AP English Literary Terms 2

Question 1

Which literary device involves giving human qualities to non-human things?

Accepted Answer

Personification

Answer

Personification attributes human characteristics to animals, objects, or ideas.

Question 2

What is the term for a recurring symbol or motif throughout a literary work?

Accepted Answer

Leitmotif

Answer

A leitmotif is a recurrent theme or symbol associated with a particular idea or character.

Question 3

Which rhetorical device uses three parallel elements for emphasis?

Accepted Answer

Tricolon

Answer

A tricolon is a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses used for rhetorical effect.

Question 4

What literary term describes a seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth?

Accepted Answer

Paradox

Answer

A paradox is a statement that appears self-contradictory but contains an underlying truth.

Question 5

Which poetic device involves the continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line?

Accepted Answer

Enjambment

Answer

Enjambment occurs when a sentence or phrase runs over from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.

AP Practice Test