1. AP Literature Terms: For each term copy the term and definition and provide an example.

2. Allegory
Allegory is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures and events. It can be employed in prose and poetry to tell a story with a purpose of teaching an idea or a principle. The objective is to preach some kind of moral lesson.

3. Alliteration
It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series.

4. Allusion
Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp its importance in a text.

5. Ambiguity
Ambiguity is a word, phrase or statement which contains more than one meaning.

6. Anachronism
Anachronism is derived from a Greek word anachronous which means “against time”. Therefore, an anachronism is an error of chronology or timeline in a literary piece. In other words, anything that is out of time and out of place is an anachronism.

7. Analogy
An analogy is a comparison in which an idea or a thing is compared to another thing that is quite different from it. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar.

8. Anecdote
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
E.g: Before beginning a tutoring session, the tutor tells the tutee how he used to struggle with the subject matter in the past and how he managed to grow past these difficulties.

9. Antecedent
The word or phrase to which a pronoun refers.

10. Antithesis
Opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a parallel construction.
E.g. “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, the epoch of incredulity.

11. Apostrophe
a figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O”. A writer or a speaker, using an apostrophe, detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech.

12. Assonance
Assonance takes place when two or more words close to one another repeat the same vowel sound but start with different consonant sounds.

13. Blank Verse
a literary device defined as un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter. In poetry and prose, it has a consistent meter with ten syllables in each line (pentameter); where, unstressed syllables are followed by stressed ones and five of which are stressed but do not rhyme.

14. Bathos
A literary term derived from a Greek word meaning “depth”. Bathos is when a writer or a poet falls into inconsequential and absurd metaphors, descriptions or ideas in an effort to be increasingly emotional or passionate.

15. Cacophony
The use of words with sharp, harsh, hissing and unmelodious sounds primarily those of consonants to achieve desired results.

16. Caricature
A device used in descriptive writing and visual arts where particular aspects of a subject are exaggerated to create a silly or comic effect.

17. Catharsis
An emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress.

18. Connotation
A meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing which it describes explicitly Connotations can be positive or negative.

19. Colloquial
In literature, colloquialism is the use of informal words, phrases or even slang in a piece of writing.

20. Metaphysical Conceit
Conceit is a figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors.
Example:
Busy old fool, unruly sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows, and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run? Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide Late school boys and sour prentices, Go tell court huntsmen that the king will ride, Call country ants to harvest offices, Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.

21. Consonance
Consonance refers to repetitive sounds produced by consonants within a sentence or phrase. This repetition often takes place in quick succession such as in pitter, patter. It is classified as a literary term used in both poetry as well as prose.

22. Contrast (Literary)
A contrast in literature is any difference between two or more tangible or abstract entities, such as characters, settings, opinions, tones, and so on. Contrast generally involves a juxtaposition of two unlike things in order to showcase their differences.
E.g
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. –Barack Obama

23. Dissonance
A disruption of harmonic sounds or rhythms. Like cacophony, it refers to a harsh collection of sounds; dissonance is usually intentional, however, and depends more on the organization of sound for a jarring effect, rather than on the unpleasantness of individual words.

24. Denotation
Denotation is generally defined as literal or dictionary meanings of a word in contrast to its connotative or associated meanings.

25. Dialogue
The conversation between characters in a drama or narrative.

26. Diction
Diction can be defined as style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer.

27. Digression
The act of departing from the main subject in speech or writing to discuss an apparently unrelated topic

28. Drama
a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of character, especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a play.

29. Eulogy
Speech or written work paying tribute to a person who has recently died; speech or written work praising a person (living, as well as dead), place, thing, or idea.

30. Elegy
Elegy is a form of literature which can be defined as a poem or song in the form of elegiac couplets, written in honor of someone deceased. It typically laments or mourns the death of the individual.

31. Enjambment
In poetry it means moving over from one line to another without a terminating punctuation mark. It can be defined as a thought or sense, phrase or clause in a line of poetry that does not come to an end at the line break but moves over to the next line. In simple words, it is the running on of a sense from one couplet or line to the next without a major pause or syntactical break.

32. Euphony
The use of words and phrases that are distinguished as having a wide range of noteworthy melody or loveliness in the sounds they create. It gives pleasing and soothing effects to the ears due to repeated vowels and smooth consonants.

33. Euphemism
Polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant.

34. Figurative language
Different patterns and devices that deepen, broaden, extend illuminate and emphasize meaning in literature. Examples include:
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Hyperbole
Allusion
Idiom
Symbolism
Alliteration
Assonance
Consonance

35. Folk Literature
All the myths, legends, epics, fables and folktales passed down by word of mouth through generations.

36. Foreshadowing
a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.

37. Hubris
Extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall.

38. Hyperbole
A figure of speech, which involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.

39. Iambic pentameter
Pentameter is a literary device that can be defined as a line in verse or poetry that has five strong metrical feet or beats. A line consists of ten syllables, where the first syllable is stressed, the second is unstressed, the third is stressed and so on until it reaches the 10th line syllable.

40. Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that has a different meaning than the words that make it up. The meaning of an idiom can not be determined by looking up the words separately.

41. Imagery
To use figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses.

42. Inverted syntax
A literary technique in which the normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter.

43. Irony
A figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality.
verbal Irony involves what one does not mean.
Situational irony (the unexpected happens)
Dramatic Irony the characters are oblivious of the situation but the audience is not.

44. Juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize similarities or differences.
E.g. “The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet-like speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter."

45. McCarthyism
A vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party.
A campaign or practice that endorses the use of unfair allegations and investigations.

46. Melodrama
Melodrama is a subgenre of drama which is an exaggerated form of this genre. Melodramas deal with sensational and romantic topics that appeal to the emotions of the common audience. Melodrama give preference to a detailed characterization where one- dimensional or stereotyped.

47. Memoir
A form of autobiographical writing that shares personal experiences as well as observations of significant historical events or people

48. Metaphor
A figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them.

49. Metonymy
A figure of speech that replaces the name of a thing with the name of something else with which it is closely associated.

50. Myth
A traditional story especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

51. Naturalism
A literary genre that started as a literary movement in the late 19th century in literature film, theater and art. This a type of extreme realism. The movement suggests the role of family background, social conditions and environment in shaping human character. Thus, naturalistic writers write stories based on the idea that environment determines and governs human character. Naturalism takes its cue from Darwin’s theory or evolution that says that life is like a struggle and only the fittest can survive.

52. Oxymoron
A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect.

53. Onomatopoeia
a word which imitates the natural sounds of a thing.

54. Parable
A rhetorical device that is defined as a short tale, narrative, or anecdote used in literary pieces and speeches to explain a doctrine or emphasize a moral point.

55. Parallelism
Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter. Parallelism examples are found in literary works as well as in ordinary conversations.

56. Pathos
A rhetorical device that that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy and sorrow

57. Paradox
A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader think over an idea in innovative way.
Examples:
Here are the rules: Ignore all rules.
In George Orwell's Animal Farm, the words “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" are part of the cardinal rules. Clearly this statement does not make logical sense. However, the point of a paradox is to point out a truth, even if the statements contradict each other. 
Orwell is making a political statement here, but what? Perhaps it is that the government claims that everyone is equal when that is clearly false, or perhaps it is that individuals have skewed perceptions of what it means to be equal. The interpretation is up to the reader to decide.

58. Parody
An imitation of a particular writer, artist or a genre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect.

59. Parallelism
The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter.

60. Point of View This essentially tell us who is telling the story.
First Person: Character is the narrator.  Use “I” and “we”
Third Person: When the narrator puts the reader in place of the main character. Uses “you”
Third Person Limited: Only see the perspective of one character.
Third Person Omniscient: The narrator knows the thoughts of all characters. You see the story from many perspectives.

61. Propoganda
Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular cause or point of view.

62. Problem Play
The problem play is a form of drama that emerged during the 19th century as part of the wider movement of realism in the arts. It deals with contentious social issues through debates between the characters on stage, who typically represent conflicting points of view within a realistic social context.

63. Persona
A voice or an assumed role of a character that represents the thoughts of a writer or a specific person the writer wants to present as his mouthpiece

64. Puritanism
The beliefs or principles of a group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church under Elizabeth I as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.

65. Rationalism
The view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".

66. Realism
The realist art movement beginning with mid nineteeth century french literature and extended to the late nineteeth century..Broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality" or "verisimilitude," realism is a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing. Although strictly speaking, realism is a technique, it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life.

67. Refrain
one or more repeated lines of poetry that function like the chorus of a song.

68. Repetition
Repeating words or phrases, to help achieve a distinctive rhythm.

69. Rhetoric the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing
Three tools…
Ethos -Ethical appeal, convincing the audience, using the character or credibility of the author.
Pathos - persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions
Logos - persuading by the use of reasoning.

70. Rhetorical question
A question that is asked just for effect or to lay emphasis on some point discussed when no real answer is expected

71. Rhyme The repetition of similar sounds,
Internal rhyme -rhyming words that fall inside of a single line.

72. Rhythm
(the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables) that features strong accents, quick changes in rhythm, and irregular beats.

73. Romanticism
a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.

74. Satire
The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues

75. Sentimentalism
The practice of being sentimental, or the tendency to base actions and reactions from emotions and feelings as opposed to reason.

76. Simile
A figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as”.

77. Sonnet
a 14-line lyric poem with specific patterns of rhythm and rhyme:
The Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet is divided into two metrics: an octave, or eight-line grouping, and a sestet, or six- line grouping. The usual rhyme scheme for the octave is abbaabba. The rhyme scheme for the sestet varies but is often cdccde or cdccdc
The English, or Shakespearean, sonnet has a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. This divides the poem into four distinct line groups: three quatrains, or four-line units, followed by a couplet, a pair of rhymed lines.

78. Suspension of disbelief
The opinion that if a writer was able to fill his work with a “human interest and a semblance of truth”, the readers would willingly suspend or delay their judgment in relation to the doubtfulness of a narrative.

79. Symbolism
In literature, symbolism can take many forms including: A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning. The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story.
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights presents almost every character, house, surroundings and events in a symbolic perspective. The word “Wuthering”, which means stormy, represents the wild nature of its inhabitants

80. Syntax
How words from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a complete thought.

81. Theme
A main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

82. Tone
The attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience.

83. Transcendentalism
A philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the eastern United States. It arose as a reaction to or protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality at the time.

84. Trope
Recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in Literature

85. Well-made play
The well-made play is a dramatic genre from nineteenth-century theatre that French dramatist Eugène Scribe first codified. It is simply a play constructed according to a predetermined pattern and aiming at neatness of plot and theatrical effectiveness but often being mechanical and stereotyped. The well-made play can be broken down into a specific set of criteria.[7] First, the story depends upon a key piece of information kept from some characters, but known to others (and to the audience). Most of the story takes place before the action of the play begins, making the beginning of the play a late point of attack. Exposition during act one explains actions that precede the opening scene, and generates the audience's sympathy for the hero (or heroes) over their rival (or rivals). The plot moves forward in a chain of actions that use minor reversals of fortune to create suspense. The pace builds towards a climactic obligatory scene, in which the hero triumphs. This scene contains a climactic reversal of fortune, or peripeteia. A denouement follows, in which all remaining plot points are unraveled and resolved.