AP English Literature and Composition 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The recurring central idea or insight in a literary work is its:
- Plot
- Theme (Correct answer)
- Setting
- Conflict
Correct answer: Theme
Theme is the underlying message or central idea of a work.
Question 2: An extended metaphor that represents abstract ideas through characters and events is a(n):
- Allegory (Correct answer)
- Analogy
- Anecdote
- Aphorism
Correct answer: Allegory
An allegory uses characters and events to symbolize abstract concepts.
Question 3: In iambic pentameter, each line contains how many metrical feet?
- Four
- Five (Correct answer)
- Six
- Seven
Correct answer: Five
Pentameter means five feet per line.
Question 4: A reference to another work, person, or event outside the text is called a(n):
- Allusion (Correct answer)
- Illusion
- Inference
- Connotation
Correct answer: Allusion
An allusion is an indirect reference to something outside the text.
Question 5: The use of a part to represent the whole, as 'wheels' for a car, is:
- Metonymy
- Synecdoche (Correct answer)
- Hyperbole
- Litotes
Correct answer: Synecdoche
Synecdoche substitutes a part for the whole or vice versa.
Question 6: A pause within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation, is a:
- Enjambment
- Caesura (Correct answer)
- Stanza
- Refrain
Correct answer: Caesura
A caesura is a deliberate pause within a poetic line.
Question 7: The emotional atmosphere a literary work creates in the reader is its:
- Tone
- Mood (Correct answer)
- Voice
- Style
Correct answer: Mood
Mood is the emotional atmosphere experienced by the reader.
AP English Literature and Composition 3
The recurring central idea or insight in a literary work is its: