Glossary · Literature
Literary terms
AP English Literature, AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
By the CollegePrepRoom editorial team · Updated · How we write and check these pages
These are the terms AP English Literature students use to describe how poems, stories and plays create meaning. The exam rewards explaining what a technique does, so each entry explains the effect and gives an example you can model in your own analysis.
Index of terms
Terms in study order
- SpeakerThe voice that speaks in a poem, treated as distinct from the poet.
- ImageryDescriptive language that appeals to the senses to create vivid experiences and convey meaning.
- MetaphorA figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another, without using like or as, to suggest a resemblance.
- ConceitAn elaborate or surprising extended metaphor that compares two very different things.
- SymbolAn object, character, place or action that represents a larger idea beyond its literal meaning.
- MotifA recurring image, idea, word or situation in a work that helps develop its themes.
- ThemeA central insight about life or human experience that a literary work develops, stated as a claim about a topic.
- CharacterizationThe methods an author uses to reveal a character's personality, motives and values.
- FoilA character whose contrasting traits highlight the qualities of another character, usually the protagonist.
- Point of viewThe perspective from which a story is told, such as first person, third-person limited or third-person omniscient.
- Unreliable narratorA narrator whose account cannot be fully trusted because of bias, limited knowledge, self-deception or dishonesty.
- Free indirect discourseThird-person narration that takes on a character's thoughts, voice and judgments without quotation marks or tags such as 'she thought'.
- IronyA contrast between what is said and what is meant, what is expected and what happens, or what a character knows and what the audience knows.
- Tone shiftA change in a speaker's or narrator's attitude within a text, often marking a turn in meaning.
- VoltaThe turn in a poem, especially a sonnet, where the argument, mood or perspective shifts.
- SonnetA fourteen-line poem, traditionally in iambic pentameter, with a set rhyme scheme and a turn in thought.
- Iambic pentameterA line of verse with five iambs, each an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, for about ten syllables.
- Blank verseUnrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, used widely in English drama and long poems.
- Free versePoetry without a regular meter or rhyme scheme, which relies on line breaks, rhythm and imagery for structure.
- EnjambmentThe continuation of a sentence or phrase past the end of a line of poetry without a pause.
- CaesuraA strong pause within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.
- StanzaA group of lines in a poem separated from other groups by white space, functioning like a paragraph.
- ApostropheA figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an object or an abstract idea.
- PersonificationGiving human qualities, actions or feelings to animals, objects or ideas.
- AllusionA brief reference to a well-known person, event, place or work of literature, art or scripture.
- ForeshadowingHints or clues in a narrative that suggest what will happen later.
- AmbiguityLanguage or situations that allow more than one reasonable interpretation, often deliberately.
- Literary complexityThe quality of a work that holds tensions, contradictions or multiple meanings in play.
- Dramatic monologueA poem spoken by a character to a silent listener, revealing the speaker's personality and situation.
Flashcard review
Say each definition aloud, then open the card to check your answer.
What does “Speaker” mean?
The voice that speaks in a poem, treated as distinct from the poet.
What does “Imagery” mean?
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create vivid experiences and convey meaning.
What does “Metaphor” mean?
A figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another, without using like or as, to suggest a resemblance.
What does “Conceit” mean?
An elaborate or surprising extended metaphor that compares two very different things.
What does “Symbol” mean?
An object, character, place or action that represents a larger idea beyond its literal meaning.
What does “Motif” mean?
A recurring image, idea, word or situation in a work that helps develop its themes.
What does “Theme” mean?
A central insight about life or human experience that a literary work develops, stated as a claim about a topic.
What does “Characterization” mean?
The methods an author uses to reveal a character's personality, motives and values.
What does “Foil” mean?
A character whose contrasting traits highlight the qualities of another character, usually the protagonist.
What does “Point of view” mean?
The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person, third-person limited or third-person omniscient.
What does “Unreliable narrator” mean?
A narrator whose account cannot be fully trusted because of bias, limited knowledge, self-deception or dishonesty.
What does “Free indirect discourse” mean?
Third-person narration that takes on a character's thoughts, voice and judgments without quotation marks or tags such as 'she thought'.
What does “Irony” mean?
A contrast between what is said and what is meant, what is expected and what happens, or what a character knows and what the audience knows.
What does “Tone shift” mean?
A change in a speaker's or narrator's attitude within a text, often marking a turn in meaning.
What does “Volta” mean?
The turn in a poem, especially a sonnet, where the argument, mood or perspective shifts.
What does “Sonnet” mean?
A fourteen-line poem, traditionally in iambic pentameter, with a set rhyme scheme and a turn in thought.
What does “Iambic pentameter” mean?
A line of verse with five iambs, each an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, for about ten syllables.
What does “Blank verse” mean?
Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, used widely in English drama and long poems.
What does “Free verse” mean?
Poetry without a regular meter or rhyme scheme, which relies on line breaks, rhythm and imagery for structure.
What does “Enjambment” mean?
The continuation of a sentence or phrase past the end of a line of poetry without a pause.
What does “Caesura” mean?
A strong pause within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.
What does “Stanza” mean?
A group of lines in a poem separated from other groups by white space, functioning like a paragraph.
What does “Apostrophe” mean?
A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an object or an abstract idea.
What does “Personification” mean?
Giving human qualities, actions or feelings to animals, objects or ideas.
What does “Allusion” mean?
A brief reference to a well-known person, event, place or work of literature, art or scripture.
What does “Foreshadowing” mean?
Hints or clues in a narrative that suggest what will happen later.
What does “Ambiguity” mean?
Language or situations that allow more than one reasonable interpretation, often deliberately.
What does “Literary complexity” mean?
The quality of a work that holds tensions, contradictions or multiple meanings in play.
What does “Dramatic monologue” mean?
A poem spoken by a character to a silent listener, revealing the speaker's personality and situation.
Practice questions, courses and guides that use these terms
- Free AP English Literature practice questionsQuestion bank
- The AP English Literature courseCourse
- AP English Literature: Poetry analysis essay guideFree-response guide
- AP English Literature: Prose fiction analysis essay guideFree-response guide
- AP English Literature: Literary argument essay guideFree-response guide