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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 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






2. An eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem






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






4. That element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow






5. '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.






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






7. A list of works cited or otherwise relevant to a subject or other work.






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






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






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






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






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






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






14. 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






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






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






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






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






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






20. Grating - inharmonious sounds






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






22. Three periods (. . .) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation






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






24. 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






25. The dictionary definition of a word






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






27. A pair of rhyming lines in a poem






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






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






30. The emotional tone in a work of literature






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






32. A work of literature dealing with rural life






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






34. Also called figure of speech. In contrast to literal language - it implies meanings. Includes metaphors - similes - and personification - among others.






35. Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect






36. A detailed analysis or interpretation of a work of literature






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






38. 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






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






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






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






42. A parody of traditional epic form. It usually treats a frivolous topic with extreme seriousness - using conventions such as invocations to the Muse - action-packed battle scenes - and accounts of heroic exploits.






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






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






45. 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.






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






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






48. A figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated. Ex: 'The White House says...'






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






50. An extended narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that is generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure - i.e. Odysseus - Beowulf - Homer's Iliad - Vergil's Aeneid.