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adage

answer

a saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language EX: A penny saved is a penny earned

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ad hominem

answer

an argument addressing the person instead of the issue EX: how can you argue your case for vegetarianism when you are enjoying your steak?

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allegory

answer

an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances EX: all animals are equal but few are more equal than others.

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alliteration

answer

the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in poetry or prose EX: the boy bent backwards by a banister

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allusion

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a reference to a person. place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea EX: chocolate was her Achilles heel

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ambiguity

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a vagueness of meaning to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation EX: each of us saw her duck

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analogy

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a comparison that points out similarities between two contrasting things EX: you are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard

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anaphora

answer

the repetition at the beginning of clauses EX: I want my money right now, right here, all right?

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anecdote

answer

a very short tale told by a character in a literary work EX: A mother tells her son a story about a family vacation when she was growing up

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antagonist

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a character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist, produces tension or conflict EX: the joker in batman

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antecedent

answer

the noun that a pronoun replaces EX: Lily = she

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antithesis

answer

contrasting ideas or images through the use of parallel structure EX: Many are called, but few are chosen.

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aphorism

answer

brief saying embodying a moral, concise, statement of a principle or precept given in pointed words EX: The simplest questions are the hardest to answer.

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apostrophe

answer

when an absent person, abstract concept, or object is directly addressed EX: the star in twinkle little star

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archetype

answer

usage of any object or situation as it was originally made- big cliché, but one that never dies EX: the hero

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argument

answer

a form of writing that makes a claim for a particular opinion or idea and supports it with evidence EX: "social media has bettered society"

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aside

answer

a device in which a character in a drama makes a short speech which is heard by the audience but not by other characters EX: romeo speaks to the audience- reveals his thoughts

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assonance

answer

the repetition of vowel sounds in a literary work EX: Men sell the wedding bells

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asyndeton

answer

the omission of conjunctions that coordinate words and phrases EX: without looking, breathing, making a sound

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audience

answer

a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art

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balanced sentence

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a sentence that uses parallel structure and has clauses that are equally long and equally important EX: Light is faster, but we are safer.

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ballad

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a story in a poetic form, often tragic love

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bathos

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an event often occurring as serious then transitions into of little significance EX: MARY: John - once we had something that was pure, and wonderful, and good. What's happened to it? JOHN: You spent it all.

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blank verse

answer

poetry without rhyme, often resembles ordinary speech EX: Something there is that doesn't love a wall. That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

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caesura

answer

a pause in mid verse, often marked by punctuation EX: It is for you we speak, || not for ourselves:

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central idea

answer

the most important point in the authors text; the main idea

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characterization

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the way an author gives human-like qualities to a character to resemble an actual person EX: The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.

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chiasmus

answer

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed EX: Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You.

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clause

answer

a group of related words containing a subject that tells the readers what the sentence is about

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cliché

answer

overused, worn-out word or phrase; not literal EX: time will tell

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climax

answer

a structural part of a plot and is at times referred to a crisis EX: when Romeo & Juliet die

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colloquialism

answer

use of slang or phrases in a piece of writing EX: y'all

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comedy

answer

type of dramatic work that is amusing and satirical in its tone, mostly having cheerful endings

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complex sentence

answer

sentence that combines one independent clause with at least one dependent clause

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compound sentence

answer

sentence that combines a least two dependent clauses joined by a comma, semicolon, or conjunction

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conceit

answer

a kind of metaphor that compares two very unlikely things in a surprising and clever way EX: Marriage is like getting a root canal

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concrete poetry

answer

poem that visually resembles something found in the physical world EX:

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connotation

answer

a word's emotional content, not actual definition EX:

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consonance

answer

the repetition of consonant sounds with differing vowel sounds in words near each other in a line or lines of poetry EX:

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convention

answer

a characteristic of a literary genre that is understood and accepted by audiences because it has come to be recognized as a familiar technique EX:

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couplet

answer

a pair of rhyming lines in a poem EX:

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dactyl

answer

a three syllable foot consisting of near stress and two light stresses EX:

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declarative sentence

answer

statement that can be affirmative, negative, or neutral; all distinguished by different non-manual markers EX:

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deductive reasoning

answer

uses facts, rules, definitions, or properties to reach logical conclusions from given statements EX:

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denotation

answer

the literal meaning of a word EX:

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deus ex machina

answer

a device used in Greek plays in which a god was lowered to the stage to solve the problems of the characters EX:

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detail

answer

attention to or treatment of a subject in individual or minute parts EX:

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dialogue

answer

literary technique in which writers employ two or more characters to be engaged in conversation with each other EX:

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diction

answer

an author's word choice when writing EX:

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didactic

answer

writing that is preach-like or seeks overtly to convince a reader of a particular point or lesson EX:

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digression

answer

a message that departs from the main subject

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dissonance

answer

the use of harsh sounding, unusual, or impolite words in poetry to create a disturbing effect

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elegy

answer

a form of literature that can be defined as a poem or song in the form of elegiac couplets, written in honor of the deceased

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ellipsis

answer

literary device used in narratives to omit some parts of a sentence or event, which gives the reader a chance to fill the gaps while acting or reading it out

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end-stopped

answer

A term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation

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epic

answer

An extended narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that in generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure

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epigram

answer

A concise but ingenious, witty, and thoughtful statement

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epigraph

answer

phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning

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epiphany

answer

the character's moment of realization or the character gaining knowledge

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epitaph

answer

an inscription on a tombstone

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epithet

answer

adjectives expressing a characteristic

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eulogy

answer

a writing to honor someone dead

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euphemism

answer

a less offensive way of saying something offensive

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exclamatory sentence

answer

a sentence with strong feeling

question

expletive

answer

an exclamation or oath

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exposition

answer

device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc. to the audience or readers

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fable

answer

a fictional story that leads to a moral

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fantasy

answer

a story that contains an unreal world or unreal characters

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farce

answer

genre and the type of a comedy that makes the use of highly exaggerated and funny situations aimed at entertaining the audience

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figurative language

answer

a way of saying one thing but meaning another

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first person(pov)

answer

where the story is narrated by one character at a time

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fixed form

answer

A poem that may be categorized by the pattern of its lines, meter, rhythm, or stanzas

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flashback

answer

interjections of past events to provide background to current text

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flat character

answer

uncomplicated and doesn't change

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foil

answer

used to describe a character, it means that that character serves to highlight one or more attributes of another character, often the protagonist, by providing a contrast

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foreshadowing

answer

a warning or indication of a future event

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frame device

answer

a story with in a story

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free verse

answer

does not have to rhyme, stanzas may be different lengths, lines are usually different lengths, there is no metrical pattern

question

genre

answer

a category of literary composition

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grotesque

answer

focuses on the human body, and all the ways that it can be distorted or exaggerated: its aim is to simultaneously elicit our empathy and disgust

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heroic couplet

answer

Two successive rhyming lines of iambic pentameter

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hexameter

answer

A line consisting of six metrical feet

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homily

answer

literally "sermon", or any serious talk, speech, or lecture providing moral or spiritual advice

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hubris

answer

extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about their downfall

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hyperbole

answer

the trope of exaggeration or overstatement

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hypothetical question

answer

A question, based on assumptions rather than facts, directed to an expert witness intended to elicit an opinion

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iambic pentameter

answer

A unit or foot of poetry that consists of a lightly stressed syllable followed by a heavily stressed syllable

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idiom

answer

term refers to a set expression or a phrase comprising two or more words

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image

answer

the "mental pictures" that readers experience with a passage of literature

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in media res

answer

describes a narrative that begins, not at the beginning of a story, but somewhere in the middle — usually at some crucial point in the action

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inductive reasoning

answer

statement is derived using facts and instances which lead to the formation of a general opinion

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internal rhyme

answer

a poetic device which can be defined as metrical lines in which its middle words and its end words rhymes with each other

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invective

answer

A direct verbal assault; a denunciation

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irony

answer

Dramatic: Audience perceives something that a character in lit does not know. Verbal: When an author says one thing and means something else. Situational: Discrepancy between the expected result and actual results.

question

jargon

answer

a use of specific phrases and words by writers in a particular situation, profession or trade

question

juxtaposition

answer

When one theme or idea or person is paralleled to another

question

legend

answer

a story or narrative that lies somewhere between myth and historical fact and which, as a rule, is about a particular figure or person

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limerick

answer

a humorous or nonsense verse of five lines; from limerick a country in Republic of Ireland where the form is said to have originated

question

limited narrator

answer

the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character

question

literal language

answer

the literal meaning of a word or phrase

question

literary license

answer

when a poet or an author has got the freedom of changing the norms of a literary text and act differently and independently

question

litotes

answer

A form of understatement in which positive form is emphasized through the negation of a negative form

question

loose sentence

answer

One in which the main clause comes first, followed by further dependent grammatical units

question

lyric

answer

A poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of the speaker

question

malapropism

answer

the act of using an incorrect word in place of one that is similar in pronunciation

question

maxim

answer

maxim is a simple and memorable line, quote or rule for taking action and leading a good life

question

metaphor

answer

a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics

question

meter (iamb, trochee, dactyl, anapest)

answer

a unit of rhythm in poetry, the pattern of the beats

question

metonymy

answer

type of metaphor in which an object is used to describe something that's closely related to it

question

mood

answer

a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions

question

motif

answer

any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story

question

motivation

answer

a reason behind a character's specific action or behavior

question

myth

answer

a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation

question

narrator

answer

A person who tells a story; in literature, the voice that an author takes on to tell a story

question

naturalistic

answer

literary genre that started as a literary movement in late nineteenth century in literature, film, theater and art

question

non sequitur

answer

literary device which include the statements, sayings and conclusions that do not follow the fundamental principles of logic and reason

question

octet

answer

the first 8 lines of a Petrarchan or Italian sonnet. Usually presents a situation, an idea, or a question

question

ode

answer

a form of lyric poetry — expressing emotion — and it's usually addressed to someone or something, or it represents the poet's musings on that person or thing

question

omniscient (point of view)

answer

literary technique of writing narrative in third person in which a narrator knows the feelings and thoughts of every character in the story; godlike

question

onomatopoeia

answer

a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting; zap, pow, bang

question

overstatement

answer

an act of stating something more than it actually is in order to make the point more serious or important or beautiful

question

oxymoron

answer

two contradictory words are together in one phrase. In fact

question

parable

answer

a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson

question

paradox

answer

a statement that contradicts itself and still seems true somehow

question

parallel structure

answer

repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance

question

parenthetical

answer

Set off within or as if within parentheses; qualifying or explanatory

question

parody

answer

a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing

question

pathos

answer

a quality of an experience in life or a work of art that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy and sorrow

question

pedantic

answer

adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or. bookish

question

pentameter

answer

literary device that can be defined as a line in verse or poetry that has five strong metrical feet or beats

question

periodic sentence

answer

emphasis and can be persuasive by putting reasons for something at the beginning before the final point is made

question

persona

answer

When a character or narrator through whom the author speaks in a literary work

question

personification

answer

a figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes

question

plot

answer

literary term used to describe the events that make up a story or the main part of a story

question

point of view

answer

refers to who is telling a story, or who is narrating it

question

polysyndeton

answer

conjunctions (e.g. and, but, or) are used repeatedly in quick succession, often with no commas, even when the conjunctions could be removed

question

prosody

answer

the study of meter, intonation and rhythm of a poetic work

question

protagonist

answer

the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story

question

pun

answer

a play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings

question

purpose

answer

the reason an author decides to write about a specific topic

question

quatrain

answer

a verse with four lines, or even a full poem containing four lines, having an independent and separate theme

question

realistic

answer

denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life

question

resolution

answer

the conclusion of the story; the point in the plot at which the conflict comes to an end

question

reversal

answer

any narrative in which there is an observable change in direction

question

rhetoric

answer

a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form

question

rhetorical question

answer

self-evident and used for style as an impressive persuasive device

question

rhyme (interior, slant)

answer

a repetition of similar sounding words occurring at the end of lines in poems or songs

question

rhythm

answer

literary device which demonstrates the long and short patterns through stressed and unstressed syllables particularly in verse form

question

romantic

answer

a literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in the 18th century, characterized chiefly by a reaction against neoclassicism and an emphasis on the imagination and emotions

question

round character

answer

complex and undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader; very complicated, contrasts flat character

question

sarcasm

answer

an ironic or satirical remark that seems to be praising someone or something but is really taunting or cutting

question

satire

answer

a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule

question

scan

answer

the process of analyzing a poem's meter

question

scapegoat

answer

A person or group that is made to bear blame for others

question

scene

answer

A dramatic sequence taking place within a single locale (or setting) on stage

question

sestet

answer

consists of six lines that rhyme with a varying pattern

question

setting

answer

the time and place in which the story takes place

question

simile

answer

a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things

question

simple sentence

answer

sentence containing only one independent clause and no dependent clauses

question

solecism

answer

a grammatical mistake or intentional use of incorrect grammar in written language and speech

question

soliloquy

answer

a popular literary device often used in drama to reveal the innermost thoughts of a character

question

sonnet

answer

It means a small or little song or lyric; 14 fourteen lines and is written in iambic pentameter

question

speaker

answer

the voice behind the poem—the person we imagine to be saying the thing out loud

question

stage direction

answer

Part of the script of a play that tells the actors how they are to move or to speak their lines

question

stanza

answer

a division of four or more lines having a fixed length, meter or rhyming scheme

question

stereotype

answer

An author's method of treating a character so that the character is immediately identified with a group

question

stock character

answer

a stereotypical person whom audiences readily recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition

question

steam-of-consciousness

answer

a narrative mode or device that depicts the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind

question

structure

answer

The way that the writer arranges the plot of a story

question

style

answer

the literary element that describes the ways that the author uses words — the author's word choice, sentence structure, figurative language, and sentence arrangement all work together to establish mood, images, and meaning in the text

question

surrealism

answer

aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control

question

syllepsis

answer

a rhetorical term for a kind of ellipsis in which one word (usually a verb) is understood differently in relation to two or more other words, which it modifies or governs

question

syllogism

answer

a deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion

question

symbol

answer

A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning. The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story

question

synecdoche

answer

literary device in which a part of something represents the whole or it may use a whole to represent a part

question

synesthesia

answer

characters or places in such a manner that they appeal to more than one senses like hearing, seeing, smell etc. at a given time

question

syntax

answer

determines how the chosen words are used to form a sentence

question

tautology

answer

a repetitive use of phrases or words which have similar meanings

question

tetrameter

answer

When four beats are placed together in a line of poetry

question

theme

answer

a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly

question

thesis

answer

a short statement, usually one sentence, that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is developed, supported, and explained in the text by means of examples and evidence

question

tone

answer

an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience

question

topic

answer

A subject of discussion or conversation; A subdivision of a theme, thesis, or outline

question

tragedy

answer

the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances

question

trite

answer

hackneyed, stereotyped, threadbare mean lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest

question

turning point

answer

a moment when the course of events is changed

question

understatement

answer

A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is; A statement which lessens or minimizes the importance of what is meant; Restraint or lack of emphasis in expression, as for rhetorical effect

question

unreliable narrator

answer

a narrator, whether in literature, film, or theatre, whose credibility has been seriously compromised

question

usage

answer

the way in which words or phrases are actually used, spoken, or written in a speech community

question

vernacular

answer

using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language

question

absolute

answer

a word free from limitations or qualifications; argument—a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work

question

anadiplosis

answer

It refers to the repetition of a word or words in successive clauses in such a way that the second clause starts with the same word which marks the end of the previous clause

question

zeugma

answer

a literary term for using one word to modify two other words, in two different ways

question

conduplicatio

answer

Figure of repetition in which the key word or words in one phrase, clause, or sentence is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of successive sentences, clauses, or phrases; repetition of a key word over successive phrases or clauses

AP English Literature Vocabulary Terms 2016-2017 – Flashcards

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