AP Literary Devices
Flashcards
(AP Language and Composition
2015
List #1
allegory
the device of using character and/or story
elements symbolically to create a story
that has both a literal AND deeper,
symbolic meaning
allusion
a direct or indirect reference to something
that is assumed to be commonly known
(event, book, myth, place, work of art)
analogy
a similarity between two different things or
the relationship between them
aphorism
a terse statement of known authorship which
expresses a general truth or moral
principle
apostrophe
a figure of speech that directly addresses an
absent or imaginary person or personified
abstraction (love, liberty, etc.)
archetypes
an original model or type after which other
similar things are patterned; a prototype
cliché
a trite, overused expression which is lifeless;
it has lost any real meaning because it is
used so much
colloquial/colloquialism
the use of slang or informalities in speech or
writing
conceit
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of
an extended metaphor or surprising
analogy between unlike objects
euphemism
a more agreeable or less offensive
substitute for a generally unpleasant word
or concept
hyperbole
a figure of speech using deliberate
exaggeration
irony
a contrast between what is stated explicitly
(outright) and what is really meant
verbal irony
when an author says one thing and means
something else
dramatic irony
when an audience perceives something that
a character in literature does not know
situational irony (irony of situation)
a discrepancy between the expected result
and actual results
malapropism
a habit of using polysyllabic words
incorrectly
metonymy
a figure of speech in which the name of one
object is substituted for that of another
closely associated with it
onomatopoeia
a figure of speech in which natural sounds
are imitated in the sounds of words
oxymoron
a figure of speech wherein the author
groups apparently contradictory terms to
suggest a paradox
paradox
a statement that appears to be selfcontradictory or opposed to common
sense but upon closer inspection contains
some degree of truth or validity
parody
a work that closely imitates the style or
content of another with the specific aim of
comic effect and/or ridicule
pun
a figure of speech which involves a play
upon the double meaning of words
satire
a work that targets human vices and follies
or social institutions and conventions for
reform or ridicule
symbol/symbolism
anything that represents something else
(NOT a comparison; usually something that
is concrete/tangible that represents
something more abstract)
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which the part stands
for the whole
synesthesia
the mixing of sensations; the concurrent
appeal to more than one sense
tone
the author’s attitude toward his or her
material, the audience, or both
understatement
the ironic minimalizing of fact; presenting
something as less significant than it really is