Mrs. Hastings AP Literary Terms List

repetition of a word or phrase as the beginning of successive clauses

the act of positioning close together (or side by side)

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

inversion in the second of two parallel phrases

a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases (main clause is at the beginning)

omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences

Sentence consisting of three or more very short independent clauses joined by conjunctions.

use of a series of subjects with a single predicate

syntax is word order; inverted syntax is unusual, “backward” sounding syntax

repetition of words, phrases, and clauses used in a concise manner

a complex sentence in which the main clause comes last and is preceded by the subordinate clause

use of many conjunctions to slow pace

the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

when a writer uses God, destiny, or fate to dash the hopes and expectations of a character or humankind in general

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn’t

occurs when the outcome of a work is unexpected, or events turn out to be the opposite from what one had expected

occurs when what is said contradicts what is meant or thought

passing reference or indirect mention

the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance

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

the trait of being vain and conceited, a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

an ambiguity with one interpretation that is indelicate

a simile developed over several lines of verse

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

extravagant exaggeration

an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up

understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

use of a word to govern two or more words though appropriate to only one

an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive

a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said

a sensation that normally occurs in one sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated

substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa

use of a word to govern two or more words though agreeing in number or case etc. with only one

(logic) a self-contradiction

a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with ‘like’ or ‘as’)

conjoining contradictory terms (as in ‘deafening silence’)

substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in ‘they counted heads’)

a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

the comparison between two things is continued beyond the first point of comparison. This extends and deepens a description.

use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse

the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words

the repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words

using words that imitate the sound they denote

a piece of poetry, correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)

refers to language that denotes ideas, emotions, conditions, or concepts that are intangible.

vague, opposite to concrete

appealing to personal considerations (rather than to fact or reason)

short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

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

characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation

specific words that describe physical qualities or conditions.

an idea that is implied or suggested, what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression

something regarded as a normative example

the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression

a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing

the change in speech patterns related to class, region, or other culture change

the manner in which something is expressed in words

falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language

The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

the ability to form mental images of things or events

a piece of writing that begins in the middle of the action

a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work

(logic) a conclusion that does not follow from the premises

the fallacy of attributing human feelings to inanimate objects

a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)

representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature

ordinary speech or writing without rhyme or meter; referring to speech or writing other than verse

The overall emotion created by a work of literature

the purpose for which the communication is designed or why it exists

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

arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place where a play or movie is enacted

something visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible

The attitude of the author toward the audience and characters (e.g., serious or humorous).

a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables

a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables

a metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables

a metrical unit with stressed-stressed-unstressed syllables

10 syllables to a line

a type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature

unrhymed verse (usually in iambic pentameter)

a break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line

a stanza consisting of two successive lines of verse

a poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

poetry that expresses that poet’s thoughts and feelings

rhythm as given by division into parts of equal time, a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry

A poem usually addressed to a particular person, object or event that has stimulated deep and noble feelings in the poet

a stanza of four lines

analysis of verse into metrical patterns

a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

the narrator is a character in the story and used words like I, me, we

The narrator tells the story using the pronouns “You”, “Your,” and “Yours” to address a reader or listener directly

The author tells the story, using the third person, but is limited to a complete knowledge of one character in the story and tells us only what that one character thinks, feels, sees, or hears.

the narrator is capable of knowing, telling, and seeing all

(also Authorial Intrusion) The effect that occurs when a third-person narrator adds his or her own comments into the narrative.

someone who tells a story

the decisive moment in a novel or play

opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)

the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work

an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse

events after the climax, leading to the resolution

the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.

events leading up to the climax

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

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

a biography of yourself

A coming of age story, novel that focuses on moral and psychological factors throughout story. Character matures
Ex:
Great Expectations

an account of the series of events making up a person’s life

writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach, usually formal and focused on moral or ethical concerns

a mournful poem

a long narrative poem telling of a hero’s deeds

written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence

an analytic or interpretive literary composition

a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

a comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations

a kind of literary or artistic work

A novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action

a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion

a composition that imitates somebody’s style in a humorous way

Mock-heroic, mock-epic or heroi-comic works are typically satires or parodies that mock common Classical stereotypes of heroes and heroic literature.

humorous or satirical mimicry

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

a brief literary description

the character who works against the protagonist in the story

A kind of hero found in several of the works of Lord Byron.A Byronic hero is a melancholy and rebellious young man, distressed by a terrible wrong he committed in the past.

a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect

Author directly describes character

One whose character changes in the course of the play or story

the main character or protagonist in an epic that heroically larger than life, often the source and subject of a legend or a national hero

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

anything that serves by contrast to call attention to another thing’s good qualities

The character is revealed through their personality, appearance, words, actions, and effect on others

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

the principal character in a work of fiction

this character is fully developed – the writer reveals good and bad traits as well as background

a character that does not change from the beginning of the story to the end

The stereotyped character in which he is immediately known from typical characters in history

Recognition of truth about one’s self and his actions; moment of clarity

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

a release of emotional tension

a literary composition in the form of a conversation between two people

a short passage added at the end of a literary work

the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

overbearing pride or presumption

a (usually long) dramatic speech by a single actor

a sudden and unexpected change of fortune or reverse of circumstances (especially in a literary work)

an introduction to a play

a (usually long) dramatic speech intended to give the illusion of unspoken reflections

time, place, and action

the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall