AP English Literature and Composition Ultimate Guide

Physical appearance, dialogue, and actions/motivations

Chronological plot structure

The description of the character's physical appearance can give us insights into their personality, background, and social status.

What a character says can also provide clues to their personality traits such as their values, beliefs, intelligence level and emotional state.

Actions taken by the characters often help readers understand what drives them to act certain ways (motivations)

First person point of view

Omniscient point of view

An individual's interpretation of their own experiences and how they view the world.

Characters

The use of descriptive language to provide details about a setting or location.

Reading text literally

Demographics refer to the characteristics of the population in that particular area.

they give insight into who lives in that area and what their needs might be.

The tools or machines that are used to accomplish tasks.

offers insights into a story's setting based on how people move around.

Chronological

a storytelling technique where events are presented out of sequence, often through the use of flashbacks or other narrative devices

type of storytelling in which events unfold in chronological order, with a beginning, middle, and end.

narrative technique in which the story ends where it began, creating a sense of circularity or repetition.

a literary technique that involves dividing a story into smaller sections or episodes, each with its own mini-plot.

secondary plot that runs parallel to the main plot in a story

providing additional perspectives, exploring themes or motifs not fully developed in the main plot, or creating tension and suspense.

typically involves the main character facing a series of conflicts and obstacles that challenge their beliefs and values.

the use of humor to lighten the mood or provide relief during an intense or serious moment.

to break tension and keep audiences engaged

a complex human emotion that involves intense feelings of affection and attachment towards another person.

thoughts or gestures aimed at making the other person feel loved, desired, and appreciated.

an exciting or unusual experience that involves taking risks and exploring the unknown.

a classic element of dramatic situations, as they provide suspense and intrigue that keep the audience engaged.

a person or character who tells the story, either in writing or verbally.

The narrator can be a participant in the events being described.

A narrator who can simply observe and describe the action from an outside perspective

the voice that communicates with the reader or audience.

can be the poet themselves or a persona created by the poet to convey their message.

a writing perspective in which the narrator addresses the reader directly as "you."

Second person point of view

Second person point of view

a narrative perspective in which the story is told by an external narrator who refers to characters and events using third-person pronouns such as "he," "she," or "they.

Omniscient point of view

involves looking beyond the literal meaning of words and trying to understand what else might be implied by them.

the practice of examining a literary work, such as a novel, poem or play, and breaking it down into its various components to better understand how they contribute to the whole.

Claim

is information from a written work that supports or proves a point being made

Good physical description

a literary device used to create tension and conflict within the poem.

Figures of speech

A literary technique describing something by comparing it directly to something else

comparing one thing with another using "like" or "as"

giving human characteristics to non-human things

exaggeration for emphasis

Antecedent

Referents

Grammar

the selection of words employed by an author to give life to their writing and express a certain atmosphere or feeling.

refers to the attitude of the author towards the work's characters, themes, and settings.

Tone

a wide variety of techniques used to enhance the written word, including figures of speech, rhetorical devices, and imagery

the study of the rhythmic, metrical, and tonal aspects of verse.

Prosody

A written or spoken representation of a fictional or non-fictional character's physical appearance, personality traits, motivations, and other defining characteristics.

a type of character in fiction who undergoes significant internal change throughout the course of a story.

Static characters

They go through the process of creating a detailed and immersive environment in which a story or event takes place

a crucial element of literature that drives the plot forward and creates tension in the story.

Conflict

occurs within a character's mind and emotions, such as their fears, doubts, or desires.

refers to a type of external conflict where the main character struggles against the norms, rules and expectations of their culture or group

a crucial aspect of storytelling that involves the progression and unfolding of events in a narrative

a concise declaration of the main point, argument or focus of an essay, research paper or other academic work.

refers to the information or data that supports a claim or argument.

an explanation or interpretation of evidence provided by the writer.

a type of conflict where the main character struggles with their own thoughts, beliefs, or emotions.

used in literature and storytelling to describe a conflict or struggle between two individuals.

the main character of a story or narrative, who typically drives the plot forward and undergoes some sort of change or transformation throughout the course of the story

a character or force in a story, movie, or play that opposes the main character's goals and desires.

the connections and interactions between different characters in a story or work of fiction.

the overall mood or feeling that is created by a writer's choice of setting, objects, details, images and language

the emotional tone of a scene or work which affects how readers perceive characters and events.

the emotional atmosphere or feeling that a work of literature conveys to its readers.

universal patterns of behavior, personality traits, and symbols that are found across different cultures, time periods, and religions

typically a protagonist who overcomes obstacles and adversity to achieve a goal or accomplish something great

an older, wiser character who guides and advises the hero.

an antagonist who opposes the hero and cause conflict

a nurturing, supportive character who cares for the hero.

a clever and cunning character who uses wit and deception to achieve their goals.

a character who is marginalized or rejected by society

a literary device used to highlight the differences between two or more things in literature.

A story told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator, but only focusing on the thoughts and feelings of one character

A story told through the inner thoughts and feelings of a character, often in a disjointed or non-linear way.

story told from a neutral or detached perspective, without revealing the thoughts or feelings of any characters.

the physical and emotional proximity between the reader or audience and the characters in a literary work.

the time difference between when a literary work was written and the time period being described or depicted in the work

a type of poem that consists of 14 lines and follows a specific rhyme scheme

Shakespearean, or English sonnet

each line contains ten syllables with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.

capture a moment in nature or express an emotion in a concise and elegant way.

a form of Japanese poetry that consists of three lines

a literary device in poetry, comprising two lines that are of the same length and end with words that rhyme.

It provides a tight framework for organizing literary works, such as poetry or prose.