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






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






3. Deriving from the orderly qualities of ancient Greek and Roman culture; implies formality - objectivity - simplicity - and restraint






4. A work of literature dealing with rural life






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






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






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






8. The main idea or meaning - often an abstract idea upon which a work of literature is built






9. A figure of speech that compares unlike objects






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






11. 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






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






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






14. A kind of poetry without rhymed lines - rhythm - or fixed metrical feet






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






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






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






19. The main character in a work of literature






20. A lyric poem usually marked by serious - respectful - and exalted feeling towards the subject






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






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






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






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






25. A verse with five poetic feet per line






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






27. A series of comparisons between two unlike objects






28. The use of one object to evoke ideas and associations not literally part of the original object






29. Inflated - pretentious language used for trivial subjects






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. An eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem






37. 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...'






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






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






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






41. A brief and often simplistic lesson that a reader may infer from a work of literature






42. 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






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






44. 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






45. The act of determining the meter of a poetic line.






46. A phrase - idea - or event that through repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in a work of literature






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






48. 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






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






50. 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