AP Lit Vocabulary Review

A style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind.

A comment made by a stage performer that is heard by the audience but not by other characters.

When a character's words or actions convey a meaning to the audience but not the character.

A comparison through the use of similes and metaphors of two unalike things in a written work.

When a speaker says something that is the opposite, or nearly the opposite, of what is meant.

The juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced, phrases, grammar, or ideas.

Rhymes that occur near each other within a line of poetry, instead of at the end of a line.

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

A repeated stanza or line(s) in a poem or song.

A pause in a line of verse, indicated by speech patterns or punctuation, not meter.

A form of understatement in which the positive form is emphasized by saying the opposite.

Repetition of same/similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close together.

A kind of poetry that does not conform to a regular meter or rhyme scheme.

The central character in a story, the one who initiates or drives the action.

A poetic rhetorical balance where the second part is balanced against the first, but reversed.

Using fancy diction to describe the ordinary, or fast transition from a significant to trivial.

A category of literary work, like tragedy, comedy, or drama.

A novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist. A coming of age.

A metrical pattern that consists of two syllables in an unstressed - stressed pattern.

The particular phrasings, tone, diction, and manner a writer uses that is distinctive to them.

Unpleasant sounds in the jarring juxtaposition of harsh letters or syllables in poetry.

Sentence which uses a conjunction with NO commas to separate the items in a series.

A retrospection where an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the plot.

The attitude a writer takes toward the subject, revealed through diction, devices, and syntax.

Something that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself.

The choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language in a literary work.

A story within a story, as in, for example, Heart of Darkness.

A story in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or ideas.

A pithy/brief observation that contains a general truth. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.

A detailed and complex metaphor that extends over a long section of a work.

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

Words/phrases in a sentence that are similar in grammar, construction, sound, meaning or meter.

The use of language to evoke the five senses, a picture or a concrete sensation.

The repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds.

A word or phrase that is not formal, typically used in ordinary, familiar conversation.

A compound poetic phrase substituted for the usual name of a person or thing.

A reference to a person, event, or work of art in literature.

An idealized model of something from which similar instances are derived or patterned.

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.

Words that have similar but not identical sounds, as in chill and doll, or bridge and grudge.

The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences.

The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene.

A poem consisting of four lines, or four lines of a poem that can be considered as a unit.

A work that uses mockery, humor, and wit to criticize and cause societal/personal change.

A comparison between two unlike things WITHOUT the use of words of comparison as like or as

The repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase, like pitter-patter.

Excessive pride or ambition that leads to a character's downfall.

An expression or phrase not meant literally but still understood. "It's raining cats and dogs."

A poem that celebrates, in a continuous narrative, the deeds of mighty heroes and heroines

Combining opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Ex: "Jumbo shrimp" "Hot ice"

When unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to each other, creating surprise.

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

The direct, specific, and literal meaning of a word.

Usually ironic language meant to hurt or mock someone or something and also amuse the audience.

The continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line of poetry.

A statement which seems contradictory or contrary to common sense, yet can be seen as true.

Language that is lofty, dignified, and impersonal.

A type of comedy in which ridiculous and characters are involved in silly, crazy situations.

A huge difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant.

The repetition of sound patterns that creates a rhythm in poetry.

A short poem where the speaker expresses intense personal emotion, not a narrative.

Any artificial device or coincidence used to bring about a simple solution to a plot.

Calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, place. thing, or personified idea.

Poetry written without rhymes, but which retains a set metrical pattern.

Presentation of essential information about what happened prior to the beginning of the play.

A recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, used in a work, relating to theme.

A work describing the simple life of country folk who live a life of beauty, music, and love.

Writing that depicts the thoughts inside a character's head as if they were talking.

In a tragedy, the quality within the hero or heroine which leads to his or her downfall.

A willingness of a reader or viewer to ignore minor inconsistencies or unbelievable behavior.

Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes.

A work that makes fun of another work by imitating some aspect of the writer's style.

A short and interesting or amusing story often proposed to demonstrate some point.

The use of words whose sounds echo their sense. The words sounds like what it means.

Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.

Two consecutive rhyming lines of poetry.

The order of words when writing phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Opponent or force that struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story.

Deliberately suggesting two or more different, and maybe conflicting, meanings in a work

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

A short poem with 14 fourteen lines, in iambic pentameter, a rhyme scheme and a volta or turn.

A way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or a geographical area.

An emotional poem or form of verse, often a narrative, set to music.

The substitution of an inoffensive expression for one that might offend or embarrass.

The error in judgment as a result of a tragic flaw, which causes their downfall.

When an object or animal is given human qualities, feelings, thoughts, or attitudes.

A poem that is somewhat serious in subject and tone, and elevated in style.

A "play on words" based on the multiple meanings of a single word or similar sounding words.

A long emotional speech made by a character in a play while no other characters are on stage,

Making an explicit comparison between two unlike things, using words such as like or as.

Latin for "in the middle of things." When a story begins somewhere in the middle of the plot.

Harmony or beauty of sound, pleasing to hear, usually sought-for in poetry for effect.

A character who contrasts against another, in order to show more clearly their traits.

A sudden emotional breakdown/climax,that consists of overwhelming feelings of pity or sorrow.

A serious poem upon the death of a particular person, usually ending in consolation.

The narrator in a non-first person novel. The voice "through which the author speaks."

An idea suggested by a word, apart from what it explicitly describes.

Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words.

Language that is more conversational and colloquial, and similar to everyday speech.