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AP Literary Terms

Subjects : english, ap, literature
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A synonym for view or feeling; also a refined and tender emotion in literature






2. A version of a text put into simpler - everyday words






3. A group of two or more lines in poetry combined according to subject matter - rhyme - or some other plan






4. Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect






5. A short - pithy statement of a generally accepted truth or sentiment






6. A term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation.






7. In contrast to Dionysian - it refers to the most noble - godlike qualities of human nature and behavior






8. A cleansing of the spirit brought about by the pity and terror of a dramatic tragedy






9. A rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words - clauses - or sentences: 'They promised freedom but provided slavery'






10. A story in which the narrative or characters carry an underlying symbolic - metaphorical - or possibly an ethical meaning






11. A structure that provides premise or setting for a narrative






12. French for a novel in which hisotrical events and actual people appear under the guise of fiction






13. A locution that addresses a person or personified thing not present






14. French term for the world of books - criticism - and literature in general






15. The Anglo-Saxon language spoken in what is now England from approximately 450 to 1150 A.D.






16. The emotional tone in a work of literature






17. A sentence containing a deliberate omission of words. In the sentence 'May was hot and June the same -' the verb 'was' is omitted from the second clause






18. The excessive pride that often leads tragic heroes to their death






19. A form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity. Ex: He's not a bad dancer






20. The interpretation or analysis of a text.






21. Novels written for mass consumption - often emphasizing exciting and titillating plots






22. A term often used as a synonym for realism - also a view of experience that is generally characterized as bleak and pessimistic.






23. The action in a play or story that occurs after the climax and that leads to the conclusion and often to the resolution of the conflict






24. A four-line poem or a four-line unit of a longer poem






25. The organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a particular pattern of words






26. A popular form of verse consisting of fourteen lines and a prescribed rhyme scheme.






27. A saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language






28. A work of literature dealing with rural life






29. That element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow






30. A narrative told by a character involved in the story - using first-person pronouns such as I and we.






31. A saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth






32. A mocking - satirical assault on a person or situation






33. A narrator with unlimited awareness - understanding - and insight of characters - setting - background - and all other elements of the story






34. A highly regarded work of literature or other art form that has withstood the test of time






35. An abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model or form






36. Poetry written in iambic pentameter - the primary meter used in English poetry and the works of Shakespeare and Milton






37. Also called 'pen name' or 'nom de plume'; a false name or alias used by writers. Ex: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)






38. The use of insincere or overdone sentimentality






39. The generic name for a figure of speech such as image - symbol - simile - and metaphor






40. A story containing unreal - imaginary features






41. A form of literature in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw and a set of forces that cause the hero considerable anguish






42. A feeling of association or identification with an object or person






43. A mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated - often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is the reverse of what might have been expected






44. The structural form of a line of verse as revealed by the number of feet it contains. For example: monometer = 1foot; tetrameter = 4 feet; pentameter = 5 feet - and so forth






45. Providing hints of things to come in a story or play






46. The manner in which an author uses and arranges words -






47. 'In the middle of things'--a Latin term for a narrative that starts not at the beginning of events - but at some other critical point.






48. A rendering of a quotation in which actual words are not stated but only approximated or paraphrased






49. A novel focusing on and describing the social customs and habits of a particular social group






50. The works considered most important in a national literature or period; works widely read and studied