AP Literature Vocabulary words #1-126

A protagonist who is the antithesis of a hero- graceless, stupid, sometimes dishonest

A character that is not fully developed by an author

A brief quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter

Attitudes that emphasize existence rather than essence and inadequacy to explain the universe

Where the actual typeset layout of the poem suggests the topic

A novel showing the development of its central character from childhood to maturity

A technique or device in which the author analyzes reasons for a chain of events

Line of verse that carries over into next line without a pause of any kind

A work which strives to provoke smiles and laughter

Addressing someone or something, usually not present, as though present

Feelings of pity and understanding for a character

Word choices that appeal to the ear, that help you "hear" the words

Everything that happens in plot between the climax or crisis and the denouement

An Expression that gives more than one meaning and leaves uncertainty to the meaning

Figure of speech were a thought is balanced with a contrasting thought in parallel arrangement

Occurs when the final consonants rhyme, but the vowel sounds do not

Attacking the arguer and not the argument; mudslinging

An unexpected/improbable character/event introduced to resolve a situation or untangle a plot

A fictional tale, marked by fantasy and magic, often appealing to the imagination

A line of four metrical feet

A line of two metrical feet

The part in the plot in which entanglement caused by the conflict is developed is

A 3 syllable foot consisting of an accented syllable followed by 2 unaccented syllables

The turning point, or crisis, in a play or other piece of literature

Unrhymed iambic pentameter; metrical verse with no rhyme

Comparing 2 things, to explain or clarify unfamiliar/difficult object or idea to a familiar one

Unrhymed poetry with lines of varying lengths, consisting no specific metrical pattern

Begins and ends with same setting and/or narrator(s); middle is flashback

A long narrative using elevated language,of a hero's adventures upon rests the fate of a nation

Subjective point of view when a character relays a narrative using "I"

The structure, shape, pattern, organization, or style of a piece of literature

Sound devise; repetition of initial (beginning) consonants sounds

Nickname or appellation, i.e., "Helen of the white arms" in the Iliad

A form of rhyme wherein the look rather than sound is important

Substitute word(s) used to sound inoffensive or neutral to describe a harsher word(s)

The omission of conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words and phrases

A specific kind or category of literature

The resolution of a plot after the climax

The emotional implications that a word may carry

Two successive lines of rhymed poetry in iambic pentameter

A line of three metrical feet

A poem that reveals a "soul in action" through the speech of one in a dramatic situation

Main character who has strength or moral character, a noble cause

A line of five metrical feet

Repetition of a word/expression at beginning of a successive phrase, rhetorical/poetic effect

The specific, exact meaning of a word, dictionary definition

Refers to noble qualities of human beings & nature as opposed to savage & destructive forces

Story performed by actors on a stage

Aristotle's word for the pity and fear and audience experiences upon the downfall of a hero

A quality of style marked by pleasing, harmonious sounds, the opposite of cacophony

Japanese form of poetry. Usually three line; 5, 7, 5 syllables pattern.

Imaginative writing; writing in which the author breaks away from reality

Line of verse in which both the grammatical structure and the sense reach completion at the end

A Latin phrase which translated means "Seize (Catch) the day," meaning "Make the most of today"

The claim that whatever has not been proved

A unit of meter; the basic unit of measurement in a line of poetry

The climax or turning point of a story or play

The opposite of a utopia; a controlled world where pain exists instead of pleasure

A metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable

The character in a narrative or play who is in conflict with the main character

A metrical foot consisting of two syllables equally or almost equally accented

An anticlimax which is unintentional

An author's choice of words

A devise that can present an action or scenes that occurred before the opening scene in a work

Figure of speech making a brief reference to a historical or literary figure, event or object

A pause for effect in the middle of a line of poetry; (period, dash, semicolon, etc.)

A form of novel in which magic, mystery, horrors and chivalry abound

A story written to make a moral point, using animals as characters

A pair of rhyming lines written in the same meter; may be a separate stanza

An extended metaphor-two unlike things are compared in several different ways is

A combination of harsh, unpleasant sounds which create an effect of discordance

An awakening; a sudden understanding or burst of insight; key moment in Greek plays

A metrical foot consisting of one unaccented syllable followed by accented syllable

Lyrical poem about death; serious poem, usually meant to express grief or sorrow, also a theme.

A story which has been composed orally and then passed down by word of mouth

Something of humor interrupts an otherwise serious, often tragic, literary work

Introductory material, sets the tone, gives the setting,introduces characters, & supplies facts

Elevated language, often pompous and overdone

A line of one metrical foot

An engraving on a tombstone

Informal expressions that are accepted in certain geographical areas/certain groups of people

The basic foot of dipodic verse, consisting of un/accented syllables in a succession order

Similarity or repetition of a vowel sound in 2 or more words, especially in a line of verse

A larger than life presence; a godlike paragon worthy of respect and reverence

Schematic rhyme that comes at ends of lines of verse (such as aa,bb or ab,ab)

A narrative constructed so that one or more stories are embedded within another story

Actor talking in a way were other characters on stage presumed not to have heard

The method a writer uses to revel the personality of a character in a literary work

Unable to be touched; not concrete

Assertions made based on facts, statistics, logical or objective reasoning, hard evidence, etc.

Intentional use of elevated language, to describe commonplace, transition for an effect

A totally ridiculous comedy

A metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables

A form of verse to be sung or recited and characterized in a fairly short narrative

Assuming the answer; Assume the death penalty to end violent crimes

A witty saying/observation about a person/ experience/institution, ending a poem,2 lines long

Double Rhyme- 2 syllables rhyme: resenting/ consenting; 3 syllables rhyme: pollution/ solution

Two extremes in a continuum of intermediate possibilities

A line of six metrical feet

The arrangement, presentation of events, and information prepared for later events

A term for a poem that teaches, almost preaches. It often discusses the "proper" way to behave.

Brief statement which expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise observation

Speech peculiar to a region;exhibits distinctions between two groups or even two people

Works generally considered to be the most important to study or read

Writing or speech not meant to be taken literally figure of speech

The repetition in successive clauses which are usually parallel in syntax

A tragic flaw or error in judgement

Meter having two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable

An approach to literature providing reason, balance, clarity, and imitation of ancient writers

A poem about morning

Irony characters use were words meaning 1 thing to them but another to those who understand

Something out of it place in time or history

A conversation between two or more characters

Pertaining to the base side of man

Focuses on the physically or mentally (warped, deluded, retarded) impaired characters

Character who provides a contrast to another character, thus emphasizing the other's traits

Author's own life story; first-person account

A struggle between opposing forces is

The repetition of consonant sounds with differing vowel sounds in words within a line of poetry

Concept/Value unable to be seen, illustrated by comparing it metaphorically to concrete objects