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






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






3. A figurative comparison using the words like or as






4. 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






5. A literary style used to poke fun at - attack - or ridicule an idea - vice - or foible - often for the purpose of inducing change






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






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






8. A brief and often simplistic lesson that a reader may infer from a work of literature






9. The relation in which a narrator or speaker stands to the story or subject matter of a poem.






10. 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






11. A phrase - idea - or event that through repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in a work of literature






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






13. A direct verbal assault; a denunciation






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






15. The background and events that lead to the presentation of the main idea or purpose of a work of literature






16. Two rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter and used widely in eighteenth-century verse.






17. The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning






18. The general form - pattern - and manner of expression of a work of literature






19. A humorous play on words - using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings






20. A short tale often featuring nonhuman characters that act as people whose actions enable the author to make observations or draw useful lessons about human behavior






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






22. Literally - 'seize the day'; enjoy life while you can - a common theme in literature






23. The repetition of similar sounds at regular intervals - used mostly in poetry.






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






25. A circumstance in which the audience or reader knows more about a situation than a character - ex. Oedipus Rex






26. The author's attitude toward the subject being written about. The spirit or quality that is the work's emotional essence






27. 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






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






29. A novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action






30. A brief explanation - summary - or evaluation of a text or work of literature






31. A synonym for poetry. Also a group of lines in a song or poem; also a single line of poetry






32. A device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities - as in 'ring-giver' for king and 'whale-road' for ocean






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






34. A sharp - caustic expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt; different from irony - which is more subtle






35. In poetry - the use of successive lines with no punctuation or pause between them






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






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






38. A statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true






39. A quick succession of images or impressions used to express an idea






40. One of the ancient Greek goddesses presiding over the arts. The imaginary source of inspiration for an artist or writer






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






42. An eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem






43. The resolution that occurs at the end of a play or work of fiction






44. A unit of stressed and unstressed syllables used to determine the meter of a poetic line.






45. A sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main though only at the end. In other words - the particulars in the sentence are presented before the idea they support.






46. A kind of poetry without rhymed lines - rhythm - or fixed metrical feet






47. A figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole ('fifty masts' for fifty ships) or the whole signifies the part ('days' for life - as in 'He lived his days in Canada'). Also when the name of the material stands for the thing itself ('pigskin'






48. The interrelationship among the events in a story; the plot line is the pattern of events - including exposition - rising action - climax - falling action - and resolution.






49. A subordinate or minor collection of events in a novel or play - usually connected to the main plot






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