AP Literary Terms Review

a stanza or a poem of eight lines

a work where all parts are related to an organizing principle--beginning, middle, & end

a typeof comedy in which characters are put into ludicroussituations to evoke laughter.

a play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings

the "unraveling," falling action, or rapid cause-and-effect chain from the climax to resolution

a type of metaphor that designates one thing with a close association; a substitute

a 19th century literary movement that portrays life in a realisticmanner

a term used in existential criticism to describe feelings of anxiety, dread, or anguish

writing that employs dark picturesque scenery, melodramatic devices, & atmosphere of mystery 

theory that looks at the psychological motivations of characters or the author 

literary movement that not only rejects tradition but posits no absolute truth & embraces chaos

humorous speeches and incidents in a tragedy used to lighten the mood

a balancing of two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses

arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of XYYX

The repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row

In drama it is the term for "tying up" or resolution/denouement

an imaginary society that is totalitarian, dehumanizing, oppressive, and unpleasant.

literary movement defined by its rejection of conventional morality, taste, and tradition

two or more sentences with equal grammatical constructions

the final part of a ply or narrative in which the strands of the plot are explained or resolved

thedenouement, or final scene of suffering and disaster in a classical tragedy.  

a discrepancy between expectation and reality

the use of one word to govern several successive words or clauses

a speech given entirely by one person when other characters are present on stage

an emotional purging where the imbalance of feelings is corrected & emotional health restored

a question asked for rhetorical effect to emphasize a point; no answer is expected

a genre that criticizes human flaws through humor & ridicule; its purpose is to inspire change

a pair of rhyming lines written in the same meter

a type of metaphor in which parts of something is used to stand for the whole

unrhymed lines in poetry; blank verse

a seemingly contradictory statement that is actually true

the imitation of action in a tragedy according to the law of probability or necessity

a type of verbal irony that is caustic, bitter, and offers strong disapproval

the arrangement of sentence structure

the Latin phrase meaning "seize the day"

an exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes

literary works that deal with the pleasures of a simple rural life 

a temporary departure from the main subject in speaking or writing

the imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem

a character whose traits are the opposite of another & illuminates the strengths & weakness

the critical moment of recognition or awakening in a drama

when a solitary character in a play speaks his innermost thoughts

a character's moment of realization, awareness, or anagnorisis

a romanticized antihero--wicked; defies authority & conventional morality, & is ennobled by it 

technique of writing that undertakes to reproduce the raw flow of consciousness 

a fourteen line poem with a single theme written in iambic pentameter

20th century philosophy that perceives human existence as futile, empty, & meaningless

an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way

theory that champions the identity of women, demands rights, & promotes the feminine experience

the opposite of a hyperbole; an understatement

an indirect historical, biblical, or mythological reference

the conscious exaggeration used to heighten effect

a poem consisting of four lines of verse with a specific rhyming scheme

in poetry, it is a strong, deliberate pause within a line

the complex interrelationship between texts--influence, reflect, borrow, and differ

a stanza or a poem of six lines

the central idea of a work

a writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter

a word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing

a narrative that has a second meaning beneath the surface meaning

a form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a logical conclusion is drawn

theory that revolves around class struggle between the bourgeoisie and proletariat

when one comment isn't logically related to another

rigid play built on a secret, arrival of new characters, threatening news, reversal, & epiphany

a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or geographical region

overwhelming pride or insolence that results in the misfortune of the protagonist of a tragedy

a group of lines in a poem

a coming of age story dealing with one's formative years or spiritual education

address to the dead as if living; the inanimate as if animate; absent as if present

a frequently recurrent image or concept in literature