AP Literary Terms Review

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

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

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

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

a writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter

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

the Latin phrase meaning "seize the day"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

theory that revolves around class struggle between the bourgeoisie and proletariat

the imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem

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

a group of lines in a poem

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

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

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

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

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

a temporary departure from the main subject in speaking or writing

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

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

the critical moment of recognition or awakening in a drama

an exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes

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

a discrepancy between expectation and reality

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

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

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

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

two or more sentences with equal grammatical constructions

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

arrangement of repeated thoughts in the pattern of XYYX

a frequently recurrent image or concept in literature

the conscious exaggeration used to heighten effect

a pair of rhyming lines written in the same meter

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

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

a seemingly contradictory statement that is actually true

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

when one comment isn't logically related to another

the opposite of a hyperbole; an understatement

the arrangement of sentence structure

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

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

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

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

a stanza or a poem of six lines

an indirect historical, biblical, or mythological reference

a narrative that has a second meaning beneath the surface meaning

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

unrhymed lines in poetry; blank verse

when a solitary character in a play speaks his innermost thoughts

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

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

a stanza or a poem of eight lines

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

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

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

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

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

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

the central idea of a work

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