AP Literature -- Literary Terms

A piece of fiction is set in an ideal or perfect community.

Attaching human traits and characteristics with inanimate objects, phenomena and/or animals.

Occurs when the reader knows something but the characters within the story do not.

Verse containing fourteen lines and a prescribed rhyme scheme.

Hero is destroyed by some character flaw & forces that cause the hero considerable anguish.

Form of intelligent humor and the ability to say or write things that are clever and funny.

It is the practice of substituting the main word with a word that is closely linked to it.

A term often used as a synonym for Realism; a view that is generally bleak and pessimistic.

The author's emotional perspective towards the subject of the literary work.

A figurative comparison using the words like or as.

Introduction that usually sets the tone and acts as a bit of a background; a sneak peek.

A novel focusing on and describing the social customs and habits of particular social groups.

A bitter enemy, especially one that seems unbeatable.

Occurs when a piece of writing is making fun of a human weakness or character flaw.

When the reader is led to believe that one thing will occur but, in fact, the opposite occurs.

Narrative that starts not at the beginning of events but at some other critical point.

The language spoken in England roughly between 1150 and 1500 AD.

It represents an appeal to the audience's emotions.

Anglo-Saxon poetic device: "whale road" for ocean, or "ring-giver" for king.

A story consisting of events from which a moral or spiritual truth may be divined.

Point of view to address the reader. Uses the pronouns “you,” “your,” and “yours.”

Implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in common.

Statement in which the actual meaning differs from the meaning that the words appear to express

Literary form in which events are exaggerated in order to create an extreme emotional response

An object that represents something else, usually something more meaningful.

The Anglo-Saxon language spoken in what is now England from approximately 450 to 1150AD.

May mark a shift in point of view, tone, mood, style or any other manner of expression.

A style of writing which tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind.

Intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events.

A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word.

Report of related events presented to readers in words arranged in a logical sequence.

A form of understatement; the negative of the contrary is used to achieve negative emphasis.

Practice of forming a rhyme in only one line of verse.

Treatment of inanimate objects as if they had human feelings, thoughts, or sensations.

Referring to all characters and places with: (he, she, they).

Told by the narrator from his/her point of view. It is identified by the use of "I" or “Me.”

A lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful, and exalted feelings toward the subject.

The implied meaning that underlies the main meaning in a work.

An episodic novel about a rogue like wanderer who lives off his wits.

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables found in poetry.

Novels written for mass consumption often emphasizing action or titillation.

Poetry: elaborate conceits, highly intellectual, & expresses the complexities of love and life.

Imaginary story that has become an accepted part of cultural or religious tradition.

Refers to the sequence of events and happenings that make up a story.

The imaginary source of inspiration for an artist or writer.

A synonym for poetry. Also a group of lines in a song or poem; also a single line of poetry.

Personal, reflective poetry that reveals the speaker’s thoughts and feelings about the subject.

Also called a ‘pen name’ or ‘nom de plume,’ -- a false name used by some authors.

Quotation in which actual words are not stated but only approximated or paraphrased.

A mocking, satirical assault on a person or situation.

A quick succession of images or impressions used to express an idea.

Practice of rhyming words placed at the end of the lines in poetry.

Substituting words with similar sounding words that have different, often unconnected, meanings

Narrator with unlimited awareness.

A statement or idea that fails to follow logically from the one before.

Language of a work and its style; words, often highly emotional, used to convince an audience.

A parody of traditional epic form.

Total environment for the action in a novel or play: time, place, history, and social, etc.

Specific theme that dominates a literary work.

The underlying message that acts as the foundation for the entire literary piece.