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 self-contradictory 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