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






2. 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






3. 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






4. The pattern of rhymes within a given poem






5. A pair of rhyming lines in a poem






6. 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.






7. 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.






8. A comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things






9. A belief that emphasizes faith and optimism in human potential and creativity






10. A mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term; i.e. 'pass away' instead of 'die'






11. An abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research






12. 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






13. A vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation






14. 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






15. 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






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






17. The high point - or turning point - of a story or play






18. The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning






19. 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






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






21. The main character in a work of literature






22. The depiction of people - things - and events as they really are without idealization or exaggeration for effect.






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






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






25. The dictionary definition of a word






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






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






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






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






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






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






32. A figure of speech that compares unlike objects






33. A concise but ingenious - witty - and thoughtful statement






34. 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






35. The suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase






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






37. 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'






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






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






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






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






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






43. A poet; in olden times - a performer who told heroic stories to musical accompaniment






44. A grotesque likeness of striking qualities in persons and things






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






46. As distinguished from Apollonian - the word refers to sensual - pleasure-seeking impulses






47. A story consisting of events from which a moral or spiritual truth may be derived






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






49. A verse with five poetic feet per line






50. A person - scene - event - or other element in literature that fails to correspond with the time or era in which the work is set







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