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AP Literary Terms

Subjects : english, ap, literature
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • 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 story in which the narrative or characters carry an underlying symbolic - metaphorical - or possibly an ethical meaning






2. A saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. That element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow






10. An eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem






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






12. The pattern of rhymes within a given poem






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






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






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






16. A term that describes characters' excessive emotional response to experience; also nauseatingly nostalgic and mawkish






17. 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






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






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






20. The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning






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






22. The language of a work and its style; words - often highly emotional - used to convince or sway an audience






23. The role or facade that a character assumes or depicts to a reader - a viewer - or the world at large






24. 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






25. A piece of writing that reveals weaknesses - faults - frailties - or other shortcomings






26. Grating - inharmonious sounds






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






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






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






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






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






32. A verse with five poetic feet per line






33. A comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness - although it may have a serious - scornful purpose.






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






35. The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines in poetry and prose






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






37. 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.






38. 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'






39. The emotional tone in a work of literature






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






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






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






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






44. The implied meaning that underlies the main meaning of a work of literature






45. In literature - the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem






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






47. A forceful sermon - lecture - or tirade






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






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






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