AP Language L-P
Terms
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- Periodic Sentence
- postpones the main idea to the end, adding information at the beginning to build interest or tension (" The morning, after a turbulent flight and some exciting experiences, we reached Edmonton")
- Novel
- a fictional prose narrative, usually long enough to be published in a book by itself
- Myth
- A fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or causes of natural phenomena. Some are a kind of primitive science, explaining how and why natural phenomena came about. Others express the central values of people who created them.
- Point of view
- In fiction, it is the person or intelligence the writer creates to tell the story of the reader. It may be that of a character in the story or of an outside observer
- Metonymy
- The use of the name of one thing for that another associates with or suggested by it. "The White House" for "President"
- Monometer
- A verse written in one-foot lines
- Parable
- A brief story, usually with human characteristic, that teaches a moral lesson. The most famous ones are those told by Christ in the Bible
- Metaphor
- A comparison like a simile but usually implied and without a comparative word such as "like" or "as". "My heart is a singing bird" ; "He wolfed his food"
- Pun
- Play on word that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings. Puns can have seriously as well as humorous uses ("Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man")
- Mood
- The atmosphere of the literary work. In verbs, an expression of the manner in which the action is done, The three in English are indicative, the most common, which states the action is as an actual fact (Tony hit the ball), imperative, stating a command (Tony hit the ball!). The third, the subjunctive, is now rare in English. It is used to express a wish or a conditional statement: "Were Tony to hit the ball, I would catch it"; or "It is required that the applicant be under twenty-one"
- Loose Sentence
- sentence that begins with main idea and adds on information, usually for descriptions ( " We reached Edmonton/ that morning/ after a turbulent flight/ and some exciting experience")
- Personification
- The treatment of an object or an abstract idea as if it was a person. ( "Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white" " Time's cruel hand")
- Onomatopoeia
- The use of words that sound like what they mean. "Buzz," "clang" and "hiss".
- Parody
- A literary work that makes fun of another work, type or work, or specifically author, usually by imitating and exaggerating the qualities of its subject
- Prose
- The ordinary form of written or spoken language, without rhyme or meter, speech or writing that is not poetry.
- Language
- The entire body of words used in a text, not simply isolated bits of diction; for example, an invitation to a graduation might be formal language, whereas a biology textbook would use scientific and clinical language
- Parallelism
- Refers to a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence. It involves an arrangement of words, phrases, sentences and paragraph so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and similarly phrased. (" He was walking, running, and jumping for joy")
- Mock heroic
- burlesquing or mocking heroic manner, actions or character
- Prosody
- The science or art of versification, including the study of metrical structure, rhyme, stanza forms ect.
- Lyric
- A melodic poem that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker. Unlike a narrative poem, a lyric focuses on a single, united effect. Types of these include the elegy, the ode, and the sonnet. Among contemporary American poets, it is the most common poetic form.
- Motif
- A main theme or subject
- Parallelism
- Refers to the repeated use of phrases, clauses, or sentences that are similar in structure and meaning. Writers also use this technique to emphasize important ideas, create rhythm and make their writing forceful and direct.
- Natural order of a sentence
- This involves constructing a sentence so the subject comes before the predicate. (" Oranges grow in California")
- Pentameter
- A verse written on five foot lines
- Literal/Figurative
- Literal Language employs words in their ordinary meaning, It is not literally true but uses words metaphorically. In the words "screaming headlines", "screaming" is used figuratively.
- Narrative
- The telling of any story, or the plot itself, the plot.
- Paradox
- A Statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, so absurd but that may actually be true in fact
- Pedantic
- An unnecessary display of scholarship lacking in judgment or sense of proportion.
- Litotes
- Understatement employed for the purpose of enhancing the effect of the ideas expressed. Contains a negative. (Chaucer's underfed Clerk is described as "not right fat")
- Oxymoron
- A figure in speech that contradicts the terms that are combined. (" Sweet Sorrow" " thunderous silence" " jumbo shrimp")