AP Lit Terms 1

Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike

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

reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, etc

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

the author tells us directly what the character is like

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.

the author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing the character

repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds

Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order.

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

Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance.

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

Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something

attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object

Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words

Placing in order two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation

CHARACTER has only one or two personality traits.

calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing

Characters, settings, & events stand for other people/events/abstract ideas or qualities.

the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds

balancing words or phrases that are strongly contrasted

CHARACTER is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story’s action

brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life

CHARACTER has dimensions to their personalities--they are complex, just as real people are.

Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence

Character who does not change much in the course of a story.