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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 lyric poem or passage that describes a kind of ideal life or place






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






3. 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






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






5. 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.






6. The real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker






7. Language that conveys a speaker's attitude or opinion with regard to a particular subject






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






9. A figure of speech that compares unlike objects






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






11. The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables found in poetry






12. Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect






13. The language spoken in England roughly between 1150 and 1500 A.D.






14. A tale in which a young protagonist experiences an introduction to adulthood. The character may develop understanding via disillusionment - education - doses of reality - or any other experiences that alter his or her emotional or intellectual maturi






15. 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






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






17. A pause somewhere in the middle of a verse - often (but not always) marked by punctuation






18. A term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect






19. A term used to describe literary forms - such as novel - play - and essay






20. Personal - reflective poetry that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject






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






22. The use of insincere or overdone sentimentality






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






24. 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






25. 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






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






27. Inflated - pretentious language used for trivial subjects






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






29. The emotional tone in a work of literature






30. A witty or ingenious thought; a diverting or highly fanciful idea - often stated in figurative language






31. The repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines of poetry or prose






32. The main character in a work of literature






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






34. 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






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






36. The work of poets - particularly those of the seventeenth century - that uses elaborate conceits - is highly intellectual - and expresses the complexities of love and life






37. A discrepancy between the true meaning of a situation and the literal meaning of the written or spoken words






38. A return to an earlier time in a story or play in order to clarify present action or circumstances.






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






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






41. A forceful sermon - lecture - or tirade






42. 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'






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






44. A variety of poetry meant to entertain or amuse - but sometimes with a satirical thrust






45. The total environment for the action in a novel or play. It includes time - place - historical milieu - and social - political - and even spiritual circumstances






46. A form of verse or prose that tells a story






47. A style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind






48. A German word referring to a novel structured as a series of events that take place as the hero travels in quest of a goal






49. A simple narrative verse that tells a story that is sung or recited






50. A figurative comparison using the words like or as