Baron's AP Literature and Composition Vocabulary AK
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1.
Abstract
An abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of
scholarship or research
2.
Active Voice
A verb is in the ____ ____ when it expresses
an action performed by its subject.
3.
Adage
A saying or proverb containing a truth based
on experience and often couched in
metaphorical language
4.
Allegory
A story in which the narrative or characters
carry an underlying symbolic, metaphorical,
or possibly and ethical meaning
5.
Alliteration
A repetition of one or more initial consonants
in a group of words or lines of poetry or prose
20.
Bathos
The use of insincere or overdone
sentimentality
21.
Bibliography
A list of works cited or otherwise relevant
to a subject or other work
22.
Bildungsroman
A German word referring to a novel
structured as a series of events that take
place as the hero travels in quest of a goal
23.
Bombast
Inflated, pretentious language used for
trivial subjects
24.
Burlesque
A work of literature meant to ridicule a
subject; a grotesque imitation
25.
Cacophony
Grating, inharmonious sounds
26.
Caesura
A pause somewhere in the middle of a
verse, often (but not always) marked by
punctuation
27.
Canon
The works considered most important in a
national literature or period; works widely
read and studied
28.
Caricature
A grotesque likeness of striking qualities in
persons and things
6.
Allusion
A reference to a person, place, or event meant
to create an effect or enhance the meaning of
an idea.
7.
Ambiguity
A vagueness of meaning: a conscious lack of
clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and
interpretation
Anachronism
A person, scene, or event, or other element in
literature that fails to correspond with the
time or era in which the work is set
Analogy
A comparison that points out similarities
between two dissimilar things
29.
9.
Carpe Diem
Literally, "seize the day"; enjoy life while
you can, a common theme in literature
Annotation
A brief explanation, summary, or evaluation
of text or work of literature
30.
10.
Catharsis
A cleansing of the spirit brought about by
the pity and terror of a dramatic tragedy
Antagonist
A character or force in a work of literature
that, by opposing the protagonist produces
tension or conflict
31.
11.
Classic
A highly regarded work of literature or
other art form that has withstood the test of
time
Antithesis
A rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by
means of a grammatical arrangement of
words, clauses, or sentences
32.
12.
Classical,
Classicism
Deriving from the orderly qualities of
ancient Greek and Roman culture; implies
formality, objectivity, simplicity, and
restraint
13.
Aphorism
A short, pithy statement of generally accepted
truth or sentiment
Climax
The high point, or turning point, of a story
or play
14.
Apollonian
In contrast to Dionysian, it refers to the most
noble, godlike qualities of human nature and
behavior
Coming-of-age
story / novel
15.
Apostrophe
A rhetorical device in which a speaker
addresses a person or personified thing not
present
16.
Archetype
An abstract or ideal conception of a type: a
perfectly typical example; an original model
or form
A tale in which a young protagonist
experiences an introduction to adulthood.
The character may develop understanding
via disillusionment, education, does of
reality, or any other experiences that alter
his or her emotional or intellectual
maturity
35.
Conceit
The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in
a group of words or lines in poetry and prose
A witty or ingenious thought; a diverting or
highly fanciful idea, often stated in
figurative language
36.
Connotation
A simple narrative verse that tells a story that
is sung or recited
The suggested or implied meaning of a
word or phrase. Contrast with denotation
37.
Consonance
The repetition of two or more consonant
sounds in a group of words or a line of
poetry
38.
Couplet
A pair of rhyming lines in a poem
8.
17.
18.
19.
Assonance
Ballad
Bard
33.
34.
A poet; in olden times, a performer who told
heroic stories to musical accompaniment
39.
Denotation
The dictionary definition of a word. Contrast
with connotation
40.
Denouement
The resolution that occurs at the end of a play
or work of fiction
Deus Ex
Machina
In literature, the use of an artificial device or
gimmick to solve a problem
42.
Diction
The choice of words in oral and written
discourse
43.
Dionysian
As distinguished from Apollonian, the word
refers to sensual, pleasure-seeking impulses
Dramatic
Irony
A circumstance in which the audience or
reader knows more about a situation than a
character
Elegy
A poem or prose selection that laments or
meditates on the passing or death of
something or someone of value
41.
44.
45.
Loose
sentence
A sentence that follows the customary word
order of English sentences, i.e., subject-verbobject. The main idea of the sentence is
presented first and then followed by one or
more subordinate clauses.
59.
Lyric Poetry
Personal, reflective poetry that reveals the
speaker's thoughts and feelings about the
subject
60.
Maxim
A saying or proverb expressing common
wisdom or truth
61.
Melodrama
A literary form in which events are
exaggerated in order to create an extreme
emotional response
62.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that compares unlike
objects
Metaphysical
Poetry
The work of poets, particularly those of the
seventeenth century, that uses elaborate
conceits, is highly intellectual, and expresses
the complexities of love and life
58.
63.
Ellipsis
Three periods (...) indicating the omission of
words in a thought or quotation
Elliptical
Construction
A sentence containing a deliberate omission
of words
64.
Meter
The pattern of stressed and unstressed
syllables found in poetry
48.
Hyperbole
Overstatement; gross exaggeration for
rhetorical effect
65.
Metonymy
49.
Idyll
A lyric poem or passage that describes a kind
of ideal life or place
A figure of speech that uses the name of one
thing to represent something else with which
it is associated
66.
50.
Image
A word or phrase representing that which can
be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or felt
Middle
English
The language spoken in England roughly
between 1150 and 1500 A.D.
67.
Mock Epic
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
68.
Mode
The general form, pattern, and manner of
expression of a work of literature
69.
Montage
A quick succession of images or impressions
used to express an idea
70.
Mood
The emotional tone in a work of literature
71.
Moral
A brief and often simplistic lesson that a
reader may infer from a work of literature
72.
Motif
A phrase, idea, or event that through
repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in
a work of literature
73.
Muse
One of the ancient Greek goddesses presiding
over the arts. The imaginary source of
inspiration for an artist or writer.
74.
Myth
An imaginary story that has become an
accepted a part of the cultural or religious
tradition of a group or society; often used to
explain natural phenomena.
75.
Narrative
A form of verse or prose that tells a story
46.
47.
51.
52.
53.
54.
In Medias
Res
A Latin term for a narrative that starts not at
the beginning of events but at some other
critical point
Indirect
Quotation
A rendering of a quotation in which actual
words are not stated but only approximated or
paraphrased
Irony
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
Kenning
A device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in
which the name of a thing is replaced by one
of its functions or qualities; Ex. "whale-road"
for ocean
55.
Lampoon
A mocking, satirical assault on a person or
situation
56.
Light verse
A variety of poetry meant to entertain or
amuse, but sometimes with a satirical thrust
57.
Litotes
A form of understatement in which the
negative of of the contrary is used to achieve
emphasis or intensity
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
Naturalism
A term often used as a synonym for realism;
also a view of experience that is generally
characterized as bleak and pessimistic;
characters within this type of work often
struggle unsuccessfully to exercise free will.
Personification
A figure of speech in which objects and
animals are given human characteristics
Picaresque
Novel
An episodic novel about a roguelike
wanderer who lives off his wits
97.
Point of View
The relation in which a narrator or
speaker stands to the story or subject
matter of a poem
98.
Protagonist
The main character in a work of literature
99.
Pseudonym
A work of fiction of roughly 20,000 to
50,000 words-longer than a short story, but
shorter than a novel
Also called "pen name"; a false name or
alias used by writers
100.
Pulp Fiction
A lyric poem usually marked by serious,
respectful, and exalted feelings toward the
subject
Novels written for mass consumption,
often emphasizing exciting and titillating
plots.
101.
Pun
The Anglo-Saxon language spoken in what
is now English from approximately 450 to
1150 A.D.
A humorous play on words, using similarsounding or identical words to suggest
different meanings
102.
Quatrain
A four-line poem or a four-line unit of a
longer poem
103.
Realism
A depiction of people, things, and events
as they really are without idealization or
exaggeration for effect
104.
Rhetoric
The language of a work and its style;
words, often highly emotional, used
regard to a particular subject
Rhetorical
Stance
Language that conveys a speaker's attitude
or opinion with regard to a particular
subject
106.
Rhyme
The repetition of similar sounds at regular
intervals, used mostly in poetry
107.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of rhymes within a given poem
108.
Rhythm
The pattern of stressed and unstressed
syllables that make up a line of poetry
109.
Roman à clef
French for a novel in which historical
events and actual people appear under the
guise of fiction
110.
Romance
An extended narrative about improbable
events and extraordinary people in exotic
places
111.
Sarcasm
A sharp, caustic expression or remark; a
bitter jibe or taunt
112.
Satire
A literary style used to poke fun at, attack
or ridicule a idea, vice, or foible often for
the purpose of inducing change
113.
Scan
The act of determining the meter of a
poetic line
114.
Sentiment
A synonym for view or feeling; also a
refined and tender emotion in literature
Non Sequitur
A statement or idea that fails to follow
logically from the one before
Novel of
Manners
A novel focusing on and describing the
social customs and habits of a particular
social group
Novella
Ode
Old English
Omniscient
Narrator
A narrator with an unlimited awareness,
understanding, and insight of characters,
setting, background, and all other elements
of the story
83.
Onomatopoeia
The use of words whose sounds suggest
their meaning
84.
Ottava Rima
An eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem
85.
Oxymoron
A term consisting of contradictory elements
juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect
86.
Parable
A story consisting of events from which a
moral or spiritual truth may be derived
87.
Paradox
A statement that seems self-contradictory
but is nevertheless true
82.
88.
Paraphrase
A version of a text put into simpler, everyday
words
89.
Parody
An imitation of a work meant to ridicule its
style and subject
90.
Passive Voice
A verb is in the ________ _____ when it
expresses an action performed upon its
subject or when the subject is in the result of
the action.
91.
Pastoral
A work of literature dealing with rural life
92.
Pentameter
A verse with five poetic feet per line
Periodic
sentence
A sentence that departs from the usual word
order of English sentences by expressing its
main thought only at the end. In other
words, the particulars in the sentence are
presented before the idea they support
93.
94.
Persona
The role or facade that a character assumes
or depicts to a reader, a viewer, or the world
at large
95.
96.
105.
115.
Sentimental
A term that describes characters' excessive
emotional response to experience; also
nauseatingly nostalgic and mawkish
116.
Setting
The total environment for the action in a
novel or play. It includes time, place,
historical milieu, and social, political, and
even spiritual circumstances.
117.
Simile
A figurative comparison using the words
like or as
118.
Sonnet
A popular form of verse consisting of
fourteen lines and a prescribed rhyme
scheme.
119.
Stanza
A group of two or more lines in poetry
combined according to subject matter,
rhyme, or some other plan
Stream of
Consciousness
A style of writing in which the author tries
to reproduce the random flow of thoughts
in the human mind
121.
Style
The manner in which an author uses and
arranges words, shapes, ideas, forms
sentences, and creates a structure to convey
ideas
122.
Subplot
A subordinate or minor collection of events
in novel or play, usually connected to the
main plot
123.
Subtext
The implied meaning that underlies the
main meaning of a work of literature
124.
Symbolism
The use of one object to evoke ideas and
associations not literally part of the
original object
125.
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part signifies
the whole or the whole signifies the part;
when the name of a material stands for the
thing itself (pigskin for football)
126.
Syntax
The organization of language into
meaningful structure
127.
Theme
The main idea or meaning, often an
abstract idea upon which a work of
literature is built
Title
Character
A character whose name appears in the
title of the novel or play; also known as the
eponymous character
129.
Tone
The author's attitude toward the subject
being written about; the characteristic
emotion that pervades a work or part of
work-in other words, the spirit or quality
that is the work's emotional essence
130.
Tragedy
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
120.
128.
131.
Trope
The generic name for a figure of speech
such as image, symbol, simile, and
metaphor
132.
Verbal Irony
A discrepancy between the true meaning of
a situation and the literal meaning of the
written or spoken words
133.
Verisimilitude
Similar to the truth; the quality of realism in
a work that persuades readers that they are
getting a vision of life as it is.
134.
Verse
A synonym for poetry. Also a group of lines
in a song or poem; also a single line of
poetry
135.
Villanelle
A French verse form calculated to appear
simple and spontaneous but consisting of
nineteen lines and a prescribed pattern of
rhymes
136.
Voice
The real of assumed personality used by a
writer or speaker.
137.
Wit
The quickness of intellect and the power
and talent for saying brilliant things that
surprise and delight by their unexpected
cleverness; the power to comment subtly
and pointedly on the foibles of the passing
scene