AP English Literature Terms

is a metaphor that has been used so often that the comparison is no longer vivid

repetition where phrase is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences

brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life or of a principle

essay that relies more on emotional appeals than on facts

An atmosphere created by a writer’s diction and the details selected.

Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero in a story.

a way of speaking that is characteristic of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area.

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

calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or idea

special emphasis on a particular setting, including its customs, clothing, dialect & landscape

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

a discrepancy between appearances and reality.

a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died.

story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events

use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, or a place

is a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because of overuse

one of the four major forms of discourse, in which something is explained or “set forth.

is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story’s action.

a relatively short story that teaches a moral, or lesson about how to lead a good life.

deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work

device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another

a figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement, for effect

poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of the speaker

A character who acts as contrast to another character.

a person, place, or thing, is referred to by something closely associated with it

Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something

the use of words whose sounds echo their sense

comedy which ridiculous and stereotyped characters are involved in silly situations.

word or phrase in everyday use & informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations.

character in a play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience or reader knows better