AP Analyzing Voice Review
1. What is an analogy?
a. An analogy is the use of something more familiar to explain something new and/or complex. The point
of comparison is used to demonstrate the similarities between the two entities.
2. What is an explication?
a. An explication is a detailed explanation of a literary text. An explication should be the starting point for
literary analysis; it is not considered to be the final work in analysis of a work.
3. What is tone?
a. Tone refers to attitude and is revealed by word choice. The combination of diction, details, and imagery
results in the tone. A character’s tone may not the identical to the author’s.
4. What is syntax?
a. Syntax refers to the manner in which a writer constructs a sentence and how it affects a reader’s
understanding.
5. What is sarcasm?
a. Sarcasm, the lowest form of verbal irony, is intellectual derision usually used with intent to harm.
6. What is poetic license?
a. Poetic license is the liberty a writer sometimes takes with the typical rules of grammar, punctuation,
and/or syntax in order to fulfill his or her creative process.
7. What is persona?
a. The persona is the speaker. Although the persona is known as the voice of the author, it is not
necessarily the author.
8. What is passive voice?
a. Passive voice is when the subject of a sentence is acted upon instead of committing an action.
9. What is literal language?
a. Literal language refers to the denotative meaning of words. Literal language is typically informative and
straightforward.
10. What is abstract diction?
a. Abstract diction is the use of language in general terms, such as “the little dog”, versus “the 5 pond
dachshund.”
11. What are the levels of diction?
a. The levels of diction refer to the formality of word choice. The most elevated language is formal diction,
followed by general, colloquial, and vulgate.
12. What is jargon?
a. Jargon refers to the specialized and often technical language and vocabulary of a particular group.
13. What is imagery?
a. There are two types of imagery; literal and figurative. Literal imagery is descriptive, appealing to the
sense and relating to concrete information. Figurative imagery is the use of figures of speech to describe
abstract ideas, attempting to make the abstract more concrete. Successful imagery depends on the
author’s use of diction and the selection of details.
14. To what does vulgate refer?
a. The vulgate refers to the lowest level of diction. This is the unschooled language of the common people.
15. To what does voice refer?
a. Voice is a rather vague, metaphorical term used to refer to the distinctive features of a particular writer
or text. An author’s voice is present in a text, even If the author is not the narrator.
16. To what does style refer?
a. Style refers to the way in which a text is written. An analysis of an author’s style includes looking at all of
the devices the writer uses to express meaning. The message, the material, the medium—all are part of
an author’s style.
17. What is active voice?
a. Active voice is when the subject of the sentence is doing something, as opposed to being acted upon.
18. To what does denotation refer?
a. Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word.
19. To what does connotation refer?
a. Connotation refers to the association people have with words beyond the dictionary definition. For
example, the word “dove” refers to a specific bird, though many people consider it to be a symbol of
peace.
20. What is colloquial diction?
a. Colloquial diction refers to the word choice of everyday usage. It is also known as informal diction.
21. What is general diction?
a. General diction refers to the speech of education native speakers. General diction is more formal than
colloquial English but not as elevated as formal English.
22. In literary analysis, what is diction?
a. Diction refers to word choice. It can be described as abstract or concrete and formal or informal.