list of ap literary terms

8/3/2019 List of AP Literary Terms

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List of AP Literary Terms1. Abstract: refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images.

2. Ad Hominem: In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the

Latin meaning "against the man."

3. Allegory: a work that functions on a symbolic level.

4. Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

5. Allusion: a reference contained in a work.

6. Ambiguity: the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

7. Amplification: involves repeating a word or expression while adding more detail to it, in order to emphasize what

otherwise might be passed over.

8. Analogy: a literary device employed to serve as a basis for comparison. It is assumed that what applies to the

parallel situation also applies to the original circumstance. In other words, it is the comparison between two

different items.9. Anaphora: the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines.

10. Anastrophe: transposition of normal word order; most often found in Latin in the case of prepositions and the

words they control. (a form of hyperbaton)

11. Anecdote: a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate to a point.

12. Antanagoge: placing a good point or benefit next to a fault criticism, or problem in order to reduce the impact or

significance of the negative point.13. Antimetabole: reversing the order of repeated words or phrases (a loosely chiastic structure, AB-BA) to intensify

the final formulation, to present alternatives, or to show contrast.14. Antiphrasis: one word irony, established by context.

15. Antistrophe: repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.

16. Antithesis: the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or

paragraphs. "To be or not to be..." "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your

country..."17. Aphorism: a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral principle. (If the

authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb.) An aphorism can be a

memorable summation of the author's point.

18. Apophasis: (also called praeteritio or occupatio) asserts or emphasizes something by pointedly seeming to pass

over, ignore, or deny it.

19. Aporia: expression of doubt (often feigned) by which a speaker appears uncertain as to what he should think, say,or do.

20. Aposiopesis: a form of ellipse by which a speaker comes to an abrupt halt, seemingly overcome by passion (fear,excitement, etc.) or modesty.

21. Apostrophe: a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction,

such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. William Wordsworth addresses JohnMilton as he writes, "Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee."

22. Appositive: a noun or noun substitute placed next to (in apposition to) another noun to be described or defined bythe appositive.

23. Archaism: use of an older or obsolete form.

24. Argument: a single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer25. Assonance: repetition of the same sound in words close together.

26. Asyndeton: lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words.27. Atmosphere: the emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and

partly by the author's choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as a description of the weather can

contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently, atmosphere foreshadows events.28. Attitude: the relationship an author has toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience.

29. Brachylogy: a general term for abbreviated or condensed expression, of which asyndeton and zeugma are types.

30. Cacophony: harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work.31. Catachresis: a harsh metaphor involving the use of a word beyond its strict sphere.

32. Cause and effect: analyses explain why something happened or what the consequences are or will be from aparticular occurrence

33. Chiasmus: two corresponding pairs arranged not in parallels (a-b-a-b) but in inverted order (a-b-b-a)

34. Classification: a form of division, but instead of starting with a single subject as a division does, classificationstarts with many items, and groups or sorts them into categories.



35. Cliché: an overused common expression. The term is derived from a French word for a stereotype printing block.

Just as many identical copies can be made from such a block, so clichés are typically words and phrases used so

frequently that they become stale and ineffective. Everyone uses clichés in speech: "in less than no time" they

"spring to mind," but "in the last analysis," a writer ought to "avoid them like the plague," even though they always

seem "to hit the nail on the head."

36. Climax: arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of ascending power.

37. Colloquial: the use of slang in writing, often to create local color and to provide an informal tone. Huckleberry Finn

is written in a colloquial style.

38. Comic Relief: the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby

intensifying the next tragic event.39. Conceit: a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between

seemingly dissimilar objects. A conceit displays intellectual cleverness due to the unusual comparison being made.

40. Concrete: words describe things that exist and can be experienced through the senses. Abstractions are rendered

understandable and specific through concrete examples.

41. Connotation: the interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.

42. Deduction: the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example.

43. Definition: involves placing a word first in a general class and then adding distinguishing features that set it apartfrom other members of that class: "A Dalmatian is a breed of dog (general class) with a white, short-haired coat and

dark spots (distinguishing feature)." Most college writing assignments in definition require extended definitions in

which a subject is analyzed with appropriate examples and details.

44. Denotation: the literal or dictionary meaning of a word.

45. Diacope: repetition of a word or phrase after an intervening word or phrase.

46. Dialect: the recreation of regional spoken language, such as a Southern dialect. Zora Neale Hurston uses this insuch works as Their Eyes Were Watching God.

47. Diction: is the choice of words used in speaking or writing. It is frequently divided into four levels: formal,

informal, colloquial, and slang. Formal diction is found in traditional academic writing, such as books and scholarly

articles; informal diction, generally characterized by words common in conversation contexts, by contractions, and

by the use of the first person (I), is found in articles in popular magazines. Bernard R. Berelson's essay "The Value

of Children" (p.231) uses formal diction; Judy Brady's "I Want a Wife" (p.441) is informal.

48. Didactic: From the Greek, didactic literally means "teaching." Didactic works have the primary aim of teaching orinstructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.

49. Dirimens Copulatio: mentioning a balancing or opposing fact to prevent the argument from being one-sided or

unqualified.

50. Distinctio: is an explicit reference to a particular meaning or to the various meanings of a word, in order to remove

or prevent ambiguity.

51. Ellipsis: indicated by a series of three periods, the ellipsis indicates that some material has been omitted from a

given text. It could be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or a whole section. Be wary of the ellipsis; it could

obscure the real meaning of the piece of writing.52. Enthymeme: is an informally-stated syllogism which omits either one of the premises or the conclusion. The

omitted part must be clearly understood by the reader.

53. Enumeration: detailing parts, causes, effects, or consequences to make a point more forcibly.54. Epanalepsis: repeats the beginning word of a clause or sentence at the end.

55. Epigraph: the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun

Also Rises with two epigraphs. One of them is "You are all a lost generation" by Gertrude Stein.56. Epithet: is an adjective or adjective phrase appropriately qualifying a subject (noun) by naming a key or important

characteristic of the subject.57. Epizeuxis: repetition of one word (for emphasis).

58. Eponym: substitutes for a particular attribute the name of a famous person recognized for that attribute.59. Euphemism: a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or

uncomfortable. "He went to his final reward" is a common euphemism for "he died." Euphemisms are also often

used to obscure the reality of a situation. The military uses "collateral damage" to indicate civilian deaths in amilitary operation.

60. Euphony: the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.

61. Exemplum: citing an example; using an illustrative story, either true or fictitious.62. Exposition: background information presented in a literary work.

63. Extended Metaphor: a sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit. The extended metaphor is developed

throughout a piece of writing64. Figurative Language: the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. It

includes metaphor, simile, symbol, motif, and hyperbole, etc.



65. Figures of speech: are deliberate departures from the ordinary and literal meanings of words in order to provide

fresh, insightful perspectives or emphasis. Figures of speech are most commonly used in descriptive passages and

include the following: Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, Etc...

66. Form: the shape or structure of a literary work.

67. Generalizations: are assertions or conclusions based on some specific instances. The value of a generalization is

determined by the quality and quantity of examples on which it is based. Bob Greene in "Cut" (p.57) formulates ma

generalization--being cut from and athletic team makes men super achievers later in life--on the basis of fiver

examples. For such a generalization to have validity, however, a proper statistical sample would be essential.

68. Hendiadys: use of two words connected by a conjunction, instead of subordinating one to the other, to express a

single complex idea.69. Homily: this term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture

involving moral or spiritual advice.

70. Hypallage: ("exchanging") transferred epithet; grammatical agreement of a word with another word which it does

not logically qualify. More common in poetry.

71. Hyperbaton: separation of words which belong together, often to emphasize the first of the separated words or to

create a certain image.

72. Hyperbole: extreme exaggeration, often humorous, it can also be ironic; the opposite of understatement.73. Hypophora: consists of raising one or more questions and then proceeding to answer them, usually at some length.

74. Hypotaxis: using subordination to show the relationship between clauses or phrases (and hence the opposite of

parataxis).

75. Hysteron Proteron: ("later-earlier")- inversion of the natural sequence of events, often meant to stress the event

which, though later in time, is considered the more important.

76. Image: a verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion.77. Imagery: the total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature.

78. Induction: the process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization.

79. Inference: a conclusion one can draw from the presented details.

80. Invective: a verbally abusive attack.

81. Irony: an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen. It

involves dialog and situation, and can be intentional or unplanned. Dramatic irony centers around the ignorance of

those involved; whereas, the audience is aware of the circumstance.82. Litotes: understatement, for intensification, by denying the contrary of the thing being affirmed. (Sometimes used

synonymously with meiosis.)

83. Logic: the process of reasoning

84. Logical Fallacy: a mistake in reasoning

85. Loose sentence: A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by

dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent

clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many loose sentences often seems informal,

relaxed, and conversational.86. Metabasis: consists of a brief statement of what has been said and what will follow.

87. Metanoia: (correctio) qualifies a statement by recalling it (or part of it) and expressing it in a better, milder, or

stronger way.88. Metaphor: a direct comparison between dissimilar things. "Your eyes are stars" is an example.

89. Metonymy: a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea (The pen is mightier than the

sword).90. Monologue: a speech given by one character (Hamlet's "To be or not to be...").

91. Mood: this term has two distinct technical meanings in English writing. The first meaning is grammatical and dealswith verbal units and a speaker's attitude. The indicative mood is used for only factual sentences. For example, "Joe

eats too quickly." The subjunctive mood is used for a doubtful or conditional attitude. For example, "If I were you,I'd get another job." The imperative mood is used for commands. For example, "Shut the door!" the second meaningof mood is literary, meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can

affect the mood. In this usage, mood is similar to tone and atmosphere.92. Motif: the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters.

93. Narrator: the speaker of a literary work.

94. Onomatopoeia: words that sound like the sound they represent (hiss, gurgle, pop).95. Oxymoron: an image of contradictory term (bittersweet, pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp).

96. Parable: a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson. (The Pearl by John

Steinbeck is a fine example.).



97. Paradox: A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense, but upon closer inspection

contains some degree of truth or validity. The first scene of Macbeth, for example, closes with the witches' cryptic

remark "Fair is foul, and foul is fair...."

98. Parallelism: also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term comes from Greek roots

meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or

paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element

such as a preposition or verbal phrase. A famous example of parallelism begins Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of

Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of

foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..." The effects of parallelism are numerous,

but frequently, they act as an organizing force to attract the reader's attention, add emphasis and organization, orsimply provide a musical rhythm.

99. Paraprosdokian: surprise or unexpected ending of a phrase or series.

100. Parataxis: writing successive independent clauses, with coordinating conjunctions, or no conjunctions.

101. Parenthesis: a final form of hyperbaton, consists of a word, phrase, or whole sentence inserted as an aside in the

middle of another sentence.

102. Parody: a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original. It can be utterly mocking or gently humorous. It

depends on allusion and exaggerates and distorts the original style and content.103. Paronomasia: use of similar sounding words; often etymological word-play.

104. Pathos: the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience. An appeal to emotion that can be used as a

means to persuade.

105. Pedantic: a term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing. It is scholarly and academic and often overly

difficult and distant.

106. Periodic Sentence: a sentence that places the main idea or central complete thought at the end of the sentence, afterall introductory elements. The effect of the periodic sentence is to add emphasis and structural variety.

107. Person: is a grammatical term used to refer to a speaker, the individual being addressed, or an individual being

referred to. English has three persons: first (I or we), second (you), and third (he, she, it, or they).

108. Personification: the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts (Wordsworth personifies "the

sea that bares her bosom to the moon" in the poem London 1802.).

109. Persuasion: a type of argument that has as its goal an action on the part of the audience.

110. Pleonasm: use of superfluous or redundant words, often enriching the thought.111. Plot: a sequence of events in a literary work.

112. Point of view: the method of narration in a literary work.

113. Polysyndeton: the repetition of conjunctions in a series of coordinate words, phrases, or clauses.

114. Praeteritio (paraleipsis): pretended omission for rhetorical effect.

115. Premise: in logic is a proposition-a statement of a truth-that is used to support or help support a conclusion.

116. Procatalepsis: by anticipating an objection and answering it, permits an argument to continue moving forward

while taking into account points or reasons opposing either the train of thought or its final conclusions.

117. Prolepsis: the anticipation, in adjectives or nouns, of the result of the action of a verb; also, the positioning of arelative clause before its antecedent.

118. Pun: a play on words that often has a comic effect. Associated with wit and cleverness. A writer who speaks of the

"grave topic of American funerals" maybe be employing an intentional or unintentional pun.119. Purpose: involves intent, the reason why a writer writes. Three purposes are fundamental: to entertain, to inform, or

to persuade. These are not necessarily separate or discrete; they can be combined. An effective piece of writing has

a well-defined purpose.120. Reduction ad Absurdum: The Latin for "to reduce to the absurd." This is a technique useful in creating a comic

effect and is also an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetoric fallacy, because it reduces an argument toan either/or choice.

121. Repetition: the duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase,clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern. When repetition is poorly done, it bores, but when it's well done, it linksand emphasizes ideas while allowing the reader the comfort of recognizing something familiar.

122. Rhetorical Question: one that does not expect an explicit answer. It is used to pose an idea to be considered by thespeaker or audience. (Ernest Dowson asks, "Where are they now, the days of wine and roses?")

123. Sarcasm: a comic technique that ridicules through caustic language. Tone and attitude may both be described as

sarcastic in a given text if the writer employs language, irony, and wit to mock or scorn.124. Satire: a mode of writing based on ridicule, that criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily

offering a solution.

125. Sentence structure: when an essay question asks you to analyze sentence structure, look at the type of sentencesthe author uses. Remember that the basic sentence structures are simple, compound, and complex, and variations

created with sentence combining. Also consider variation or lack of it in sentence length, any unusual devices in



sentence construction, such as repetition or inverted word order, and any unusual word or phrase placement. As

with all devices, be prepared to discuss the effect of the sentence structure. For example, a series of short, simple

sentences or phrases can produce a feeling of speed and choppiness, which may suit the author's purpose.

126. Sententia: quoting a maxim or wise saying to apply a general truth to the situation; concluding or summing

foregoing material by offering a single, pithy statement of general wisdom.

127. Setting: the time and place of a literary work.

128. Simile: an indirect comparison that uses the words like or as to link the differing items in the comparison. ("Your

eyes are like the stars.")

129. Slang: is common, casual, conversational language that is inappropriate in forma speaking or writing. Slang often

serves to define social groups by virtue of being a private, shared language not understood by outsiders. Slangchanges constantly and is therefore always dated. For that reason alone, it is wise to avoid using slang in serious

writing.

130. Stanza: a unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem.

131. Structure: the organization and form of a work.

132. Style: the unique way an author presents his ideas. Diction, syntax, imagery, structure, and content all contribute to

a particular style.

133. Subject: is what a piece of writing is about.134. Subjective writing: expresses an author's feelings or opinions about a particular subject. Editorials or columns in

newspapers and personal essays tend to rely on subjective judgments.

135. Syllogism: the format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.

136. Symbol: something in a literary work that stands for something else. (Plato has the light of the sun symbolize truth

in "The Allegory of the Cave.")

137. Symploce: combining anaphora and epistrophe, so that one word or phrase is repeated at the beginning and anotherword or phrase is repeated at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

138. Synecdoche: a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole. ("All hands on deck" is an

example.)

139. Syntax: the grammatical structure of prose and poetry.

140. Tautology: repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or sentence.

141. Theme: the underlying ideas the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc.

142. Thesis: simply, the main idea of a piece of writing (topic+ opinion + why). It presents the author's assertion orclaim. The effectiveness of a presentation is often based on how well the writer presents, develops, and supports the

thesis.

143. Tone: the author's attitude toward his subject.

144. Topic Sentence: is a single sentence in a paragraph that contains a statement of subject or thesis. The topic sentence

is to the paragraph what the thesis statement is to an essay.

145. Transition: a word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence,

paragraph to paragraph.

146. Understatement: is the opposite of hyperbole; it is a deliberate minimizing done to provide emphasis or humor. InWilliam Least Heat Moon's "Nameless, Tennessee" (p. 164), Miss Ginny Watts explains how she asked her husband

to call the doctor unless he wanted to be "shut of" (rid of) her. Her husband, Thurmond, humorously uses

understatement in his reply: "I studied on it."147. Unity: is a oneness in which all of the individual parts of a piece of writing work together to form a cohesive and

complete whole. It is best achieved by having a clearly sated purpose and thesis against which every sentence and

paragraph can be tested for relevance.148. Voice: can refer to two different areas of writing. One refers to the relationship between a sentence's subject and

verb (active voice and passive voice). The second refers to the total "sound" of a writer's style.149. Wit: in modern usage, wit is intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights. A witty statement is

humorous, while suggesting the speaker's verbal power in creating ingenious and perceptive remarks. Wit usuallyuses terse language that makes a pointed statement. Historically, wit originally meant basic understanding. Itsmeaning evolved to include speed of understanding, and finally (in the early seventeenth century), it grew to mean

quick perception including creative fancy.150. Zeugma – two different words linked to a verb or an adjective which is strictly appropriate to only one of them.

list of ap literary terms

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