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AP English IV > Literary Terms Unit 1 & 2 > Flashcards

Literary Terms Unit 1 & 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Allegory

A

The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form.

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2
Q

Alliteration

A

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of several words in a line of poetry (Peter Piper Picked A Peck of Pickled Pepper)

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3
Q

Ambiguity

A

When an author leaves out details/information or is unclear about an event so the reader will use their imagination to fill the blanks.

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4
Q

Anaphora

A

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines in a poem

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5
Q

Anecdote

A

A short story or joke told at the beginning of a speech to gain the audience’s attention

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6
Q

Antagonist

A

The protagonist’s adversary

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7
Q

Anti-climatic

A

When the ending of the plot in a poetry or prose in unfulfilling or lackluster

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8
Q

Apostrophe

A

When a character speaks to a character or object that is not present or is unable to respond

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9
Q

Assonance

A

The repetition of the same vowel sound in a phrase or line of poetry

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10
Q

Blank Verse

A

Name for unrhymed iambic pentameter; an iamb is a metrical foot in which an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable. In Iambic pentameter there are five iambs per line making ten syllables.

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11
Q

Climax

A

The turning point in the plot or the high point of action

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12
Q

Colloquial Language

A

Informal, conversational language. Colloquialisms are phrases or saying that are indicative of a specific region.

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13
Q

Connotation

A

An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing
Ex) snake-evil

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14
Q

Convention

A

And understanding between reader and writer abt certain details of a story that does not need to be explained

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15
Q

Consonance

A

The repetition of consonant sounds in a phrase or line of of poetry. The consonant sound may be at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.

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16
Q

Couplet

A

Two rhyming lines in poetry

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17
Q

Deux Ex Machina

A

Refers to a character or force that appears at the end of a story or play that helps resolve conflict (Gods from a Machine). Any turn of events that solves characters problems through unexpected and unlikely intervention.
Ex) Ancient Greek dramas; gods would be lowered into stage by machines and bail out characters in seemingly hopeless situations

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18
Q

Diction

A

Word choice or the use of words in speech or writing

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19
Q

Denouement

A

Final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot

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20
Q

Doppelgänger

A

Alter ego of a character - the suppressed side of one’s personality that is usually unaccepted by society
Ex)Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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21
Q

Elegy

A

Poem or song for a dead person

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22
Q

Emotive Language

A

Language used to instill a feeling or visual

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23
Q

Enjambment

A

Continuation of reading one line of a poem to the next with no pause; a run-on line

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24
Q

Epic

A

An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero

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25
Q

Epilogue

A

A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play, or in a novel the epilogue is a short explanation at the end of the book which indicates what happens after the plot ends

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26
Q

Epiphany

A

Sudden enlightenment or realization, profound new outlook or understanding

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27
Q

Epistolary

A

Used to describe a novel that tells its story through letters written from one character to another

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28
Q

Euphemism

A

The act of substituting a harsh, blunt, or offensive comment for one thug is more politically correct
Ex) Midget-> Vertically challenged

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29
Q

Euphony

A

A succession of words which are pleasing to the ear; may be alliterative, utilize consonance/assonance, and usually used in poetry or prose

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30
Q

Expansion

A

Adds unstressed syllable and a contraction in order to maintain rhythmic meter of a line (or elision removes a unstressed syllable)
Ex) o’er -> over

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31
Q

Fable

A

A usually short narrative making and edifying or cautionary point and often employs speaking animals that act as humans for characters

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32
Q

Female ending

A

Term that refers to an unstressed extra syllable at the end of a line of iambic pentameter

33
Q

Figurative language

A

Speech or writing that departs from literal meaning in order to achieve a special effect or meaning

34
Q

Flashback

A

When a character remembers a last event that is relevant to current action in story

35
Q

Flat character

A

Character that has little to no development and is able to be define by one or two personality traits - minor and insignificant characters usually

36
Q

Foil

A

Character that contrasts or enhances the characteristics of another character

Ex) Laertes and Hamlet

37
Q

Folklore

A

The traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people transmitted orally

38
Q

Foot

A

Basic repeating rhythmic unit that forms part of a line of poetic verse; each foot is composed of groups of syllables, almost always two syllables in lengths but can be any # in length

39
Q

Iamb

A

An iambic foot had two syllables; unstressed 1st, stressed 2nd. Most common foot in English poetry

40
Q

Trochee

A

A trochaic foot had two syllables; 1st stressed, 2nd unstressed

41
Q

Dactyl

A

A dactylic foot has three syllables beginning with a stressed syllable, the other two unstressed

42
Q

Anapest

A

An anapestic foot has 3 syllables; first two unstressed, third stressed

43
Q

Foreshadowing

A

Clues in the text abt incidents that will occur later in the plot; creates anticipation

44
Q

Free verse

A

Type of verse that contains a variety of line lengths, is unrhymed, and lacks tradition meter

45
Q

Genre

A

Category of artistic composition, marked by style/content/form

46
Q

Gothic Novel

A

Genre of fiction characterized by midget and supernatural horrid, often set in medieval setting

47
Q

Heroine

A

Woman noted for courage and daring action or the female protagonist

48
Q

Hubris

A

Excessive pride that usually leads to heroes downfalls

49
Q

Hyperbole

A

Figure of speech; extreme exaggeration for comic/dramatic effect

50
Q

Ilocution

A

Language that avoids meaning of words

Ex) conversation between two characters discussing a huge storm could seem to refer to weather, but had the underlying meaning of incoming, unpredictable chaos and turmoil

51
Q

Imagery

A

Use of vivid figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas

52
Q

In media res

A

Story that begins in the middle of things

53
Q

Inversion

A

In poetry is an intentional digression from ordinary word order to maintain regular meters

Ex) the rain came -> came the rain

54
Q

Irony

A

When one thing should occur, is apparent, or in logical sequence, but the opposite actually occurs

Ex) A man in the ocean may be surrounded by water but still die of thirst

55
Q

Masculine ending

A

Stressed extra syllable at the end of a line

56
Q

Memoir

A

An account of the personal experiences of an author

57
Q

Meter

A

The measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by acentual rhythm, syllabic quantity, or the number of syllables in a line

58
Q

Metonymy

A

Using a word or phrase to stand in for something else that it is associated with

Ex) Hollywood -> U.S filmaking industry

59
Q

Motif

A

A dominant theme or central idea

60
Q

Narrator

A

The person telling the story

61
Q

Novella

A

Short novel usually under 100 pages

62
Q

Neutral Language

A

Opposite of emotive language; literal/objective in nature

63
Q

Oblique rhyme

A

Imperfect rhyme scheme

64
Q

Ode

A

A lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanzaic structure; celebrates something

65
Q

Onomatopoeia

A

Words that imitate the actions associated with them

Ex) murmur, buzz

66
Q

Paradox

A

Statement that contradicts itself

Ex) his old face was youthful when he heard the news

67
Q

Parody

A

A literary or artistic work that imitated the characteristic style of an author or work for comic effect or ridicule

Ex) SNL

68
Q

Personification

A

Inanimate object that losses human qualities

Ex) the wind whispered

69
Q

Poetic Justice

A

The rewarding virtue and the punishment of vice in the resolution of the plot; character gets what they deserve

70
Q

Prequel

A

A literary, dramatic, or cinematic work whose narrative takes place before that of a preexisting work or a sequel

71
Q

Prose

A

Ordinary speech or writing without metrical structure, written in paragraph form

Ex) novels and short stories are referred to as prose

72
Q

Protagonist

A

The main character in a drama or literary work

73
Q

Pun

A

Play on words

74
Q

Rhyme

A

The repetition of sounds in words

Ex) Why cry, I could die

75
Q

Rhyme scheme

A

The act of assigning letters in an alphabet to demonstrate the humming line in a poem

Ex) ABAB

76
Q

Rising action

A

The events leading up to the climax

77
Q

Rites of passage

A

And incident that creates tremendous growth signifying a transition from adolescence to adulthood

78
Q

Round character

A

A character who is developed over the course of the book; usually major characters

AP English IV (1 decks)

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