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






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






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






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






5. A synonym for view or feeling; also a refined and tender emotion in literature






6. 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






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






8. French for a novel in which hisotrical events and actual people appear under the guise of fiction






9. 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






10. 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






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






12. Pleasing - harmonious sounds






13. The emotional tone in a work of literature






14. 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






15. A series of comparisons between two unlike objects






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






17. The pattern of rhymes within a given poem






18. A work of fiction of roughly 20 -000 to 50 -000 words--longer than a short story - but shorter than a novel






19. 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






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






21. A figure of speech in which objects and animals are given human characteristics






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






30. 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.






31. '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.






32. A sentence that follows the customary word order of English sentences - i.e. subject-verb-object. The main idea of the sentence is presented first and is then followed by one or more subordinate clauses






33. A character whose name appears in the title of the novel or play; also known as the eponymous character






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






35. The use of insincere or overdone sentimentality






36. The main character in a work of literature






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






38. The choice of words in oral and written discourse






39. A reference to a person - place - or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea






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






41. The dictionary definition of a word






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






43. A saying or proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language






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






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 literary form in which events are exaggerated in order to create an extreme emotional response






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






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






49. A statement or idea that fails to follow logically from the one before






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