AP ENGLISH 12

Essential Literary Terms # 1

Allegory characters and events represent qualities or concepts

Alliteration repetition of initial consonant sounds

Allusion a reference to a literary work, myth, Biblical story, historical

event, or some other cultural artifact

Apostrophe an address, exclamation, or question posed to someone or

something, usually not present, as though present

Archetype the original pattern or model from which all other similar
items are derived; a primordial, universal symbol

Assonance repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words

Characterization process of development of a character in a text; may be

achieved directly through narrator’s statements; indirectly
through description of character’s physical description,
actions, statements, and through other characters’ reactions

Character types:
Static character remains unchanged throughout a work

Dynamic character change (for better or worse) in

response to circumstances or experience

Flat character caricatures, defined by a single idea or

quality

Round character fully developed, with complexities of real

people

Protagonist central character, usually identical to the hero

Antagonist character pitted against the protagonist

Foil character, who by contrast with the protagonist,

serves to accentuate that character’s distinctive qualities
or characteristics
Chiasmus repetition in which certain words, sounds, concepts or
syntactical structures are reversed or repeated in reverse
order (two parts of a chiastic whole mirror each other as do
the parts of the letter X); chiastic structure may heighten
paradox

Comedy any amusing and entertaining work using humor or wit as

the essential element; intended purpose may be to evoke
laughter, but that laughter may have a serious purpose

Conflict confrontation or struggle between opposing characters or plot

of a narrative work, from which the action emanates and
around which it evolves; types of conflict:

physical: elemental clash between character and Nature, or

the physical environment;

social: competition or struggle within society

internal/psychological: inner divisions or turmoil of

a single character

metaphysical: clash between a human being and Fate

or a deity

Connotation emotions and ideas associated with a a word or symbol

Consonance repetition of consonant sounds, not necessarily initial

Denotation literal definition of a word

Diction an author’s choice of words

Enjambment use of a line of poetry whose sense and rhythmic movement

continues to the next line; “run-on” line

Epiphany sudden revelatory experience through which a character

suddenly understands the essence of a (generally
commonplace) object, gesture, statement, situation, moment
or mentality - that is, when one “sees” the commonplace for
what it really is beneath the surface and perceives its inner
workings, its nature

Flashback presentation of events that occur before the time of the

current narration; various methods can be used, including
memories, dream sequences, stories or narration by
characters, or even authorial sovereignty
Hyperbole overstatement or exaggeration

Imagery diction that appeals to the senses: sight, sound, taste, smell,
touch, motion

Irony discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, what is

said and what is done, what is expected or intended and what
happens, what is meant or said and what others understand.

situational irony expectations raised by events or

situation are reversed

dramatic irony discrepancy between a character’s

perception and what the reader or audience knows to be true

cosmic irony or the irony of fate misfortune is the result of

fate, chance, or deity

Socractic irony assumes ignorance and openness to

opposing points of view which are “naively” shown to be foolish

Irony is often confused with sarcasm and satire:

Sarcasm intentional derision, generally directed at another

person and intended to hurt

Satire the exposure of humanity’s vices, foibles, or follies,

usually with the intent of change or reform

Juxtaposition placement of contrasting ideas, words. or phrased next to one

another to create a startling, amusing, or illuminating effect

Metaphor comparison of two dissimilar items by identifying

one as the other

Motif use of repetition of imagery, symbolism, diction, etc. in order

to unify an artistic work

Oxymoron combination of two contradictory words

Paradox an apparent contradiction

Personification attribution of human characteristics to a creature, idea, or object

Plot the action or sequence of events in a story. Key elements of plot
include:

suspense: the quality of tension or anxiety in the plot which

keeps the reader’s interest;

foreshadowing: the use of clues to hint at what is going to

happen later in the plot;

flashback: a scene that interrupts the present action of the

plot to “flash backward” and tell what happened at an
earlier time;

atmosphere: the overall effect created by the setting and

descriptive details, to evoke an emotional response in the
reader;

mood: the emotional response experienced by the reader;

Point of View perspective from which the story is told; establishes

relationships among the author, the reader, and the text; shapes the
reader’s understanding of the work, because it controls the tone of
the text, influences perception of character(s), and heighten
suspense. Major types:

First Person Point of View: Uses first person pronouns -

I, me, my, we, us, our - to tell the story.
Types of first-person point of view:

Narrator is a major character and the story is chiefly about

him/her

Narrator is a minor character and the story focuses on someone

other than him/herself

Naive (child or “innocent”) narrator who is either a major or

minor charactee; generally used to produce irony

Third Person Point of View: Uses third person pronouns -

he, him, she, her, they, them - to tell the story; he or she is
outside the action. Types of third-person point of view:

Objective narrator avoids interpretive statements, stressing

only the details of the action and speeches. Thoughts of
characters are expressed only as dialogue
 Omniscient narrator knows, sees, and reports all; explains the
inner workings of the minds of any and all characters

Limited or Limited Omniscient: narrator's omniscience limited

to the minds of a few of the characters or to the mind of a single
character

Second person point of view: Uses second person pronouns -

you, your, yourself - to tell the story; used rarely for an entire text
because it directly involves the reader in the story, and the reader
may be unwilling or unable to identify with “you” for all or part of
the story.

Prosody study of elements of poetry - rhyme, rhythm, meter, and stanza

form

Setting combination of place, time and historical milieu that provides

general background for characters and plot; frequently plays
a crucial role in determining the atmosphere of a literary work

Simile a comparison of two dissimilar items using like, as, than or

another connective word

Stanza a grouped set of lines within a poem, usually having a recurrent

rhyme form that are physically set off from other stanzas by an
extra line of space

Strophe irregular, unrhymed divisions within a poem

Symbol an object, place, person, event or other concrete entity that stands
for an abstract concept

Syntax the arrangement - the ordering, grouping, and placement - of

words within a sentence

Theme the central idea, or meaning, that the reader is expected to derive f
rom the text; deals with the writer's view of the world which
mplicitly reveals some insight about human nature.

Tone attitude of the author or the narrator, determined through analysis

of stylistic elements, such as diction, details, imagery, and figurative
language

Tragedy serious and often sombre drama that typically ends in disaster that
focuses on a character who undergoes unexpected personal reversal
 Essential Literary Terms # 2

Drama

Aristotelian Tragedy In The Poetics (330 B.C.E.) Aristotle defines tragedy in terms
of specific requirements of plot and character. It depicts the
downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or
misjudgment, producing suffering and insight on the part of the
protagonist and arousing pity and fear on the part of the audience.

Hegelian Tragedy German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831) Hegel defines it

as a dynamic contest between two opposing forces--in effect, a
collision or conflict of rights. Most tragic events are those in which
two esteemed values or goals are in opposition and one of them
must give way.

Anagnorisis tragic recognition or insight; a moment of clairvoyant insight or

understanding in the mind of the tragic hero as he suddenly
comprehends the web of fate in which he has entangled himself

Catharsis effect of viewing a tragic drama through which the audience

experiences a complex mix of emotions, including pity, fear,
exhilaration, and relief

Climax turning point or crisis in a literary work

Comedy any amusing and entertaining work using humor or wit as the
essential element; intended purpose may be to evoke laughter, but
that laughter may have a serious purpose

Deus ex Machina intervention of nonhuman force to resolve a seemingly

unresolvable conflict

Dramatic Irony discrepancy between a character’s perception and what the reader
or audience knows to be true

Exposition introductory material that introduces setting, characters, necessary

facts, and the conflict

Hamartia tragic flaw or error in judgment

Hubris "violent transgression" - the sin par excellence of the tragic or over-
aspiring protagonist; usually translated as pride, hubris is probably
better understood as a sort of insolent daring, a haughty
overstepping of cultural codes or ethical boundaries
Monologue extended narrative delivered uninterrupted and exclusively,
by one character

Interior Monologue reveals or represents inner thoughts

and workings of a character’s mind

Soliloquy single speaker reveals inner thoughts out loud,

while alone on stage

Nemesis "retribution"; the inevitable punishment or cosmic payback

for acts of hubris

Peripetia a pivotal or crucial action on the part of the protagonist that

changes his situation from seemingly secure to vulnerable.

Tragedy serious and often sombre drama that typically ends in disaster that
focuses on a character who undergoes unexpected personal reversal

Tragic Hero in a classical sense, a protagonist of considerable social standing

whose character is neither wholly good nor bad; his fall from
fortune is significant and results from an inherent Tragic Flaw
or moral, judgment, or even excessive virtue

Unity of Action development of plot in which the action is ordered and

continuous, arising through a cause and effect process

Verbal Irony words are used to suggest the opposite of their actual meaning;
puns; double-entendres
Essential Literary Terms # 3

Poetic Forms