AP Literature Exam Prep Notes

1. AP Literature Exam Prep Notes

2. Wednesday, May 6th 7:45 am Competition Gym

3. What to bring: • picture ID • pencils / erasers • blue or black ink pens • watch • water • snack • tissues • jacket or sweater • mints or cough drops

4. Length of Exam: 3 Hours 2 Sections:multiple choice& essay(with a short break between)

5. Section 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE(45 % of final score) • 60 minutes • 4-6 pieces of poetry and prose • 50-60 questions

6. AnswerALLmultiple choice questions. There is no penalty for incorrect answers. YAY! Your objective is to get through all of the questions; you don’t want to miss any you will get right. Mark the ones you can’t answer and move on. Go back and work the ones you skipped. Educated guessing is good strategy!!

7. Section 2: essay(55 % of final score) • 120 minutes (2 hours) • 3 essays: • 1 poetry (verse) analysis • 1 literary (prose) analysis • 1 student choice analysis

8. What to analyze • Patterns • Shifts • Organization/Structure • Details • Point-of-View • Tone Diction Imagery Figurative Language Sounds/Rhyme Rhythm/Pace

9. NO, NOT this year! This year, not “rhetorical” - instead it’s… • “literary” devices • “poetic” devices • ethos • logos • pathos

10. Essay #3: Student Choice analysis You get to choose which book you write about, even if it’s not on the suggested list. Criteria…. • it is of literary merit • you are very familiar with it • you haven’t simply watched a movie version of it!

11. Essay 3 may be about “the meaning of the work as a whole.” Explicitly say what the meaning is in your thesis. Meaning = Theme This is a story about _______________ and how _____________________________________.

12. SUGGESTED TIMING:2-3 minutes: underline key words in the prompt 10-15 minutes: read, re-read, annotate, pre-write25-35 minutes: write the essay 2-3 minutes: proofread Keep track of your own time.Start Time: _____Stop Time: _____ • Divide the • 120 MINUTES • as you see fit. • Tackle the essays in any order.

13. How to Prep…

14. SHOULD I READ Another BOOK?

15. Coffee Talk Rewind!! • Option 2: Read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (a play; a comedy) • Option 1: Re-read any novel or play from 9th-12th grade assigned reading lists.

16. …Store in your mind… • 2 novels written in 20th or 21st centuries • 2 novels written pre-20th century Be able to recall: • author • plot points • characters • conflicts • themes • what distinguishes the author’s style • opening and closing paragraphs • what makes the work unique

17. …Store in your mind… • 2 plays by Shakespeare • 2 plays by other playwrights Be prepared to recall: • the setting (place, time, social mores) • major characters • themes • rising and falling action • climax • opening and closing scenes

18. some good news… NOW IS THE TIME FOR SPARKNOTES 

19. When you are ready to review … • Go to my website under “AP Exam Prep” • handouts and websites will help you review Most important: • Literary Analysis • Terms

20. Don’t let the wording of the prompt confuse you or cause you uncertainty. These are all asking the same thing: How does the author use words? • “show how…” • “analyze the techniques…” • “discuss the strategies…” • “what devices are employed…”

21. The passages and poetry will be from different time periods and will be of varying length and degree of difficulty. If you read a passage or poem that you think is “hard” don’t panic. Take a breath, tell yourself, “Oh, here’s the hard one” and then give it your best!

22. Reading poetry & Shakespeare Don’t be intimidated by older pieces or by Shakespeare. Remember, it’s all English! Begin with what you understand and move forward. • Let punctuation guide you as you read. • Chunk it up and paraphrase. • Begin with what you understand. • Look for patterns: words, images, sounds, etc. that seem to go together. What could these mean as a whole? • Notice SHIFTS (words like but and yet are indicators) • Remember: IMAGERY = MEANING!

23. Hey, Am I ready for this? ABSOLUTELY!! Approach the exam with healthy respect and confidence. You’re going to have to work for it, but you can do it!

24. Dearest Seniors, I want you to know how delighted I am that you have chosen to take the AP Lit Exam. There is no doubt in my mind that when you bring your A-game, you will do well. You have worked with earnestness and diligence this year, and I am honored to point at you and say, “THAT is my Phoenix student!” ~ Mrs. C

25. Analyzing poetry a la’ The Scientific Method: • Notice details of the text. • Interact with and annotate the text. • Address questions of how and why. • Test your thinking against the thinking of others. • Conclude and reflect. OBSERVE QUESTION HYPOTHESIZE EXPERIMENT SHARE RESULTS