Caricature

description that exaggerations a physical feature or mannerism of an individual or organization; type of burlesque or mockery to create comedic or grotesque effect

Classicism

traditional literature based upon ancient Greek and Roman principles including emotional restraint, objectivity, simplicity, systematic thinking, clarity, dignity, promotion of general welfare, and adherence to formal composition rules

Hubris

a character’s overwhelming pride that results in their demise

Naturalism

a literary movement post-Darwinism that intended to interpret life accurately without any emotional or idealistic exaggerations; it disregards religion and relies solely on the laws of nature

Personification

a figure of speech that attributes human qualities to inanimate objects, animals, or concepts

Realism

an accurate and unbiased depiction of the world without false ideals, personal opinions, beautification, or literary conventions; recognized in the literary movement of the nineteenth and early twentieth century after naturalism was established

Romanticism

literary movement in the late eighteenth century; relied on emotion and passion as a legitimate source of knowledge; rejected logic and reason and rather embraced imagination; stressed an interest in nature, mystery, and the supernatural

• the character in a story that opposes the protagonist
• may or may not be a person; could be an entity such as illness, death, etc.

examples:  The White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Joker from Batman

Words used in causal conversation, typically from that region; slang.

Ex. Y'all

Conundrum

a kind of riddle or difficult problem whose answer involves a pun

Ex:  What's the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?

     one sells watches and the other

     watches cells

When the words and actions of the characters, in a piece of literature, have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters.  This translates that the reader has a greater knowledge than the characters themselves.

Ex. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo thinks Juliet is dead but in reality she is not, so Romeo kills himself

a state of total identification with another's situation, condition, and thoughts

Ex: Past AP students understanding all of the work current AP students are going through 

Words or phrases that diverge from original meaning to provide emphasis, clarity, or meaning. At heart, figures of speech are comparisons.

• a biography that idealizes, idolizes, or flatters a person
• commonly used for the purpose of saint biographies

• quality that provokes laughter or amusement
• writers may use exaggeration, sarcasm, amusing descriptions, irony, and/or witty dialogue

examples:  "You know you have a small apartment when your Rice Krispies echo."

"Being dyslexic has drawbacks. I once went to a toga party dressed as a goat.

• a short poem or prose piece that depicts a rural or pastoral scene in an idealistic way
• very descriptive
• evokes romantic charm

example:  excerpt from Idyll by Siegfried Sassoon - "In the grey summer garden I shall find you
With day-break and the morning hills behind you.
There will be rain-wet roses; stir of wings;
And down the wood a thrush that wakes and sings(...)"

Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the senses

Ex:  "The pot was as red as a tongue after eating a cherry flavored ring pop."

• narrative technique that reveals the inner thoughts of characters
• portrays emotional experiences at conscious and unconscious level

examples: "I sure hope I don't have spinach in my teeth.", "Why can't she just listen?", "My love burns for him."

The climate of feeling in a literary work; choice of settings, objects, details, images, and words all contribute to the mood of writing.

Ex. "The Clumsy, bald, fat man fell on his butt." Humorous tone

Motif

a recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature

Ex:  The damsel in distress

figure of speech; the association of two contrary terms

ex: jumbo shrimp

• the speaker created by a writer to narrate a story
• the "voice through which the author speaks"
• may be a character or implied author

examples:  Marlow in Heart of Darkness, narrator in Canterbury Tales

Platonic Love

an affair in which the couple is attracted for mental or psychological qualities rather than bodily attributes; a non-sexual affectionate relationship

Ex:  Best friends

• the main character at the center of a story
• not necessarily the hero/heroine
• audience is intended to share most of their empathy with them
• plot revolves around them

examples:  Harry in Harry Potter series, Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, Bella Swan in Twilight

The outcome of a situation that turns out to be very different from what is expected.

Ex. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz goes to a wizard to get home, but the entire time she could have left at any point.

Suspension of Disbelief

temporarily and willingly setting aside the readers beliefs about reality in order to enjoy the work

Ex:  accepting magic as a truth in the Harry Potter series

Sympathy

an inclination to support, be loyal to, or agree with an opinion

Ex:  feeling sorry after a friends family member passed away

The writers attitude towards his readers and his subjects; moral views.

Ex. "The glass was half full" Optimistic tone

When something said means the opposite of what the literal meaning is.

Ex.  Oh GREATTTT 

Voice is the quality that makes the writing unique.  Voice conveys the author's attitude, personality, and character.

Ex. Active voice "The cat ate the mouse"

difficult to understand or comprehend;

unable to be felt or seen