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AP LITERATRY TERMS
n/a
36
English
Not Applicable
01/13/2009

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Term
allegory
Definition
story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas
Term
alliteration
Definition
repetition of the same or similar consonant sound in words that are close together
Term
allusion
Definition
refrence to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture
Term
ambiguity
Definition
deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings of work. an event or situation that may be interpreted in more then one way
Term
analogy
Definition
comparison made between two things to show how they are alike
Term
anaphora
Definition
repitition of words, phrase or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. makes a writers point more coherent
Term
anastrophe
Definition
inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of many parts of a sentence. purpose is rhythm or emphasis or eupony
Term
anecdote
Definition
brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an idividual
Term
antimetabole
Definition
repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order
Term
antithesis
Definition
balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted often by means of grammatical structure
Term
antihero
Definition
central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples
Term
anthropomorphism
Definition
attrbuting human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object
Term
apostrophe
Definition
calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place thing or a personified object idea. if the character is asking a god or a goddess for inspiration it is called invocation
Term
aphorism
Definition
brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle or accepted general truth
Term
apposition
Definition
placing in immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first ( often set off by a colon).
Term
assonance
Definition
the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together
Term
asyndeton
Definition
commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y, and Z.... the writer uses X, Y, Z... see polysydndeton
Term
balance
Definition
constructing a sentence so taht both halves are about the same length and importance. sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well.
Term
characterization
Definition
the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character
Term
indirect characterization
Definition
the author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear waht the character says, by revealing the character's private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character) or by showing the character in action. common in modern literature
Term
indirect characterization
Definition
the author tells us directly what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean to pets, and so on. romantic style literature relied more heavily on this form.
Term
static character
Definition
is one who does not change much in the course of a story
Term
dynamic character
Definition
is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story
Term
flat character
Definition
has only one or two personality traits. they are one dimensional, like a piece of cardboard. they can be summed up in one phrase.
Term
round character
Definition
has more dimensions to their personalites--- they are complex,they are just real people
Term
cliche
Definition
is a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because of overuse. avoid cliches like the plague (inteneded)
Term
colloquialism
Definition
a word of phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations
Term
comedy
Definition
in general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by the main character or characters.
Term
conflict
Definition
A struggle or clash between opposing forces, ideas, or characters in a story
Term
diction
Definition
The writer/speaker’s choice of words intended for a desired effect
Term
dialect
Definition
a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area
Term
didactic
Definition
form of fiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking
Term
epanalepsist
Definition
repeition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses; sets up a pronounced rhhythm and gains a special emphasis both by repeating the word and by putting the word in the final position.
Term
epic
Definition
a long narrative poem written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds if a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society
Term
epistrophie
Definition
devise of repetition in which the same expression, is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses or sentences
Term
epithet
Definition
word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing; descriptive phrase to characterize a person (often contemptous)
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