AP Vocabulary 61-80 Flashcards
autobiography
type of biography, which tells a life story of its author, meaning it is a written record of the author’s life. Rather than being written by somebody else, an autobiography comes through the person’s own pen in his own word.
memoir
record of memories, and particular events that have taken place in the author’s life. In fact, it is the telling of a story or event from his life; an account that doesn’t tell the full record of a life
cumulative sentence
a “loose” sentence that starts with an independent clause or main clause, which is simple and straight, provides main idea and then adds subordinate elements or modifiers. It adds subordinate or modifying elements after the subject and the predicate.
blank verse
a literary device defined as un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter. In poetry and prose, it haws a consistent meter with 10 syllables in each line (parameter)
bildungsroman
story of the growing up of a sensitive person who looks for answers to his questions through different experiences. Generally, such a novel starts with a loss or a tragedy that disturbs the main character emotionally. He or she leaves on a journey, the protagonist gains maturity gradually and with difficulty. Usually, the plot depicts a conflict between the protagonist and the values of society. Finally, he or she accepts those values and they are accepted by society, ending the dissatisfaction.
illusion
false illustration of something or false belief. Literally speaking, an illusion is something that is false or not true. It tricks the human brain into thinking an unreal into a real.
foil
character who shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with the objective to highlight the traits of the other character.
intertextuality
sophisticated literary device used in writing. In fact, it is a textual reference within some text.
utopia
denotes an illusionary place that ;projects the notion of a perfect society to the reader. Here the “perfect society” refers to ideal conditions achieved within the material world as opposed to the expected idealism of afterlife in Christianity or other religions. Further, the citizens presiding in such utopias are bearers of a perfect moral code, or at the least, every violator of the moral code is harshly punished. A utopian society is one where all social evils have been cured.
sonnet
derived from the Italian word “sonetto”. It means a small or little song or lyrics. In poetry, a sonnet have 14 lines and is written in iambic pentameter. Each line has 10 syllables. It has a specific rhyme scheme and a “volta” or a specific turn.
round character
in a novel, play, or story and is a complex personality. Like real people, he/she has depth in his feelings and passions. For instance, in the movie “Shrek,” the main character says “Ogres are like onions” which means that what appears to them is not the only truth they see; rather, there is something more inside them. Similarly, a round character has many layers like onions. Writers define a round character fully, both physically and mentally. It is a character with whom the audience can sympathize, associate or relate to, as he seems a character they might have seen in their real lives.
vernacular
literary genre that uses daily used language in writing and speaking. It is different from written works, as they normally follow the formal variety of language. The word “vernacular” refers to writing or speaking of the public. We find the origin of vernacular literature during the middle ages in different countries of Europe.
vernacular vs dialect
vernacular is the use of ordinary, everyday and plain corn is a common name of a plant, and its specific name is maize or zea mays, whereas dialect is related to a particular r3egion, geographical area, particular social class, or an occupational group. Also, it uses a distinguished pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, such as people in Shanghi has different pronunciation or dialect than in Yunnan.
understatement
figure of speech used by writers/speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is. An understatement has an ironic effect
- examples:
- “he is not too thin” describe an obese person
- “it’s a little cold today” describe when the temperature is 5 degrees below freezing.
eulogy
known as homily, the term eulogy originates from a Greek word “eulagia”, which means to praise somebody or something. A eulogy is a literary device that is a laudatory expression in a speech, or in a written tribute to a person deceased recently.
