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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 figurative comparison using the words like or as






2. A verse with five poetic feet per line






3. 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






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






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






6. The repetition of similar sounds at regular intervals - used mostly in poetry.






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






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






9. 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.






10. A mocking - satirical assault on a person or situation






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






12. 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






13. A saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth






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






15. In poetry - the use of successive lines with no punctuation or pause between them






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






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






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






19. A term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect






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






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






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






23. An eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem






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






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






26. 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.






27. 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.






28. The general form - pattern - and manner of expression of a work of literature






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






37. An episodic novel about a roguelike wanderer who lives off his wits. Ex: Don Quixote - Moll Flanders






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






39. '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.






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






41. An imaginary story that has become an accepted part of the cultural or religious tradition of a group or society






42. 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






43. The repetition of two or more consonant sounds in a group of words or a line of poetry






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






45. A figure of speech that compares unlike objects






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






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






48. A word or phrase representing that which can be seen - touched - tasted - smelled - or felt






49. A structure that provides premise or setting for a narrative






50. A pair of rhyming lines in a poem