AP Lit - Devices and Terms

The main thought or underlying meaning expressed by a work

Deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis

A figure of speech in which a part represents a whole

In a poem, when a sentence continues from one line to the next

Poem of 14 lines, in English typically having ten syllables per line.

Reveals a critical attitude towards an element of human behavior-portrays it in an extreme way

The characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, & audience

Word choice / creates tone, attitude, style, and meaning

Described as formal, vernacular, archaic, casual, elevated, flowery

A figure of speech in which one thing is referred to as another

19 line poem with two rhymes throughout

An ordered or unordered collection of words, phrases, images, or ideas

Poem addressed to a subject, elevated in style or manner & written in varied or irregular meter

Rise & fall of the voice produced by the alteration of stressed & unstressed syllables in poems

A word or phrase, incl. slang, used in everyday conversation and informal writing

The repeated part of a poem

Two consecutive lines of poetry

Technique of arranging words/phrases by placing them side by side & making them similar in form

Reading inside the character's head, shows chaotic flow of disconnected, half formed thoughts

Words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to 1+ of the 5 senses

Something observable and concrete that represents an abstract idea

A narrator who is a character in the story and relates the action and his/her thoughts

Rhetorical or literary figure in which words are repeated in reverse order

A figure of speech that uses "like," "as," or "as if" to make a direct comparison

Repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity

The use of words that sound like what they mean

A verse form consisting of eight lines

The inversion of the usual order of words or clauses

A poem without any structured meter or rhyme

The fact of two things being seen or placed closed together with contrasting effects

A poem without rhyme but with a specific meter-usually iambic pentameter

A figure of speech composed of contradictory words or phrases, such as "wise fool"

Rhythm established by a poem, usually dependent on syllables & accents

A poem without rhyme but the mether is iambic pentameter

Correspondence of sound between words/endings of words, esp used at the ends of lines of poetry

A reference to a well known person, place, or thing from literature, history, etc.

A poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

Word or phrase used two or more times in close proximity

Play on words

Repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of 2+ sentences/clauses in a row

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the end of 2+ sentences in a row

Balancing words/phrases/ideas that are strongly contrasted by means of grammatical structure

The attribution of human qualities to a non human or inanimate object

The grammatical structure or a sentence, arrangement of words , and length and kind of sentence

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to one another

When there is rhyme within a line of poetry (as opposed to at the end)

A stanza of 4 lines

Repetition of vowel sounds between different consonants

A situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to the expected

When a speaker addresses someone or something that is not present

A statement that seemingly contradicts itself but has rational meaning

Using the name of an object/person/idea to represent another association

A more acceptable & usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate

A six line stanza

Third person narrator - sees into each character's mind & understands all the action

Where the 3rd person narrator reports the thoughts of only one character and what he/she sees

The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse

A line of verse with 10 syllables, each consisting of 1 unstressed syll. followed by 1 stressed

Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, emphasizing the parts equally

The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

Third person narrator who only reports what would be visible to a camera

A statement that says less than what is meant

A story in which all aspects represent abstract qualities & there is a 2nd meaning

A line of verse with 10 syllables, each consisting of 1 unstressed syll. followed by 1 stressed

Sentence that uses 'and' (w/o comma) or another conjunction to separate the items in a series