Tone & Tude
This word describes a mood that is playful, fanciful, or delightfully quirky, like a story filled with talking animals and floating teacups.
What is “whimsical”?
This literary device occurs when two seemingly contradictory ideas are both true, such as “less is more.”
What is “paradox”?
The eyes of _________________sit on a billboard overlooking the characters and their chaotic actions.
Dr. T.J Eckleburg
This adjective describes literature intended to teach a moral lesson or provide instruction.
What is “didactic”?
What are the three types of essays that AP Lang students write?
What is "rhetorical analysis, argument and synthesis"
This adjective describes someone practical and focused on realistic solutions rather than ideals.
What is “pragmatic”?
In the sentence “She broke his car and his heart,” one verb applies to two different objects in different ways; this device is called this.
What is “zeugma”?
Tom reveals Gatsby’s illegal business connections to this criminal figure during the confrontation in New York.
Who is Meyer Wolfsheim?
A story in which characters and events represent larger ideas or moral qualities is called this.
What is “allegory”?
This part of an AP Lang essay explains why the evidence supports the thesis rather than simply summarizing the evidence.
What is commentary?
Someone who distrusts people’s motives and expects disappointment could be described with this adjective.
What is “cynical”?
Martin Luther King Jr. frequently used this repetition technique at the start of successive clauses to create rhythm and emphasis.
What is “anaphora”?
This bleak industrial area between West Egg and New York symbolizes moral decay in the novel.
What is the Valley of Ashes?
A humorous imitation of another work, often exaggerating its style for comedic effect, is called this.
What is “parody”?
Rather than simply dropping in a quote, strong AP Lang writers use this skill to smoothly introduce and explain evidence.
What is embedding evidence?
If hearing an old song makes you long for the past with warm memories, you are feeling this emotion.
What is “nostalgic”?
“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” is a classic example of this reversed parallel structure.
What is “chiasmus”?
This famous symbol at the end of Daisy’s dock represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams.
What is the green light?
This literary technique uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize society or human flaws.
What is “satire”?
When a writer acknowledges an opposing viewpoint before responding to it, they are using this argumentative technique.
What is a counterargument?
Jordan felt this about moving away—excited for a new adventure but sad to leave friends behind.
What is “ambivalent”?
An author who writes “the rain and the thunder and the wind and the lightning” is using this device to slow rhythm and add intensity.
What is “polysyndeton”?
The final line of the novel compares humanity’s struggle against time to boats moving in this direction.
What is “against the current”?
Using the phrase “passed away” instead of “died” is an example of this softer, less direct expression.
What is “euphemism”?
Choosing precise, vivid language instead of vague wording improves this aspect of an essay.
What is diction?