Literary Terms for AP Language

Here are the 10 terms we will cover this week in class.  Make sure you know them because there will be a quiz on Friday, August 28th.

Allegory -- The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction or idea (like freedom or peace) in addition to the literal meaning.  In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom.  The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence.  Animal Farm is an example of an allegory dealing with communism.

Alliteration -- The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in "she sells sea shells").  Although the term is not used in the multiple-choice section of the AP exam, you can look for alliteration in any essay passage.  The effect of this repetition can reinforce meaning, unify ideas, and/or supply a musical sound to a piece of literature.

Allusion -- A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as a well known event, book, myth, the bible, place, or work of art.  Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, or mythical.  There are of course,  many more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.

Ambiguity -- The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.  Ambiguity allows multiple interpretations of literature, and it is often linked with an author's wit and style when done intentionally.

Analogy -- A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.  An analogy can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar.  Analogies can also make writing more vivid, imaginative, or intellectually engaging.

Antecedent -- The word, phrase, or clause, referred to by a pronoun.  The AP Language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or in a group of sentences.

Aphorism -- A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.  (If the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb).  An aphorism can be a memorable summation of the author's point.

Apostrophe -- A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.  The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity.  William Wordsworth addresses John Milton as he writes: "Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee."

Atmosphere -- The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described.  Even such elements as a description of the weather can contribute to the atmosphere.  Frequently, atmosphere foreshadows events.

Clause -- A grammatical unit (a group of words) that contains both a subject and a verb.  An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as its own sentence.  A dependent, or subordinate, clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.  Examine this sample sentence: "Because I practice diligently, my AP scores were high."  In this sentence, the independent clause is "my AP scores were high," and the dependent clause is "Because I practiced diligently."