question

Absolute

answer

a word free from limitations or qualifications ("best", "all", "unique", "perfect")

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Adage

answer

a familiar proverb or wise saying

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Ad Hominem Argument

answer

an argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue

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Allegory

answer

a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

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Alliteration

answer

the repitition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

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Allusion

answer

a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize

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Analogy

answer

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

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Anaphora

answer

the repitition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences

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Anecdote

answer

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event

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Antecedent

answer

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

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Antithesis

answer

a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced

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Aphorism

answer

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance

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Apostrophe

answer

a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction

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Archetype

answer

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response

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Argument

answer

a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work

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Asyndeton

answer

a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjuctions

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Balanced Sentence

answer

a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast

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Bathos

answer

insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity

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Chiasmus

answer

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary")

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Cliche

answer

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off

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Colloquialism

answer

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

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Complex Sentence

answer

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

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Compound Sentence

answer

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjuctions

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Conceit

answer

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

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Concrete Details

answer

details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events

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Connotation

answer

the implied or associative meaning of a word

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Cumulative Sentence

answer

a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifing clauses or phrases

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Declarative Sentence

answer

a sentenece that makes a statement or declaration

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Deductive Reasoning

answer

reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.)

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Denotation

answer

the literal meaning of a word

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Dialect

answer

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region

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Dialogue

answer

conversation between two or more people

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Diction

answer

the word choices made by a writer

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Didactic

answer

having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing

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Dilemma

answer

a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives

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Dissonance

answer

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds

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Elegy

answer

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme

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Ellipsis

answer

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context ("Some people prefer cats; others, dogs")

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Epic

answer

a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation

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Epigram

answer

a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying

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Epigraph

answer

a saying or statement on the title page of work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work

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Epiphany

answer

a moment of sudden revelation or insight

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Epitaph

answer

an inscription on a tombstone or burial place

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Epithet

answer

a term used to point out a characteristic of a person. Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives ("swift-footed Achilles") that become an almost formulaic part of a name. Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of their given epithets ("The Rocket")

question

Eulogy

answer

a formal speech praising a person who has died

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Euphemism

answer

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

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Exclamatory Sentence

answer

a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark

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Expletive

answer

an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity

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Fable

answer

a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

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Fantasy

answer

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point

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Figurative Language

answer

language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)

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Flashback

answer

the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

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Flat Character

answer

a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

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Foreshadowing

answer

the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work

question

Frame Device

answer

a story within a story. An example is Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which the primary tales are told within the "frame story" of the pilgrimage to Canterbury

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Genre

answer

a major category or type of literature

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Homily

answer

a sermon, or a moralistic lecture

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Hubris

answer

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

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Hyperbole

answer

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

question

Hypothetical Question

answer

a question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition

question

Idiom

answer

an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect

question

Imagery

answer

the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

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Implication

answer

a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly. Note: the author/sender implies; the reader/audience infers

question

Inductive Reasoning

answer

deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals")

question

Inference

answer

a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence

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Invective

answer

an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack

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Irony

answer

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs

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Jargon

answer

the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession

question

Juxtaposition

answer

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

question

Legend

answer

a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements

question

Limerick

answer

light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines (each consisting of three feet) rhyme, and the second and third lines (each consisting of two feet) rhyme

question

Limited Narrator

answer

a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character

question

Literary License

answer

deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect (intentional sentence fragments, for example)

question

Litotes

answer

a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, "It was not a pretty picture.")

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Malapropism

answer

the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar ("The doctor wrote a subscription")

question

Maxim

answer

a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage

question

Metaphor

answer

a direct comparison of two different things

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Metonymy

answer

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it ("The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting]")

question

Mood

answer

the emotional atmosphere of a work

question

Motif

answer

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works

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Motivation

answer

a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act

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Myth

answer

a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events

question

Narrative

answer

a story or narrated account

question

Narrator

answer

the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient

question

Non Sequitur

answer

an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, "does not follow")

question

Omniscient Narrator

answer

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

question

Onomatopoeia

answer

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

question

Oxymoron

answer

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

question

Parable

answer

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

question

Paradox

answer

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

question

Parallelism

answer

the use of corresponding grammatical or synitactical forms

question

Paraphrase

answer

a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity

question

Parody

answer

a humorous imitation of a serious work

question

Parethetical

answer

a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain

question

Pathos

answer

the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity

question

Pedantic

answer

characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship

question

Personification

answer

endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics

question

Philippic

answer

a strong verbal denunciation. The term comes from the orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedonia in the fourth century

question

Plot

answer

the action of a narrative or drama

question

Point of View

answer

the vantage point from which a story is told

question

Polysyndeton

answer

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural

question

Pun

answer

a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds bu different meanings

question

Resolution

answer

the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax

question

Rhetoric

answer

the art of presenting ideas in a clar, effective, and persuasive manner

question

Rhetorical Question

answer

a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

question

Rhetorical Devices

answer

literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression

question

Riddle

answer

a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum

question

Romantic

answer

a term describing a character or literary work that reflects the characteristics of Romanticism, the literary movement beginning in the late 18th century that stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism

question

Round Character

answer

a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work

question

Sarcasm

answer

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule

question

Satire

answer

the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions

question

Scapegoat

answer

a person or group that bears the blame for another

question

Scene

answer

a real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play

question

Setting

answer

the time, place, and environment in which action takes place

question

Simile

answer

a comparison of two things using "like," "as," or other specifically comparative words

question

Simple Sentence

answer

a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause

question

Solecism

answer

nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules

question

Structure

answer

the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work

question

Style

answer

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

question

Surrealism

answer

an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control

question

Syllepsis

answer

a construction in which one word is used in two different senses ("After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.")

question

Syllogism

answer

a three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise ("All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal")

question

Symbol

answer

an object that is used to represent something else

question

Synecdoche

answer

using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as "wheels")

question

Synesthesia (or Synaesthesia)

answer

describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color," "a sweet sound")

question

Syntax

answer

the manner in which words are arranged into sentences

question

Tautology

answer

needless repitition which adds no meaning or understanding ("widow woman," "free gift")

question

Theme

answer

a central idea of a work

question

Thesis

answer

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

question

Tone

answer

the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience

question

Topic

answer

the subject treated in a paragraph or work

question

Tragedy

answer

a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction

question

Trilogy

answer

a work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself

question

Trite

answer

overused and hackneyed

question

Turning Point

answer

the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs

question

Understatement

answer

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis

question

Usage

answer

the customary way language or its elements are used

question

Vernacular

answer

the veryday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage

question

Anapest

answer

two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable

question

Approximate Rhyme

answer

(slant rhyme) the sounds are similar but not exactly the same

question

Assonance

answer

the repition of similar vowel sounds in a sequence of nearby words

question

Ballad

answer

a narrative folk song - oral stories passed on through generations alternating tetrameter and trimeter, usually iambic and rhyming

question

Blank Verse

answer

unrhymed iambic pentameter; bears a close resemblance to the rhythms of ordinary speech, giving poetry a natural feel

question

Cacophony

answer

the clash of discordant or harsh sounds within a sentence or phrase -for tongue twisters or poetic effect

question

Consonance

answer

the repitition of consonant sounds anywhere within words

question

Continuous Form

answer

form of poem in the lines follow one another without formal grouping; the only breaks being dictated by the units of meaning

question

Couplet

answer

a style of poetry defined as a complete thought written in two lines with rhyming ends (for example, heroic couplet is a pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter)

question

Dactyl

answer

a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

question

Dactylic

answer

the form of classical epic poetry - Homer, Virgil dactyl lines made from hexameters (6 feet)

question

Didactic Poetry

answer

poetry that is instructional or informative - main purpose is in conveying a message, not artistic technique

question

Dimeter

answer

two feet

question

Dramatic Irony

answer

a technique in which the author lets the audience or reader in on a character's situation while the character himself remains in the dark. In tragic plays - called tragic irony

question

Feminine Rhyme

answer

a rhyme consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable

question

Foot

answer

basic rhythmic unit into which a line of verse can be divided - when reciting verse, there usually is a slight pause between feet

question

Free Verse

answer

verse that does not conform to any fixed meter or rhyme scheme

question

Haiku

answer

a compact form of Japanese poetry written in three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively

question

Heptameter

answer

seven feet

question

Hexameter

answer

six feet

question

Iamb

answer

an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

question

Iambic Pentameter

answer

each line of verse has five feet, each of which consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable - most popular metrical schemes in English poetry

question

Internal Rhyme

answer

a rhyme between two or more words within a single line of verse

question

Masculine Rhyme

answer

a rhyme consisting of a single stressed syllable

question

Meter

answer

the rythmic pattern created in a line of verse - four basic types: accentual, syllabic, accentual-syllabic, and quatitive

question

Monometer

answer

one foot

question

Octameter

answer

eight feet

question

Pentameter

answer

five feet

question

Petrarchan/Italian Sonnet

answer

poetic form with an octave ABBAABBA/ABBACDDC and then a sestet CDECDE/CDCCDC

question

Quatrain

answer

a four line stanza, has many variants such as the heroic quatrain (ABAB rhyme scheme)

question

Refrain

answer

group of words repeated at key intervals in a poem

question

Rhythm

answer

the pattern of sound created by the varying length and emphasis given to different syllables. Rise and fall of spoken language - candace

question

Rhyme

answer

creating a sense of musicality between lines of verse

question

Scansion

answer

the process of analyzing the number and type of feet in a line

question

Sentimentality

answer

a term used to describe the effort by an author to induce emotional responses in the reader that exceed the situation, especially pertains to such emotions as pathos and sympathy

question

Sestet

answer

a six line stanza

question

Shakespearean Sonnet

answer

a poetic form with three quatrains and a final couplet - ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

question

Situational Irony

answer

a technique in which one understanding of a situation stands in sharp contrast to another, usually more prevalent, understanding of the same situation

question

Sonnet

answer

a distinctive poetic style that uses system or pattern of metrical structure and verse composition usually consisting of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter

question

Spondee

answer

two successive syllables with light stresses

question

Stanza

answer

a division in poetry often named for the number of lines it contains, comparable to a paragraph in prose

question

Stress

answer

the emphasize or accent given to a syllable in pronunciation

question

Symbol

answer

something that represents something else

question

Terza Ryme

answer

a system of interlaced tercets linked by a common rhyme: ABA BCB CDC (hard to remain in English)

question

Tetrameter

answer

four feet in a line

question

Trimeter

answer

three feet in a line

question

Trochaic/Trochee

answer

a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable

question

Verbal Irony

answer

the use of a statement that, by its context, implies the opposite; sarcasm

question

Villanelle

answer

a nineteen-line poem made up of five tercets and a final quatrain in which all nineteen lines carry one of only two rhymes. There are two refrains. alternating between the ends of each tercet and then forming the two last lines of the quatrain

AP English Literature and Composition Literary Terms – Flashcards

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