1 AP English Literature and Composition Key Literary Terms

Terms 1.

Definitions allegory

a narrative in which the characters, behavior, etc. demonstrate symbolism on many levels Example:

2.

alliteration

repetition of a similar initial sound, usually consonants (She sells sea shells...)

3.

allusion

4.

anaphora

a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of successive phrases

5.

antithesis

the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words "To err is human, to forgive divine."

6.

aphorism

a concise statement designed to illustrate a commonly held belief

7.

assonance

the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds (not always at beginning)

8.

asyndeton

a structure without conjunctions in a series (I came, I saw, I conquered)

9.

begging the question

argumentative strategy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict

10. canon

that which has been accepted as authentic

11. chiasmus

syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed int he second (Pleasure's a sin, and sin is a pleasure)

12. colloquial

the diction of the common, ordinary folks especially in a specific area (Coke vs. pop)

13. conceit

a comparison of two unlikley things that is drawn out within a piece of literature; usually extended metaphor in a poem

14. connotation

the underlying, implied meaning of a word or phrase

15. denotation

the dictionary definition of a word

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16. consonance

the repetition of 2+ consonants with a change in intervening vowels

17. convention

an accepted manner, model, or tradition (Aristotle's conventions of persuasion)

18. critique

analysis of something for the purposes of determining its limitations and how it fits in its genre

19. deductive reasoning

movement from the general to the specific

20. dialect

language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area

21. diction

word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect

22. didactic

writing with an instructive purpose or lesson

23. elegy

poem that lements the death of a person

24. epistrophe

repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences (opposite of anaphora)

25. epitaph

writing in praise of a dead person on a headstone

26. ethos

appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker

27. eulogy

speech in praise of a person (elegy laments, eulogy praises)

28. euphemism

an indirect or less harsh way of expressing unpleasant information

29. exposition

the interpretation or analysis of a text

30. extended metaphor

series of comparisons within a piece of writing

31. figurative language

levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech (metaphor, hyperbole, irony, etc.) an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration

32. flashback/retrospectio n 33. genre

type or class of literature

34. homily

sermon, but more contemporary

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35. hyperbole

overstatement characterized by exaggerate language

36. imagery

any sensory detail or evocation in a work

37. inductive reasoning

movement from the specific to the general

38. inference

a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or data

39. irony

contrast between what is stated and what is really meant

40. verbal irony

what the author says is actually the opposite of what is meant

41. situational irony

when events end up the opposite of what is expected

42. dramatic irony

facts or situations are known to the reader or audience but not to the characters

43. jargon

specialized language of a trade or profession

44. juxtaposition

location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect or reveal an attitude

45. litote 46. loose sentence

figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement long sentence that starts with its main clause followed by several dependent clauses

47. metaphor

one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy

48. metonymy

a figure of speech in which an attribute is used to name something (Congress said today...)

49. mode of discourse

the way in which information is presented in written or spoken form

50. mood

feeling resulting from the tone of a piece as wel as the writer's attitude and point of view

51. narrative

mode of discourse that tells a story of some port and is based on sequences of connected events

52. onomatopoeia

word capturing the sound of what it describes

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53. oxymoron

figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements

54. paradox

statement that seems contradictory but may probably be true

55. parallel structure

the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts

56. pathos

element that simulates pity or sorrow

57. periodic sentence

a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end

58. personification

treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person

59. point of view

the relation in which a narrator stands to a subject of discourse

60. prose

the ordinary form of written language without metrical structure in contrast to verse and poetry

61. realism 62. rebuttal/refutation

attempting to describe nature and life without idealization an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered

63. rhetoric

the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking

64. rhetorical question

a question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect

65. sarcasm

a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical

66. satire

literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure

67. simile

a direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, usually with like or as

68. style

the manner in which a writer combines and arranges word, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure

69. symbolism

use of a person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or "stands" for something else

70. synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole (100 head of steer, 50 masts)

71. syntax

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences

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72. theme

central or dominant idea or focus of a work

73. tone

the attitude the narrator/writer takes toward a subject and theme

74. voice

acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story; the speaker's take on an idea

75. zeugma

grammatically correct construction in which a word is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated

76. anecdote

short, personal story

77. apostrophe

invocation to an inanimate object

78. epiphany

sudden revelation

79. pun

sharply contrasting meanings using words with the same sound

80. false analogy

an analogy in which the dissimilarities between 2 things are so much greater than their similarities that their connection by analogy is unjustified (oversimplifying)

81. anapestic

In poetry- two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed Twas the night before christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse

82. antagonist

force that is in opposition to the main character

83. archetype

recurrent designs, patterns of action, character types, themes or images which are identifiable in a wide range of literature

84. ballad

poem that was meant to be sung

85. ballad stanza

4 lines (quatrain) that alternates 4 and 3 beats, with lines 2 and 4 rhyming.

86. blank verse

verse form that most resembles common speech

87. caesura

a pause in a line of verse indicated by natural speech patterns rather than metrical patterns

88. caricature

depiction of character's characteristics as deliberately exaggerated. Like in political cartoons (big ears)

89. couplet

two rhyming lines of iambic pentameter that together present a single idea

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90. dactylic

two stressed syllables followed by one unstressed

91. dramatic monologue

monologue set ina specific situation and spoken to an imaginary audience. Same as soliloquy.

92. enjambment

the continuation of a sentence from one line to the next

93. epic

a poem that celebrates, in a continuous narrative, the achievements of mighty heroes and heroines, often concerned witht the founding of a nation or developing of a culture

94. fable

a legend or a short moral story often using animals as characters.

95. falling action

part of the plot structure in which the complications of the rising action are untangled. Same as denouement

96. farce

a play or scene in a play or book that is characterized by broad humor, wild antics, and often slapstick and physical humor

97. foreshadowing

to hint at or to present an indication of the future beforehand.

98. formal diction

language that is lofty, dignified, and impersonal.

99. free verse

poetry that is characterized by varying line lengths, lack of traditional meter and non-rhyming lines

100.

iambic

metrical foot in poetry that consists of unstressed and stressed syllables

101.

informal

language that is not lofty

102.

in medias res

"in the midst of things"; refers to opening a story in the middle of the action

103.

limited point

perspective confined to a single character

lyric

any short poem in which the speaker expresses intense personal emotion

diction

of view 104.

rather than describing a narrative or dramatic situation 105.

meter

the more or less regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.

106.

motif

recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event.

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107.

occasional

poem 108.

a poem written about or for a specific occasion, public or private (like a wedding)

ode

a lyric poem that is somewhat serious in subject and treatment. Written to praise and exalt a person, characteristic, quality or object

109.

omniscient

unlimited point of view

point of view 110. overstatement

exaggerated language; hyperbole

111.

a short fiction that illustrates an explicit moral lesson through the use of

parable

analogy. 112.

paradox

contradictory statement that can be true "fight for peace"

113.

parody

imitates another work for comic effect by exageration "Scary Movie"

114.

pastoral

describes the simple life of country folk

115.

persona

the voice or figure of the author who tells and structures the story

116.

petrarchan

aka Italian sonnet. Sonnet that divides the poem into one section of eight

sonnet 117.

lines and a second section of six lines plot

the arrangement of the narration based on the cause-effect relationship of events

118.

protagonist

main character

119.

quatrain

poetic stanza of four lines

120.

realism

Attempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail. Mark Twain.

121.

refrain

a repeated stanza or lines in a poem or song

122.

rising action

the development of action in a work

123.

rhetorical

question asked simply for stylistic effect. No answer needed.

rhythm

modulation of weak and strong elements in the flow of speech

question 124.

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125.

scansion

the analysis of verse to show its meter

126.

setting

time and place of the action of the story

127. Shakespearean

four lines, four lines, 2 lines

sonnet 128.

shaped verse

poetry that is shaped like an object

129.

soliloquy

character alone and speaking to himself

130.

speaker

the person who is the voice of a poem

131.

stanza

couplet, tercet, quatrain, cinquain, sestet, heptatich, octave

132.

stereotype

characterization based on assumptions. Wicked Which in snow white

133.

stock

one who appears in a number of stories or plays. Cruel stepmother

character 134.

structure

organization or arrangement of the various elements in a work

135.

terza rima

3 stanza structure, ababcb

136.

tragedy

character is brought to disastrous end

137.

trochaic

opposite of iambic, first syllable is stressed second is not

138.

turning point

climax

139.

villanelle

19 lines, abaacaada....xyaa