AP Literary Devices Flashcards
(AP Language and Composition
2015
List #1
the device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to create a story
that has both a literal AND deeper, symbolic meaning
a direct or indirect reference to something that is assumed to be commonly known (event, book, myth, place, work of art)
a similarity between two different things or the relationship between them
a terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral
principle
a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified
abstraction (love, liberty, etc.)
an original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype
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
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising
analogy between unlike objects
a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word
or concept
a figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration
a contrast between what is stated explicitly (outright) and what is really meant
when an author says one thing and means something else
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
a habit of using polysyllabic words incorrectly
a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another
closely associated with it
a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words
a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to
suggest a 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
a work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of
comic effect and/or ridicule
a figure of speech which involves a play upon the double meaning of words
a work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for
reform or ridicule
anything that represents something else
(NOT a comparison; usually something that is concrete/tangible that represents
something more abstract)
a figure of speech in which the part stands for the whole
the mixing of sensations; the concurrent appeal to more than one sense
the author’s attitude toward his or her material, the audience, or both
the ironic minimalizing of fact; presenting something as less significant than it really is