AP Lang Literary Terms

compositions written in meter, a line of poetry etc.

a phrase, verse, or group of verses repeated at intervals throughout a song or poem

a contrast expressed in grammatically parallel form

a deliberate use of many conjunctions

long narrative poem in elevated style

the use of words that imitate sounds, as in buzz, hiss, murmur, rustle

direct unadorned form of language

a character who serves to stress and highlight the distinctive temperament of the protagonist

symbolic narrative created to parallel and illuminate a separate set of situations

a deliberate omission of a word or words which are readily implied by the context

Repetition of the same word or groups of words at the beginning of successive clauses

a specific word, idea, or object that may stand for ideas, values, persons or ways of life

a reference to a well-known person, place, event , literary work, or work of art

a multi-dimensional character changes/develops during the story

(purgation or purification) emotional purging of yourself after an emotional event

deliberate omission of conjunctions between a series of related clauses (a hurried rhythm)

a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else

language which seems harsh, rough and unmusical

the use, in a literary work, of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur

an inoffensive expression used in place of a blunt one felt to be disagreeable or harsh

a very brief account of an incident usually personal or biographical

"literary form"-- a recurring type of literature

background or explanatory information that furthers the reader's understanding

a lengthy speech by a single person

refers to a group of newly coined words which are not acceptable for formal usage yet

literary movement marked especially by emphasis on the imagination and the emotions.

direct, unadorned form of language, written or spoken in ordinary usage; it is not restricted.

19th century movement in writing of novels--"life as it really is"

tragic flaw--error of judgment of a tragic hero which leads him to a mistaken act

a struggle between opposing forces

regional speech, vocabulary and pronunciation particular to a geographic area

the literal term for one thing is applied to another with which it is closely associated

literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting or amusing contradictions

types of composition

repetition of vowel sounds in stress syllables containing dissimilar consonant sounds

a work in which materials are selected and managed primarily to interest involve and entertain

language which is smooth, pleasant, and musical to the ear

fixed character with little individuality, often based on racial, social, prejudices

restraint or lack of emphasis in expression, as for rhetorical effect

author is outside the story but seems to know what goes on in the minds of all the characters

a character or force in conflict with the main character in a literary work

pride or overwhelming self-confidence which leads a protagonist to disregard a divine warning

mingling and juxtaposition of primarily realistic elements with the fantastic and bizarre

farce/slapstick--a play full of ridiculous happenings, absurd actions etc.

character that occurs repeatedly in a literary genre--the clever servant, for example

In poetry, a foot with one weak stress followed by one strong stress, as in the word "afraid"

a form of discourse whose purpose is to explain the nature of an object, an idea, or a theme

two things seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

author is outside the story

a pervasive authorial presence

untying or resolution--the final stage of plot development in which mysteries are explained.

a direct address to an absent person or non-human entity

a type of parallel sentence which builds to a main clause.

a short concluding section at the end of a literary work

recurrent narrative designs, patterns of action, character types in a wide variety of works