Use in a sentence: “everything was as it would have appeared in centuries past apart from one anachronism, a bright yellow construction crane”
example: Mona Lisa holding an electric guitar.

217
Q

anaphora

A

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This device is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent.

218
Q

angst

A

A term used in existential criticism to describe both the individual and the collective anxiety-neurosis of the period following the Second World War. This feeling of anxiety, dread, or anguish is notably present in the works of writers like Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.

219
Q

archetype

A

A statement, pattern of behaviour, or prototype which other statements, patterns of behaviour, and objects copy or emulate.
Examples: Lover, hero, caregiver, outlaw, etc (google!)

220
Q

asyndeton

A

A series of words separated by commas. The parts of the sentence are thus emphasized equally. The use of commas with no intervening conjunction also speeds up the flow of the sentence.
Example: I came, I saw, I conquered.

221
Q

balance

A

Construction in which both halves of the sentence are about the same length and importance, sometimes used to emphasize contrast.

222
Q

catharsis

A

The process by which an unhealthy emotional state produced by an imbalance of feelings is corrected and emotional health is restored.

223
Q

chiasmus

A

Arrangements of repeated thoughts in the pattern of XYYX.

Example: Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

224
Q

Comedy of Manners

A

Type of literature that deals with relations and intrigues of gentlemen and ladies living in polished and sophisticated society. There is humour in the violation of social convections. This type of literature relies on wit and humour in dialogue for its effect.
Example: The Importance of Being Earnest

225
Q

conceit

A

Unusual or surprising comparison between two very different things.

226
Q

digression

A

A temporary departure from the main subject in speaking or writing.

227
Q

elliptical

A

Sentence structure which leaves out something in the second half. Usually there is a subject verb object combination in the first half and in the second half the verb will be omitted.
Example: May was hot and June the same

228
Q

ennui

A

A persistent feeling of tiredness or weariness which often afflicts existential man, often manifesting as boredom.

229
Q

epigraph

A

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of a theme.

230
Q

hubris

A

Overwhelming pride or insolence that results in the misfortune of the protagonist of a tragedy.

231
Q

Litotes

A

Opposite of hyperbole. Intensification of an idea by using an understatement.
Example: It wasn’t my best day.

232
Q

motif

A

A frequently recurrent character, incident, or concept in literature.

233
Q

parable

A

A short story from which a lesson may be drawn.

234
Q

peripety

A

The reversal in a hero’s fortune.

235
Q

Red herring

A

The use of an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue.

236
Q

rhetoric

A

The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

237
Q

Stream of Consciousness

A

The technique of writing that undertakes to reproduce the raw flow of consciousness, with the perceptions, thoughts, judgements, feelings, associations, and memories presented just as they occur without being tidied into grammatical sentences or given logical and narrative order.

238
Q

syntax

A

In grammar, the arrangements of words as elements in a sentence to show their relationship.

239
Q

zeugma

A

The literary term for using one word to modify two or more other words, in two or more different ways.
Example: “She broke his car and his heart.” “She ran out of time and towards her doom.” “The farmers grew potatoes, beets, and bored.”

240
Q

cynicism

A

an inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest; skepticism.

241
Q

derisive

A

expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking

242
Q

enjambment

A

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza

243
Q

aphorism

A

a concise statement or observation that contains a general truth, such as, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”.

244
Q

Asceticism/ ascetic (adjective)

A

a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from all forms of indulgence in favour of self-discipline for spiritual goals

245
Q

hedonist

A

someone who actively seeks pleasure

246
Q

petulance

A

the quality of being childishly sulky or bad-tempered

247
Q

bathos

A

An abrupt transition from a lofty style or grand topic to a common or vulgar one. Associated with anticlimax

248
Q

ad hominem

A

An argument made that is directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining.

249
Q

reductio ad absurdum

A

An argument method that proves something false by showing that its logical consequence is absurd or contradictory.

250
Q

rebuff

A

to reject something in an abrupt or ungracious manner

251
Q

laconic

A

of a person or speech: using very few words

“his laconic reply”

252
Q

florid

A

used to describe elaborate or excessively intricate literary works

253
Q

verbose

A

using more words than are needed

“much academic language is obscure and verbose”

254
Q

exultant

A

triumphantly happy

255
Q

sanguine

A

optimistic or positive

256
Q

laud

A

to praise someone

257
Q

credo

A

a statement of the beliefs or aims which guide someone’s actions.

258
Q

apologia

A

a formal written defence of one’s opinions or conduct

259
Q

vitriolic

A

filled with bitter criticism or malice

260
Q

parenthetical expression/ interruption and what does it do

A

a phrase or clause that’s inserted within—in effect, it interrupts—another phrase or clause. Does not necessarily use parentheses. Adds personal commentary or explains

261
Q

palaver (2 meanings)

A

adjective to describe something unnecessarily elaborate; verb for unproductive talk

262
Q

iconoclasm/iconoclastic

A

iconoclasm: the social belief in the importance of the destruction of icons, images or monuments, most frequently for religious or political reasons
iconoclastic: characterized by an attack on cherished beliefs or institutions

263
Q

ambivalence

A

the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

264
Q

apostasy

A

the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief

265
Q

polemic

A

a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something

266
Q

dichotomy

A

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different

267
Q

counterfactual statement

A

any proposition that is about the way the world will be, could be, but isn’t

example: If I had enough money, I would buy that house

268
Q

ethos

A

an appeal to ethics. Convincing an audience via the authority/ credibility of the persuader.

Examples: celebrities or experts in the field

269
Q

logos

A

an appeal to logic. Persuading an audience with reason, facts and figures

270
Q

ephemeral

A

lasting for a very short time

271
Q

contrived

A

deliberately created rather than arising naturally or spontaneously

272
Q

spurious

A

adjective: false/ fake

273
Q

maudlin

A

adjective: sentimental/ emotional

274
Q

sardonic

A

adjective: grimly mocking or cynical

275
Q

motes

A

dust or tiny piece of substance

276
Q

synesthesia

A

one sense (for example, hearing) is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight

277
Q

ekphrasis

A

the use of a detailed description of a work of visual art as a literary device

278
Q

postmodern

A

an intellectual stance that rejects the possibility of reliable knowledge and denies the existence of a universal, stable reality

279
Q

inversion

A

the switch of word order to emphasize the words or maintain a meter.

example: the ocean blue vs the blue ocean

280
Q

ineffable

A

adjective: incapable of being expressed or described in words
examples: ineffable joy

281
Q

undulation

A

the act of smoothly moving up and down

example: the undulation of the waves

AP English (1 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions