AP literature Exam Study Guide With Questions And Answers
Latest Update 2026
Allegory - (answer)A story illustrating an idea or a moral principle in which objects take on symbolic
meanings.
Anachronism - (answer)A word derived from the Greek that literally means 'misplaced in time.'
Anaphora - (answer)The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or
sentences
Ex: In the poem of Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou, the phrase "Phenomenal Woman" is a
repetition.
Antecedent - (answer)The word or phrase to which a pronoun refers. It often precedes a pronoun in
prose or in poetry.
EX: Tom wants to study Political Science; he finds it interesting
Anthropomorphism - (answer)In literature, when inanimate objects, animals or natural phenomena are
given human characteristics, behavior or motivation. Often used with animal to give them human
characteristics.
EX: The chronicle of Narnia is a great example of a movie that has Anthropomorphism of animals talking.
Anticlimax - (answer)An often disappointing, sudden end to an intense situation.
Aphorism - (answer)A brief statement which expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise
observation.
Apostrophe - (answer)Figure of speech in which one directly addresses an imaginary person or some
abstraction.
Archaism - (answer)The use of deliberately old-fashioned language.
, AP literature Exam Study Guide With Questions And Answers
Latest Update 2026
Archetype - (answer)A character, situation or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because
it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion or folklore.
Ballad - (answer)A story in poetic form, often about tragic love and usually sung. Ballads were passed
down from generation to generation by singers.
Black Humor - (answer)The use of disturbing themes in comedy.
Blank Verse - (answer)A poem written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Cacophony/ Euphony - (answer)Cacophony is an unpleasant combination of sounds. Euphony, the
opposite, is a pleasant combination of sounds. These sound effects can be used intentionally to create
an effect, or they may appear unintentionally.
Canto - (answer)A subdivision of an epic poem.
Chiasmus - (answer)A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally
reversed.
Colloquialism - (answer)A word or phrase used in everyday conversational English that isn't a part of the
accepted 'formal' English.
EX: Soft Drink is referred to as Soda or Pop
Conceit - (answer)An unusual metaphor or metaphor that is developed in detail in a paragraph (for a
novel) or over several lines (for poetry).
Connotation - (answer)The associations a word calls to mind.
The more connotative a literary work is, the less objective its interpretation becomes.
Latest Update 2026
Allegory - (answer)A story illustrating an idea or a moral principle in which objects take on symbolic
meanings.
Anachronism - (answer)A word derived from the Greek that literally means 'misplaced in time.'
Anaphora - (answer)The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or
sentences
Ex: In the poem of Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou, the phrase "Phenomenal Woman" is a
repetition.
Antecedent - (answer)The word or phrase to which a pronoun refers. It often precedes a pronoun in
prose or in poetry.
EX: Tom wants to study Political Science; he finds it interesting
Anthropomorphism - (answer)In literature, when inanimate objects, animals or natural phenomena are
given human characteristics, behavior or motivation. Often used with animal to give them human
characteristics.
EX: The chronicle of Narnia is a great example of a movie that has Anthropomorphism of animals talking.
Anticlimax - (answer)An often disappointing, sudden end to an intense situation.
Aphorism - (answer)A brief statement which expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise
observation.
Apostrophe - (answer)Figure of speech in which one directly addresses an imaginary person or some
abstraction.
Archaism - (answer)The use of deliberately old-fashioned language.
, AP literature Exam Study Guide With Questions And Answers
Latest Update 2026
Archetype - (answer)A character, situation or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because
it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion or folklore.
Ballad - (answer)A story in poetic form, often about tragic love and usually sung. Ballads were passed
down from generation to generation by singers.
Black Humor - (answer)The use of disturbing themes in comedy.
Blank Verse - (answer)A poem written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Cacophony/ Euphony - (answer)Cacophony is an unpleasant combination of sounds. Euphony, the
opposite, is a pleasant combination of sounds. These sound effects can be used intentionally to create
an effect, or they may appear unintentionally.
Canto - (answer)A subdivision of an epic poem.
Chiasmus - (answer)A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally
reversed.
Colloquialism - (answer)A word or phrase used in everyday conversational English that isn't a part of the
accepted 'formal' English.
EX: Soft Drink is referred to as Soda or Pop
Conceit - (answer)An unusual metaphor or metaphor that is developed in detail in a paragraph (for a
novel) or over several lines (for poetry).
Connotation - (answer)The associations a word calls to mind.
The more connotative a literary work is, the less objective its interpretation becomes.
