---
title: "Apostrophe — AP Lit Definition, Examples & Exam Guide"
description: "Apostrophe is when a speaker directly addresses someone absent, dead, or nonhuman as if it could hear. Learn how it shapes tone in AP Lit poetry analysis."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-lit/key-terms/apostrophe"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP English Literature"
---

# Apostrophe — AP Lit Definition, Examples & Exam Guide

## Definition

Apostrophe occurs when a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object as if it were present and capable of responding.

## Review

### Related Terms

- Soliloquy: A soliloquy is when a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage.
- [Personification](/ap-lit/key-terms/personification): Personification gives human qualities or characteristics to non-human things.
- [Metaphor](/ap-lit/key-terms/metaphor): Metaphor compares two unrelated things without using "like" or "as," often creating vivid imagery through indirect address.