Term
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Definition
- late 20th and early 21st century
- a genre that blends elements of literature with nonfiction
- includes memoir, travel and place essays, personal narratives, etc. |
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Term
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Definition
- 1970-
- Named by Hunter S. Thompson in 1970
- Refers to a new kind of journalism where the writer can be part of the story, blending fact and fiction |
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Term
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Definition
- early 20th century
- movement in poetry that favored the use of images as the things themselves
- motto: "The natural object is always the adequate symbol."
- willingness to play with forms
- most notable poets: Ezra Pound and William Carlos WIlliams |
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Term
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Definition
- 1960's-
- Magical or supernatural elements appear in otherwise realistic circumstances
- first considered an element of painting
- mostly associated with Latin American writers, especially Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Fuentes, and Isabel Allende |
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Term
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Definition
- 1918-1945
- the prolific period between the end of World War I and the end of World War II
- Other historical context: the industrial revolution and the age of machines, mass immigration to the United States, Women's rights (19th amendment), the Great Depression
- Alienation and the loss of the individual to the machine are major themes |
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Term
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Definition
- 19th century
- extension of realism
- themes are darker: crime, poverty, prejudice, etc.
- naturalist writers tried to understand scientific or psychological reasons behind behavior |
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Term
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Definition
- 1945-
Begins with detonation of atom bombs in Japan to end World War II
- Key markers: post-apocalyptic themes, satire, the absurd, anti-heroes, the rise of multiculturalism and diverse voices
- themes: alienation due to race, gender, and sexual orientation, intolerance, political and social oppression |
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Term
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Definition
- mid to late 19th century
- pre- and post- civil war
- writers rejected sentimentality, wanted to represent true life experience, including the way people really acted and spoke
- shunned flowery diction and romanticism
- the rise of the women's movement also significant |
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Term
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Definition
- 19th century
- extension of realism
- focus on local setting, customs, and dialects |
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Term
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Definition
- mid-19th century
- valued feeling over reason
- valued the individual, but recognized the alienation of the individual
- literature characterized by elements of the supernatural appreciation for the beauty of nature, personal introspection |
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Term
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Definition
- 1950s
- led by poet Allen Ginsberg and novelist Jack Kerouac
- rejected mainstream American values and embraced nonconformity and Eastern philosophy
- the forefather of the 1960s counter-culture movement (Hippie Movement) |
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Term
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Definition
- 1920's
- the explosion of African American visual art, dance, music, and literature in the 1920s, primarily centered in Harlem, New York
- Poet Langston Hughes is often seen as the symbol of the period |
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Term
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Definition
- 1914-
- the lost generation is the phrase coined by writer Gertrude Stein and later made popular by Ernest Hemingway
- referred to the generation who lost fathers, husbands, sons and brothers in World War I and who felt aimless and without foundation
- many of the lost were disillusioned by traditional American values and became expatriots, who chose to leave the United States for Europe, Mexico, and elsewhere. (Paris was an especially favored destination.) |
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Term
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Definition
- mid-19th century
- an offshoot of American Romanticism led by Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson
- favored self-reliance and non-conformism
- sought to see the sublime in the ordinary
- believed that to transcend was to reach beyond experience-- self perfection was an aim |
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Term
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Definition
based on general principles or theories rather than on specific instances
an abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research |
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Term
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Definition
| a noun that refers to a quality (peace, happiness) rather than a material object |
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Term
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Definition
| a saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language |
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Term
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Definition
| one line of iambic hexameter |
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Term
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Definition
| a story in which a second meaning is to be read beneath the surface |
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Term
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Definition
repetition of beginning consonant sounds in words (righteous rapture; singsong syllable; sing a song of sixpence; big, black bear)
the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in a poem |
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Term
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Definition
reference, without explaination, to previous, well-known literature, history, Bible, mythology, or other common knowledge
a reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea |
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Term
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Definition
the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage
a vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation |
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Term
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Definition
something out of its place in the context of time (e.g. Victorian foxhunting during Arthurian times)
a person, scene, event, or other element in literature that fails to correspond with the time or era in which the work is set |
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Term
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Definition
comparison of two dissimilar things that are alike in some way, often using simile or metaphor (e.g. "He reminded me of a pig eating his swill")
a comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things |
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Term
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Definition
| a device of repetition in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses or sentences |
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Term
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Definition
| character who opposes the main character (protagonist); often the villain |
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Term
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Definition
| the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP English Literature Exam occasionally asks for the antecendent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences |
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Term
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Definition
| character, usually the protagonist, who faces problems in a story, but who often goes against traditional societal standards (e.g. Holden Caulfield) |
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Term
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Definition
| contrasted ideas in parallel form (give me liberty or give me death) |
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Term
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Definition
| wise saying, usually short and written, reflecting a general truth (e.g. Haste makes waste) |
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Term
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Definition
| speaking to something that cannot answer (death, hear me cry and tell me you will spare me now) |
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Term
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Definition
| a spoken remark not directed to all listeners and usually made in a quiet voice. In plays, this is often signaled by the stage direction "sotto voce" (voiced to the side) |
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Term
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Definition
| resemblance or similarity in sound between vowels followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables (lake and fate) |
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Term
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Definition
| 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, atomsophere foreshadows events. |
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Term
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Definition
| a sentence written in parallel construction with two grammatically equivalent parts. See parallelism. |
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Term
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Definition
| a representation, especially pictorial or literacy, in which the subject's distinctive features or |
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Term
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Definition
| therapeutic release of emotion upon identifying with, and being moved by literature |
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Term
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Definition
| movement of ancient Freece and Rome that employed strict forms, accented reason, and embraced restraint (the neo-classicists emulated these ideas in the late 18th and early 19th centuries) |
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Term
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Definition
| the point where two opposing forces meet to determine the outcome of a story |
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Term
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Definition
| opposing (and mutually exclusive) ideas |
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Term
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Definition
| surrounding feelings and associations added to word meaning (e.g. mother- kindly, nurturing, etc.) |
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Term
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Definition
| two consecutive, rhymed lines of poetry; rhyme pattern a a |
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Term
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Definition
| dictionary meaning of a word |
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Term
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Definition
| outcome, resolution, solution of a plot |
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Term
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Definition
| related to style, diction refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. For the AP lit exam, you should be able to describe an author's diction (for example, formal or informal, ornate or plain) and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author's purpose. Diction, combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, and so on, creates an author's style. Note: This term frequently appears in the essay question's wording. In your thesis, avoid phrases such as, "The author uses diction." Diction, by definition, is word choice, this phrase really says, "The author chooses words to write," whcich is as redundant (and silly) as claiming, "A painter uses paints to paint." At least try to put an adjective in front of the word "diction" to help describe its tone, such as "stark diction" or "flowery and soft diction" |
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Term
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Definition
| describes literary works meant to educate or teach a moral lesson |
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Term
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Definition
| deliberately ambiguous statement, one of whose possible meanings is risque/suggestive of some imporpriety |
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Term
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Definition
| three dots that indicate words have been left out of a quoted passage or that time has passed (...) |
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Term
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Definition
| three dots that indicate words have been left out of a quoted passage or that time has passed (...) |
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Term
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Definition
| device of continuing the sense of grammatical construction of a verse or couplet into the next |
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Term
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Definition
repetition of a word or phrase at the end of several clauses
"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." (Bill Clinton) |
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Term
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Definition
| a descriptive word or phrase added to or substituted for the name of a person or thing: e.g. The Great Emancipator for Abe Lincoln |
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Term
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Definition
| nicer word for a less pleasant subject |
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Term
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Definition
| a metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work |
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Term
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Definition
| writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usualy meant to be imaginative and vivid |
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Term
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Definition
| character opposite or different from the protagonist used to highlight the protagonist's traits; incidents or settings may also be used as foils |
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Term
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Definition
| hints during the narrative about what will happen later; can be literal hints or symbolic hints |
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Term
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Definition
| the major category into which a literary works fits. the basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, "genre" is a flexible term: within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called genres themselves. For example, prose can be divided into fiction (novels and short stories) or nonfiction (essays, biographies, autobiographies, and so on). Poetry can be divided into tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, and so on. |
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Term
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Definition
| lines of iambic pentameter |
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Term
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Definition
overstatement and exaggeration
e.g. I died laughing. |
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Term
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Definition
| The sensory details or figurative language used to describe arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, imagery uses terms related to the five senses: we refer to visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, or olfactory imagery. On a broader and deeper level, however, one image can represent more than one thing. For example, a rose may represent visual imagery while also representing color in one's cheeks. An author, therefore, may use complex imagery while simultaneously employing other figures of speech, especially metaphor and simile. In addition, this term can apply to the total of all the images in a work. On the AP Exam, pay attention to how an author creates imagery and the effect of that imagery |
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Term
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Definition
| a sound, word, or phrase that expresses a strong emotion such as pain, excitement, or surprise, but otherwise has no meaning: e.g. "Oh, shucks!" |
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Term
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Definition
the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what s really meant: the difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. Irony is used for many reasons, but frequently, it's used to create poigancy or humor. In general, three major types of irony are used in language:
1. In verbal irony, the words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) true meaning.
2. In situational irony, events turn out the opposite of what was expected. WHat the characters and readers think ought to happen does not actually happen.
3. In dramatic irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work |
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Term
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Definition
| placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast |
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Term
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Definition
| for the purposes of the AP Test, a metaphor is an implied comparison between things basically not alike, but not using comparison words such as like or as (Her eyes were saucers; rodents scurrying into their underground subway; Harry, the brightly dressed peacock) |
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Term
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Definition
| using a word to substitute for something else closely associated with it (the White House for the President) |
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Term
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Definition
| recurrent words, sounds, images, or phrases (often mistakenly deemed "theme") |
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Term
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Definition
| a rhetorical antithesis bringing together two contradictory terms for emphasis (e.g. "cheerful pessimist," "wise fool," "eloquent silence") |
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Term
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Definition
| Also referred to as a parallel contruction 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, |
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Term
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Definition
| an adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish |
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Term
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Definition
| giving human characteristics to nonhuman things (Love held James in her arms; fear grabbed her tightly; death peered over my shoulder.) |
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Term
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Definition
| literature written in sentences and paragraphs, as opposed to poetry or verse |
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Term
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Definition
| sounds, rhymes, words or phrases used multiple times (Beat, drums, beat!) |
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Term
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Definition
| (the art of) persuasive writing or speaking |
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Term
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Definition
| a question that is asked merely for effect and does not expect a reply. The answer is assumed. |
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Term
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Definition
| comparison between things basically not alike, and using the word like or as (Her lips were as soft as rose petals) |
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Term
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Definition
| a logical appeal in which the conclusion is inferred from two premises |
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Term
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Definition
| using part of something to represent the whole ("I don't have a penny" means "I don't have money.") |
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Term
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Definition
| the central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually, theme is unstated in fictional works, but in non-fiction, the theme may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing. Frequently a theme can be stated as a "universal truth," that is, a general statement about the human condition, about society, or about man's relation to the natural world |
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Term
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Definition
| the sum of all other literary elements used to bring forth the mood of a story or poem |
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Term
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Definition
| writing with rhyme and meter, as opposed to prose; often refers to poetry of a less serious nature |
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Term
| (dependent/subordinate and independent) clause |
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Definition
| A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate, clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause. Examine this sample sentence: "Because I practiced hard, my AP scores were high." In this sentence, the independent clause is "my AP scores were high," and the dependent clause is "Because I practiced hard." didactic describes literary works meant to educate or teach a moral or lesson |
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Term
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Definition
| literary movement characterized by emotion, imagination, and goodness of people; little emphasis on reason |
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Term
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Definition
| based on general principles or theories rather than on specific instances |
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Term
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Definition
| The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage. |
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Term
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Definition
| something out of its place in the context of time (e.g. Victorian foxhunting during Arthurian times) |
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Term
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Definition
| repetition of an important word in a phrase or clause (often last word) in the next phrase or clause (e.g. “truth brings freedom; freedom brings responsibility”) |
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Term
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Definition
| comparison of two dissimilar things that are alike in some way, often using simile or metaphor (e.g. “He reminded me of a pig eating his swill”). |
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Term
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Definition
| The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. |
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Term
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Definition
| character,usually the protagonist, who faces problems in a story, but who often goes against traditional societal standards (e.g. Holden Caulfield) |
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Term
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Definition
| an unfinished thought or a broken sentence |
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Term
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Definition
| a form of condensed expression in which words/phrases are presented in series, separated by commas (ex: veni, vidi, vici) NO conjunctions |
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Term
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Definition
| 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. |
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Term
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Definition
| a gradual increase in intensity of meaning: words arranged in ascending order of importance |
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Term
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Definition
| A sentence written in parallel construction with two grammatically equivalent arts. See parallelism. |
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Term
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Definition
| songlike, narrative poetry; usually simple, rhyming verse using abcb rhyme scheme |
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Term
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Definition
| poetry that consists of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter |
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Term
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Definition
| a pause in meaning in a line of poetry, before the end of a line |
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Term
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Definition
| A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect. Sometimes caricature can be so exaggerated that it becomes a grotesque imitation or misrepresentation. Synonymous words include burlesque, parody, travesty, satire, lampoon. |
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Term
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Definition
| A figure of speech based on inverted parallelism. It is a rhetorical figure in which two clauses are related to each another through a reversal of terms. The purpose is usually to make a larger point or to provide balance or order. A commonly cited example comes from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address: “…ask not what your country can do for you-‐ask what you can do for your country." |
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Term
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Definition
| Something said using more words than necessary, especially to avoid expressing it directly. |
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Term
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Definition
| repetition of similar consonant sounds, with changes in intervening vowel sounds |
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Term
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Definition
| shortening words by leaving out letters for poetic or other effect(o’er = over, ’tis = it is) |
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Term
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Definition
| “Ghost in the machine:” any improbable device used by an author to neatly settle any problems arising from the plot (eg. God shows up at the end of the play and smites the evil-‐doers |
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Term
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Definition
| jerky, rude composition in verse; poorly executed attempt at poetry, with trivial subject matter |
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Term
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Definition
| poetic form lamenting the death of a person or decline of a situation |
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Term
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Definition
| three dots that indicate words have been left out of a quoted passage or that time has passed (...) |
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Term
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Definition
| a literary passage written in the form of a letter, usually to a specific reader. |
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Term
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Definition
Repetition of a word for emphasis (usually with no words in between). Waitress: Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Bloody vikings. You can't have egg, bacon, spam and sausage without the spam.
Mrs. Bun:I don't like spam!
Mr. Bun: Shh dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your spam. I love it. I'm having spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, spam and spam. (Monty Python, "The Spam Sketch") |
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Term
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Definition
| person whose name is the source of a new word |
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Term
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Definition
| nicer word for a less pleasant subject |
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Term
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Definition
| A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. |
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Term
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Definition
| story with a moral about life, often with personified animals |
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Term
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Definition
| short humorous piece with low comedy |
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Term
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Definition
| smallest unit of poetic measurement; lines are divided into metrical groups (feet), with from one to three syllables in each |
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Term
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Definition
| poetry whose sound is based on cadence, not meter |
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Term
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Definition
| The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, "genre" is a flexible term: within these broad boundaries exist many subdivisions that are often called genres themselves. For example, prose can be divided into fiction (novels and short stories) or nonfiction (essays, biographies, autobiographies, and so on). Poetry can be divided into such subcategories as lyric, dramatic, narrative, epic, and so on. Drama can be divided into tragedy, comedy, melodrama, farce, and so on. |
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Term
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Definition
| This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture giving moral or spiritual advice. |
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Term
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Definition
| words that sound alike, are spelled alike, but have different meanings |
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Term
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Definition
| words that sound alike (includes homonyms and also words that have different spellings) (e.g. sea and see) |
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Term
| imperative/command sentence |
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Definition
| A sentence utilizing syntax, specifically a verb form, giving a direct order: e.g. “You will forgive me.” |
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Term
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Definition
| beginning in the middle of events |
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Term
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Definition
a sound, word, or phrase that expresses astrong
emotion
such
as
pain,
excitement,
or
surprise
but
otherwise
has
no
meaning:
e.g.
“Oh,
shucks!”
invective
an
emotionally
violent,
verbal
denunciation
or
attack
using
strong,
abusive
language. |
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Term
|
Definition
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant: the difference between what appears to be and what actually is true. Irony is used for many reasons, but frequently, it’s used to create poignancy or humor. In general, three major types of irony are used in language:
1. In verbal irony, the words literally state the opposite of the writer's (or speaker's) true meaning.
2. In situational irony,events turn out the opposite of what was expected. What the characters and readers think ought to happen does not actually happen.
3. In dramatic irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or
piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work. |
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Term
|
Definition
| placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast |
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Term
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Definition
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.
See
periodic
sentence. |
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Term
|
Definition
| refers to 17th century English poets who used far fetched imagery, spiritual topics, and witty arrogance |
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Term
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Definition
recurrence in poetry of a rhythmic pattern
a. iambus- unstressed, stressed (frequently used in iambic pentameter)
b. trochee- stressed, unstressed (sweet trochaic milk and water/ double, double toil and trouble)
c. anapest- unstressed, unstressed, stressed ( like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb)
d. dactyl- stressed, unstressed (mannequin)
e. spondee- stressed, stressed (all joy! Football heartbreak childhood bright-eyed)
f. pyrrhic- unstressed, unstressed ("o my Mari on's a bonny lass") |
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Term
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Definition
| form of lyric poetry characterized by giving praise or showing appreciation |
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Term
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Definition
| a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur. This term is not used in the multiple choice section. If you identify examples of onomatopoeia in an essay passage, note the effect |
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Term
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Definition
| using words and phrases that seem contradictory, but actually are true (Lover and hate were intertwined) |
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Term
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Definition
| 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 add a sense of unity or order, emphasis and organization, or simply provide a pleasing, musical rhythm. Other famous examples include Julius Caesar's "I came, I saw, I conquered," or, as Tennyson's poem "Ulysses" claims, "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." You can count on parallelism to appear in some form on the AP test, and it’s usually a safe topic to discuss as part of any style analysis. |
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Term
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Definition
| a work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. As comedy, parody distorts or exaggerates distinctive features of the original. As ridicule, it mimics the work by repeating and borrowing words, phrases, or characteristics in order to illuminate weaknesses in the original. Well written parody offers insight into the original, but poorly written parody offers only ineffectual imitation.. Usually an audience must grasp literary allusion and understand the work being parodied in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the newer work. Occasionally, however, parodies take on a life of their own and don't require knowledge of the original |
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Term
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Definition
| a poem about country life |
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Term
|
Definition
| a device in which nature is credited with having human emotions (Ruskin), much like personification |
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Term
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Definition
| A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone. For example, "Ecstatic with my AP scores, I let out a loud shout of joy!" The effect of a periodic sentence is to add emphasis and structural variety. See loose sentence. |
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Term
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Definition
In literature, the perspective from which a story is told. There are two general divisions of point of view and many subdivisions within those.
1. The first-‐ person narrator tells the story with the first-‐person pronoun, "I," and is a character in the story. This narrator can be the protagonist (the hero or heroine), a participant (a character in a secondary role),or an observer (a character who merely watches the action).
2. The second-‐person uses the (unusual) pronoun “you”. Rhetorically, the purpose of this technique should be considered carefully; the passage could be didactic, demonstrative, or inflammatory, for example.
3. The third-‐person narrator relates the events with the third-‐person pronouns, "he," "she," and "it." Be aware of two main subdivisions: omniscient and limited omniscient. In the third-‐person omniscient point of view, the narrator, with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters. This all-‐knowing narrator can reveal what each character feels and thinks at any given moment. The third-‐person limited-‐ mniscient point of view, as its name implies, presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, and only the actions of all remaining characters. Note on POV: These definitions apply to questions in the multiple-‐choice section. However, on the essay portion of the exam, the term "point of view" carries a different meaning. When you're asked to analyze an author's point of view, address the author's attitude.realism literature reflecting real life, rather than imaginary or idealistic life Mr. Firestein spoonerism sound reversal in words to produce a humorous effect (named after William Spooner; e.g.: heard in the band; bird in the hand) style The consideration of style has two purposes: 1. An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. Some authors' styles are so idiosyncratic that we can quickly recognize works by the same author (or writer emulating that author's style). Compare, for example, Jonathan Swift to George Orwell, or William
Faulkner to Ernest Hemingway. We can analyze and describe an author's personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the author's purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace, incisive, or laconic, to name only a few examples. 2. Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, one can see how an author's style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance or the Victorian period, or a literary movement, such as the Romantic or Realist movement. |
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| a series using an abundance of conjunctions |
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| the study of versification (meter, rhyme, stanza form) |
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| writing that contains flowery or ornate language, often in the midst of otherwise dull passages |
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| repetition of words or phrases at the end of each stanza in poetry or song |
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| using words that have similar vowel and consonant sounds (round, sound) |
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| a work that targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions, for reform as well as ridicule. Regardless of wheter or not the work aims to reform hmans or their society, satire is best seen as a style of writing rather than a purpose for writing. It can be recognized by the many devices used effectively by the satirist, such as irony, wit, parody, caricature, hyperbole, understatement and sarcasm. The effects of satire are varied, depending on the writer's goals, but good satire - often humorous - is thought provoking and insightful about the human condition |
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| sibilant (adj.)/sibilance(n.) |
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| lyric poem expressing one idea, containing 14 lines of iambic pentameter and set rhyme scheme |
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| group of lines of poetry (like a paragraph of prose) |
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| subordinate/dependent clause |
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| Like all clauses, this word group contains both a subject and a verb (plus any accompanying phrases or modifiers), but unlike the independent clause, the subordinate clause cannot stand alone; it does not express a complete thought. Also called a dependent clause, the subordinate clause depends on a main clause, sometimes called an independent clause, to complete its meaning. symbol/symbolism Generally, anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually, a symbol is something concrete – an object, action, character, or scene – that represents something more abstract. |
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| description of one kind of sensatino in terms of another |
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| The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. In the multiple-‐choice section of the AP Language and Composition Exam, expect to be asked some questions about how an author manipulates syntax. In the essay section, you may need to analyze how syntax produces effects. When you are analyzing syntax, consider such elements as the length or brevity of sentences, unusual sentence constructions, the sentence patterns used, and the kinds of sentences the author uses. The writer may use questions, declarations, exclamations, or rhetorical questions. Sentences are also classified as periodic or loose, simple, compound, or complex sentences. Syntax can be tricky to analyze. First try to classify what kind of sentences the author uses, and then try to determine how the author's choices amplify meaning: in other words, how they contribute to the author's purpose. |
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In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or
proposition. Expository writing is usually judged by analyzing how accurately, effectively, and thoroughly a writer has proven the thesis. |
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The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous and emphatic. Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole. Two specific types of understatement exist:
1. litotes: A figure of speech by which an affirmation is made indirectly by denying its opposite. It uses understatement for emphasis, frequently with a negative assertion.
Example: "It was no mean feat" means it was quite hard. "Daniel was not averse to a drink" means he drank a lot.
2.meiosis: The Greek term for understatement or belittling; a rhetorical figure by which something is referred to in terms less important than it really deserves. It describes something that is very impressive with implicitly. For example, Mercutio calls is mortal wound a "scratch" in Romeo and Juliet. |
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| saying the opposite of what is really meant (Dropping in on someone unexpectedly, finding them in a mess, and saying,“I can see you expected company.”) |
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| a slating/upright line used in prosody to mark off metrical feet (divides feet of poetry) |
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