AP Terms 121-160

Question 1

Dramatic Monologue

Answer 1

A literary device that is used when a character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings, those that are hidden throughout the course of the story line, through a poem or speech. This speech, where only one character speaks, is recited while other characters are present on stage. This monologue often comes during a climatic moment in a work and often reveals hidden truths about a character, their history and relationships.

Question 2

Elegy

Answer 2

A type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died.

Question 3

Enjambment

Answer 3

In poetry, the running over of a line or thought into the next of verse

Question 4

Epigram

Answer 4

A short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or event, usually with witticism or sarcasm

Question 5

Epic

Answer 5

A long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero whose actions reflect the ideals and values of a nation or group

Question 6

Epiphany

Answer 6

A sudden moment of understanding that causes a character to change or to act in a certain way

Question 7

Epitaph

Answer 7

A short poem or verse written in memory of someone

Question 8

essay

Answer 8

A short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject

Question 9

Common Types of Essays

Answer 9

1. ) Descriptive- one that describes a particular subject
2. ) Expository- one whose purpose is to explain and give information about a subjct
3. ) Formal- highly organized and thoroughly researched
4. ) Humorous- one whose purpose is to entertain or amuse the reader
5. ) Informal- lighter in tone and usually reflects the writer’s feelings and personality
6. ) Narrative- an essay that tells a story
7. ) Persuasive- attempts to convince a reader to adopt a particular option or course of action

Question 10

Evaluating

Answer 10

The process of judging the value of something or someone. A work of literature can be evaluated in terms of such criteria as entertainment, believability, originality, and emotional power

Question 11

Extended Metaphor

Answer 11

A figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things over a period of space that may be several paragraphs or an entire novel

Question 12

Fable

Answer 12

A brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature. Fables often feature animals as characters.

Question 13

Fact and Opinion

Answer 13

A fact is a statement that can be proved. An opinion, in contrast, is a statement that reflects the writer’s or speaker’s belief, but which cannot be supported by proof or evidence.

Question 14

Figurative Language or Figure of Speech

Answer 14

Expressions that are not literally true. see simile,

metaphor, hyperbole, understatement, irony, oxymoron, cliché, metonymy

Question 15

Flashback

Answer 15

An interruption of the chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence. A flashback is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration.

Question 16

Folkore

Answer 16

Traditions, customs and stories that are passed down within a culture. Folklore contains various types of literature such as legends, folktales, myths, and fables.

Question 17

Folktale

Answer 17

A simple story that has been passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. Folktales are told primarily to entertain rather than to explain or teach a lesson.

Question 18

Free Verse

Answer 18

Poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm. Often used to capture the sounds and rhythms of ordinary speech.

Question 19

Heroic Couplet or a Closed Couplet

Answer 19

A couplet consisting of two successive rhyming lines that contain a complete thought.

Question 20

Historical Fiction

Answer 20

Fiction that explores a past time period and may contain references to actual people and events of the past.

Question 21

Idiom

Answer 21

A phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say.
Example: using the phrase “over his head” instead of “He doesn’t understand”

Question 22

Imagery

Answer 22

The use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses. Writers use sensory details to help readers imagine how things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.

Question 23

Inference

Answer 23

Is a logical guess based on evidence based on evidence in the text.

Question 24

Legend

Answer 24

A story handed down from the past about a specific person, usually someone of heroic accomplishments.

Question 25

Limerick

Answer 25

A short humorous poem composed of five lines that usually has the rhyme scheme aabba, created by two rhyming couplets followed by a fifth line that rhymes with the first couplet. A limerick typically has a sing-song rhythm.

Question 26

Lyric Poetry

Answer 26

A song-like poem written mainly to express the feelings or emotions of a single speaker.

Question 27

Memoir

Answer 27

A specific type of autobiography; like autobiography, a memoir is about the author’s personal experiences. However, a memoir does not necessarily cover the author’s entire life

Question 28

Mood

Answer 28

A mood or atmosphere is the feeling that a literary work conveys to readers. Mood is created through the use of plot, character, the author’s descriptions, etc.

Question 29

Moral

Answer 29

A lesson that a story teaches. A moral is often stated directly at the end of a fable.

Question 30

Motif

Answer 30

A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. A motif may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil. A motif is important because it allows one to see main points and themes that the author is trying to express, in order that one
might be able to interpret the work more accurately.

Question 31

Motivation

Answer 31

The reason why a character acts, feels or thinks in a certain way.

Question 32

Myth

Answer 32

A traditional story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way that it is. Myths are stories that are passed on from generation to generation and are of unknown authorship.

Question 33

Narrative

Answer 33

Any writing that tells a story. Most novels and short stories are placed into the categories of first-person and third-person narratives, which are based on who is telling the story and from what perspective.