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Details Title: AP Literary Terms Description: n/a Total Flash Cards: 65 Created: 09/06/2008 18:12:20	To study from this set of flash cards, or to create your own your own study flash cards, register HERE. If you are already a registered user, CLICK HERE.
Cards Term Alliteration Definition Repetition of the same or like continent sound in words close together (i.e. Little Libby Loves Lollypops) Term Allusion Definition An (indirect) reference to something or someone in history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or other cultural subjects.(i.e. The jock was like Romeo when he talked to the girls.) Term Ambiguity Definition The suggestion of two or more different meanings in a work, often meant to confuse the reader.(i.e. I promise I'll give you a ring tomorrow.) Term Anachronism Definition Something that is out of the time period in which it is mentioned. (i.e. The pioneers drove the station wagon across the new Oregon Trail.) Term Analogy Definition Comparison between two things showing how they are alike. (i.e. Putting my sister to bed is like taming a lion.) Term Anapest Definition A metric rhythm, consisting of two short syllables and one longer one (two unstressed then one stressed) (i.e. Twas the night before Christmas…) Term Anecdote Definition A brief story which illustrates a point or serves as an example of something, often showing character of an individual. Term Antagonist Definition Character who struggles against the ‘good’ character; the counterpart of the protagonist (i.e. The Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz) Term Antecedent Definition The word, phrase, or clause that determines what a pronoun refers to. (i.e. Bitty; When I say Bitty I told him to wear his vest.) Term Antithesis Definition Balancing words, or phrases that contrast each other, often in terms of grammatical structure. (i.e. Early America promised freedom and provided slavery.) Term Aphorism Definition A clever statement that makes a wise observation or generalization about a principle or accepted truth. (i.e. Rome wasn’t built in a day.) Term Apostrophe Definition calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. (i.e. "The Sun Rising" by John Donne) Term Archetype Definition the original example, from which copies are made. (i.e. The original ‘Star-crossed Lovers’ were Romeo and Juliet) Term Assonance Definition the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds. (i.e. ‘molten-golden,’ ‘make late’) Term Blank Verse Definition An unrhymed verse, having a metric rhythm, usually iambic pentameter. (i.e. AP English tested the students commitment) Term Cacophony Definition Unpleasant sound created by grouping of clashing continents. (i.e. Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll- “Twas brillig, and the slithy toves…”) Term Catharsis Definition A purge or release of emotions of pity and fear by an audience at the end of a tragedy. Term Chiasmus Definition A ‘reverse parallel;’ the inversion of the second word of a paralleled phrase. (i.e. Bitty said little and knew much; Liz knew nothing and spoke at length.) Term Conceit Definition an image or metaphor made to something unrelated, or unexpected. (i.e. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?) Term Connotation Definition the feeling or association of a word in addition to it’s literal meaning. (i.e. The connotation of home is often a warm, relaxing safe-haven.) Term Consonance Definition the repetition, at close intervals, of the final consonants of accented syllables or important words. (i.e. Lady lounges lazily) Term Denotation Definition The literal, ‘dictionary’ meaning. (i.e. “That’s what she said,” truly means ‘the girl stated that fact’ aside from it’s connotations) Term Diction Definition an authors choice of words and manner of expression in words (i.e. Speeches often exhibit certain professional diction by carefully choosing words and how they are said) Term Didactic Definition a form of fiction/non-fiction that provides a specific lesson or an example of correctness (i.e. Our teacher's didactic technique boosted our scores.) Term Enjambment Definition a statement with incomplete syntax at the end of a line; it can not stand alone. Term Epigraph Definition A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme. (i.e. The epigraph to Eliot's Gerontion is a quotation from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure.) Term Epiphany Definition A presentation of a sudden realization and insight, usually symbolically. (i.e. The young girl gasped when she found herself acting just like her mother.) Term Epithet Definition An adjective or phrase that describes something by it’s frequently emphasized quality. (i.e. “Father of our Country”) Term Euphemism Definition A vague substitution to replace another more harsh meaning. (i.e. My grandmother passed away.) Term Euphony Definition pleasant combination of sounds; smooth-flowing meter and sentence rhythm Term Farce Definition A comedic method in which silly characters are involved in far-fetched situations. Term Figurative Language Definition Words which are inaccurate when translate literally, but in turn require interpretation to find a deeper meaning. (i.e. She wore her heart on her sleeve.) Term Foil Definition A character which acts in contrast to another. (i.e. Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet) Term Foreshadowing Definition The use of clues to hint at what will happen next. (i.e. the criminal eyed the gleaming knife, then looked to the prison guard) Term Free Verse Definition Poetry that doesn’t take any specific form. (i.e. I would like to be a dog, and sleep all day; eat treats too.) Term Hyperbole Definition A figure of speech that uses an incredible over exaggeration. (i.e. I’ve told you a million times… ) Term Iambic Pentameter Definition a pattern used often in poetry, using a short syllable alternating with an long syllable throughout each line. Term Imagery Definition Language used to evoke a picture or feeling. (i.e. I felt the suns rays envelope my body, as I sat in the daisy field.) Term Inversion Definition The reversal of normal word order in a sentence. (i.e. Never has an English class been harder!) Term Irony Definition A discrepancy between reality and appearance. (i.e. “What nice Weather,” she said as the rain fell.) Term Metaphor Definition language that makes a comparison between two things without using like or as (i.e. He was such a pig!) Term Metonymy Definition A figure of speech where a person, place of thing is replaced by a close association (i.e. All hail the crown.) Term Onomatopoeia Definition Words that imitate it’s sound. (i.e. Pop!) Term Oxymoron Definition A statement that combines opposite/contradictory terms. (i.e. Fatboy Slim, Jumbo Shrimp…) Term Paradox Definition A statement that appears contradictory, but reveals a truth. (i.e. She learned her lesson by not doing her homework.) Term Parallel Structure Definition The repetition of words with similar grammatical structure. (i.e. wishing, hoping, dreaming and praying) Term Parody Definition A mockery, by teasing another’s writing style. (i.e. Weird Al’s “White and Nerdy” is a Parody of “Ridin’ Dirty”) Term Pathos Definition rhetorical persuasion appealing to emotion (i.e. But I thought you loved me!) Term Personification Definition A figure of speech in which an inanimate object is given human qualities. (i.e. The sun smiled down on us.) Term Protagonist Definition The primary character in a story, who drives the action. (i.e. Jane Eyre in the novel Jane Eyre) Term Protagonist Definition The primary character in a story, who drives the action. (i.e. Jane Eyre in the novel Jane Eyre) Term Pun Definition a ‘play on words’ by exercising the word’s double meaning. (i.e. I do it for the pun of it.) Term Quatrain Definition A poem consisting of four lines, or four lines of a poem that can be considered as a unit. Term Refrain Definition A word, phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated, for effect, several times in a poem (i.e. The chorus of a song is also called a refrain.) Term Rhetorical Statement Definition Used in effective conversation, with the intent of persuasion. (i.e. Let me go to the mall tonight, I did the dishes and walked the doog earlier.) Term Satire Definition A type of writing that mocks the shortcomings of something, in order instill change.(i.e. Animal Farm could been considered satire to Stalinist Russia) Term Sestet Definition The name given to the second division of a sonnet, which must consist of an octave, of eight lines, succeeded by a sestet, of six lines. Term Simile Definition A comparison between two things using like or as. (i.e. She was sly like a fox.) Term Symbol Definition Something concrete that represents an abstract. (i.e. The American flag often symbolizes Pride and Freedom) Term Synecdoche Definition a figure of speech where a part represents a whole. (i.e. I got a new set of wheels.) Term Syntax Definition The arrangement of words in a sentence. Term Theme Definition The insight or premise of a literary work. (i.e. Unrequited love was a theme in Romeo and Juliet) Term Tone Definition The attitude a writer takes toward the subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audience, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization Term Understatement Definition A statement that says less than meant. (i.e. The Iraqi war is unnecessary.) Term Vernacular Definition The language spoken by the people who live in a particular locality.