📚AP English Literature Frequently Asked Questions

Key Concepts and Terms

• Literary elements include plot, setting, character, theme, and point of view which are essential for analyzing and interpreting literature
• Figurative language uses words in non-literal ways to create vivid imagery, evoke emotions, and convey deeper meanings (metaphors, similes, personification)
• Tone refers to the author's attitude towards the subject matter or audience conveyed through word choice, syntax, and imagery
  • Can range from serious and solemn to humorous and satirical depending on the author's purpose and intended effect on the reader
• Diction involves the specific words an author chooses to use which can reveal character traits, establish mood, or create a particular style
• Syntax encompasses the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence that can create emphasis, rhythm, or tone
  • Varying sentence lengths and structures can create different effects (short, choppy sentences create tension while long, flowing sentences evoke a sense of calm)
• Symbolism occurs when an object, person, or event represents an abstract idea beyond its literal meaning (a rose symbolizing love, a storm representing inner turmoil)
• Irony involves a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs, often used to create humor, highlight contradictions, or convey deeper truths
  • Verbal irony occurs when a character says one thing but means the opposite
  • Situational irony involves an outcome that is the opposite of what was expected
  • Dramatic irony happens when the audience knows more than the characters

Common Literary Devices

• Allusion refers to an indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of art that adds depth and meaning
• Foreshadowing involves hinting at events that will occur later in the story, creating suspense or preparing the reader
  • Can be subtle hints or more overt clues about future plot developments
• Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or effect (I'm so hungry I could eat a horse)
• Understatement deliberately expresses an idea as less important than it actually is, often used for ironic or comedic effect
• Paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory statement that contains a deeper truth (the more you learn, the less you know)
• Oxymoron combines two opposing or contradictory terms in a single phrase (bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, deafening silence)
• Metonymy substitutes the name of one thing for something else closely associated with it (The pen is mightier than the sword - pen represents written words)
• Synecdoche uses a part of something to represent the whole or vice versa (All hands on deck - hands refer to the sailors)

Types of Questions to Expect

• Comprehension questions assess your understanding of the literal meaning of the passage, including key details, events, and character actions
• Inference questions require you to read between the lines and draw conclusions based on evidence from the text that is not explicitly stated
  • Rely on your ability to analyze tone, diction, imagery and other literary devices to make reasonable inferences
• Vocabulary-in-context questions ask about the meaning of specific words or phrases as they are used in the passage
  • Use context clues to determine connotations and how the word choice impacts meaning
• Tone and attitude questions gauge your understanding of the speaker's perspective and feelings towards the subject
  • Examine word choice, imagery, details, and syntax to determine tone
• Organization and structure questions focus on how the passage is arranged and how this arrangement influences meaning
  • Analyze patterns, repetition, juxtaposition, and shifts to see how ideas are developed
• Literary technique questions ask you to identify, analyze, and interpret the effects of specific literary devices and figurative language
• Universal theme questions require you to identify the central ideas and meanings of the passage that extend beyond the text
  • Connect the themes to broader human experiences, issues, and truths

Analyzing Prose Passages

• Read the passage carefully, noting main ideas, supporting details, shifts in tone or perspective, and literary devices
• Identify the speaker and their role in the story, considering how their perspective shapes the narrative
• Examine the relationships between characters, paying attention to dialogue, actions, and thoughts that reveal dynamics and conflicts
  • Consider how these relationships evolve over the course of the passage and impact theme
• Analyze setting details that establish mood, provide context, or serve as symbols
  • Examine how the setting influences characters and events
• Trace the development of key themes, noting how they are introduced, developed, and resolved
  • Consider how specific details, events, and character actions contribute to thematic meanings
• Identify a range of literary devices and analyze how they function in the passage
  • Examine the effects of figurative language, irony, symbolism, foreshadowing on meaning
• Consider the structure of the passage, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
  • Analyze how this structure creates tension, influences pacing, and shapes the reader's experience

Interpreting Poetry

• Read the poem multiple times, first for an overall impression then for deeper analysis of details and devices
• Examine the speaker and their tone, considering how it shifts throughout the poem
  • Identify the audience and consider how the speaker's tone and perspective are shaped by this relationship
• Analyze diction, noting connotations, sounds, and rhythms of words that evoke certain emotions or images
  • Consider how word choice sets the mood and conveys themes
• Examine syntax and structure, paying attention to punctuation, enjambment, and repetition
  • Analyze how these elements influence pacing, emphasis, and tone
• Identify figurative language and analyze how these devices create layers of meaning and intensify emotions or ideas
  • Examine extended metaphors, symbols, and allusions that deepen thematic meanings
• Consider sound devices like alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia that create rhythms and sonic textures
  • Analyze how these devices enhance the musical qualities and meanings of the poem
• Examine visual elements like line lengths, stanza breaks, white space, and typography
  • Consider how this visual structure complements or contrasts with the poem's content

Essay Writing Strategies

• Carefully read and deconstruct the prompt, noting the specific tasks it asks you to complete
  • Underline key words that identify the skills you need to demonstrate (analyze, interpret, compare, etc.)
• Quickly annotate the passage, marking key details, shifts, literary devices, and other elements you'll discuss in your essay
• Craft a thesis statement that clearly and directly addresses the prompt, introducing your central argument
  • Make sure your thesis is specific, debatable, and sets up the structure for the rest of your essay
• Create a brief outline that organizes your key points and textual evidence
  • Use this outline to guide your writing and ensure you fully develop your argument
• Write a clear introduction that provides context for your argument, includes your thesis, and previews the main points you'll discuss
• Devote body paragraphs to analyzing specific textual details that support your thesis
  • Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that makes a claim related to your thesis
  • Provide relevant quotes and examples as evidence to support your claims
  • Analyze how these details convey meanings and connect to your overall argument
• Write a conclusion that extends your argument, considers broader implications, and shows the significance of your analysis
  • Avoid simply restating your thesis - push your ideas further and leave a lasting impression

Time Management Tips

• Pace yourself throughout the exam, allotting appropriate time for each section based on the number and types of questions
  • Quickly skim the passages to get a sense of their length and complexity before starting
• Read passages and questions carefully but efficiently, focusing on key details and ideas
  • Avoid getting bogged down in unfamiliar words or confusing sections - mark these and come back if you have time
• Plan to spend about 5 minutes reading each passage and 5-7 minutes answering the associated multiple choice questions
• Tackle the questions you feel most confident about first then return to trickier ones
  • Eliminate obviously wrong answers to increase your chances of guessing correctly
• Spend 5-7 minutes planning and outlining your essays before starting to write
  • Investing time in planning will help you write more quickly and confidently
• Aim to spend about 20 minutes writing each essay, reserving 2-3 minutes to reread and make small revisions
  • Focus on fully developing your argument and analysis rather than perfecting every word
• If you're running out of time, prioritize completing your essays over perfecting multiple choice answers
  • It's better to have a complete essay than a few extra multiple choice questions answered

Scoring and Grading Breakdown

• Section I (Multiple Choice) is worth 45% of your total exam score
  • 5 passages with 55 questions total
  • Scored based on the number of questions answered correctly
• Section II (Free Response) is worth 55% of your total exam score
  • 3 free response questions including poetry analysis, prose fiction analysis, and a "wild card" literary argument essay
  • Each essay is scored on a scale of 0-6 by two independent graders
  • Scores for the three essays are summed then multiplied by 3.0556 to get the total essay score
• Essays are scored holistically based on the quality of your argument, use of textual evidence, and strength of writing
  • High scoring essays have a clear, well-developed argument that analyzes the text insightfully
  • They thoroughly answer the prompt using apt, specific textual evidence to support claims
  • They demonstrate skillful writing with clear organization, varied sentence structure, and an engaging style
• Your total score is calculated by adding your multiple choice and free response scores together
  • Total scores range from 0-150
• AP scores are reported on a 5-point scale:
  • 5 = extremely well qualified
  • 4 = well qualified
  • 3 = qualified
  • 2 = possibly qualified
  • 1 = no recommendation