AP English Lit Terms

a rhymed pair of lines in a poem

reversing the order of elements in a sentence or phrase

a short, simple narrative of an incident

a feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next in a story

a speech spoken by a character alone on stage

sonnets require _____ lines

five feet

a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole

word choice; also called syntax

a reference to a well-known work of art

alliteration is the repetition of

words that almost rhyme...can be end rhyme or internal

language by people spoken locally

Sonnets consisting of an octave and a sestet

two feet

a formal poem focusing on death or mortality

another word for aphorism

grating of sounds that are harsh or do not go well together

a type of novel that uses mystery, suspense, supernatural occurrences to evoke terror

figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase

Attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object

humorous poetry that defies logic and has made-up words

a story in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some other unhappy end

Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order

writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions to try to bring about change

How many questions are in the multiple choice part of the AP Lit exam?

deliberate exaggeration to create humor or emphasis

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

excessive pride or ambition that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings...leads to downfall

poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

a character who, by contrast, highlights the characteristics of another character

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

in poetry, the running over of a line or thought into the next of verse

a six-line stanza

repetition of vowel sounds

How many essay questions are on the AP literature exam?

Stressed portion of a word

a succession of harmonious sounds

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

an elaborate figure of speech in which two seemingly dissimilar things are compared

a comparison of two similar but different things

a pause or a sudden break in a line of poetry