AP Language Comp. Vocab
An extensive vocab list of all AP Lang. Comp terms and definitions.
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- Coherence
- quality of a piece of writing in which all parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle
- Apostrophe
- a figure of speech in which a person, place, thing, or abstract quality is addressed as if present
- Antithesis
- the presentation of two contrasting images that are balanced by words phrases or paragraphs
- Classicism
- the principles and styles admired in the classics of Greek and Roman literature
- Description
- the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation of color, taste, smell, and touch
- Asyndeton
- the practice of omitting conjunction between words, phrases, or clauses
- Anadiplosis
- repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause
- Anecdote
- a short interesting narrative, often to provide humor or make a point
- Comic relief
- the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast the with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intesifying the next tragic event
- Alliteration
- repetition of consonant vowel sounds
- Claim
- an assertion of something as a fact; to demand as a right or due
- Assonance
- repetition of identical or similar vowels, usually in successive words
- Audience
- the person(s) reached by a piece of writing
- Conflict
- a clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs man; man vs nature; man vs god; man vs self
- Analogy
- a comparison of two similar but different things
- Deductive
- the reasoning process by which a conclusion is drawn from a set of premises and contains no more facts than these premises
- Begging the Question
- to sidestep or evade the real problem
- Connotation
- the interpretation level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning
- Closure
- bringing to an end or conclusion
- Appeal to authority
- rhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims to be an expert or relies on information provided by experts
- Colloquial
- the use of slang in writing,often to create color and to provide an informal tone
- Ambiguity
- use of language that has multiple meanings
- Appeal to logic
- attempts to persuade the listener through the use of deductive reasoning
- Apology
- a synonym of the word defense
- Denotation
- the dictionary definition of a word
- Antihero
- character or force in a literary work who does not embody the traditional qualities of a hero
- Cacophony
- harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work
- Connective-tissue
- those elements that help create coherence in a written piece
- Argument
- a single assertion or a series of assertions presented and defended by the writer
- Deus ex machine
- as in Greek theatre, use of an artificial device or contrived solution to solve a difficult situation, usually introduced suddenly and unexpectedly
- Ad Hominem
- attacking the person rather than their ideas in an aurgument; Latin for against the man
- Balance
- a situation in which all parts of the presentation or equal
- Carpe diem
- "seize the day";the philosophy that one should live life to its fullest
- Anachronism
- use of historically inaccurate details in a text
- Analytical writing
- a style of writing in which the subject is broken down into its components and the components are subjected to detail scrutiny
- Abstract
- theoretical, without concrete images
- Conceit
- an extended metahpor
- Caricature
- descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person's appearance or facet of personality
- Aesthetic
- pertaining to the value of art for its own sake or form
- Allusion
- a reference contained in a work to another work or famous figure that is well known enough to be recognized by the reader/audience
- Catharsis
- purification or cleansing of the spirit through the emotions of pity and terror as a witness to tragedy
- Conundrum
- a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem
- Consonance
- the repetition of two or more consonants with the change in the intervening vowels (ie: splish-splash)
- Convention
- an accepted model, or tradition
- Bildungrosman
- a novel or story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character
- Delayed Sentence
- a sentence that withholds its main idea until the end
- Anaphora
- repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or phrases
- Contradiction
- a direct opposition between things comapared;inconsistency
- Chaismus
- figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first parallel clause is reversed in the second
- Allegory
- narrative form in which characters and actions have meanings outside themselves
- Attitude
- the relationship an author has towards his or her subject and/or the audience
- Canon
- the works of an author that have been accepted as authentic
- Appeal to emotion
- attempts to affect the listener's personal feelings