AP English Literature
& Composition Syllabus
Ms. Corey Humphrey
Grafton High School
Course Description
This course is designed to invoke and create thoughtful precise readings of a variety of
literature. Students will be required to read and analyze a plethora of works as well as
develop analytical writings that combine all three types of writing: writing to explain,
writing to understand, and writing to evaluate.
Most of our classroom time will be spent in class discussion of literature—as a whole
class and in smaller literature circles. We will analyze literature via whole class
discussion and through literature circles. Because the majority of in class analysis will be
discussion-based, every student must participate. In fact, participation is so important it
is 10% of students’ grades. Because it is difficult for some students to participate aloud, I
demand that all students be respectful of one another. This mutual respect is
mandatory—if a student cannot participate civilly, he or she will be asked to leave the
classroom.
To demonstrate students’ close examining literature, students will complete a timed essay
(40 minutes) nearly every week. These essays will be based on the works we are
reading/discussing. The 40 minute time restriction represents how long students have to
write each essay on the AP exam. These essays are to be taken seriously—they are the
majority of the class grade. They will be scored using rubrics that are used (or have been
used previously) to score the AP exam. Students will also get to practice scoring the
essays of their peers (anonymously) and classes will create their own scoring rubrics to
get well acquainted with the scoring rubric. In addition, students will practice taking
multiple choice passages from past AP exams.
Students will also complete several creative assignments, projects, and presentations.
These creative activities will allow students to show of their talents and create
connections with works in a variety of ways.
Finally, students will take tests on the literature covered in the course. These tests are
designed to mirror AP exams in their demand for close reading and analysis.
Reading Assignments
This is a literature course, and it is reading intensive. Students will read four novels, two
plays (one Shakespeare), seven short stories, and thirty-seven poems. It is essential that
these works are read closely, on time, and carefully. We will analyze language, literary
devices, mood and tone, meaning, theme, structure, diction, social implications, and
historical context of these works. Students will take reading quizzes to demonstrate they
have read the required materials on time.
Writing Assignments
Along with the timed in class essays, students will be required to complete a variety of
writing assignments. Unless otherwise stated, each assignment will be due by 3:00 pm
on the day it is due. These writing assignments include: a 5-7 page research paper,
reader’s theater skits, a poem that utilizes symbolism, an internet research presentation, a
poem that utilizes imagery, a sonnet or villanelle, short stories, and an
evaluative/analytical essay that examines three works read for this class. Most of these
assignments require specific evidence from texts to support arguments and ascertains.
Many of these assignments will be presented and/or examined in a class workshop.
Some writings will require an outline, rough draft, and final copy to be turned in.
Students will be notified of this when necessary. When writing a creative assignment
such as a poem or short story, students should keep in mind that these papers will be
graded based upon demonstration of an understanding of the literary work in mind. This
includes effective use of literary devices, structure, theme, and style.
Additional Creative Assignments
Additionally, students will be required to complete several creative assignments in
response to literature. These assignments include a poster project on students’ favorite
authors and an individual response project that references at least three works we have
discussed. Throughout the year, students may also be asked to create occasional
drawings or sketches in response to various texts.
Portfolio
Your portfolio must be kept in a 3-ring binder, at least 1½” wide. You will need 5
dividers with the following sections:
1. Notes/Responses: For every discussion we have in class, you will be required to
keep notes and/or complete a personal response pre-writing. Although not
necessarily extensive, these notes must be well-organized: labeled with title of
work discussed, date, and organized through use of bullets or another graphic
organizer. In addition, you will take notes on authors and literature read in class.
2. Writing: In this section you will keep all of your writing done for the class. This
will also be a place for notes regarding writing strategies and/or grammatical,
spelling, or usage items.
3. Individual Vocabulary: You will be required to write down 3 unknown words
and definitions from the literature we discuss (or your own personal readings)
every week. I will provide flash cards for you to write these words down on, and
you must keep them on a piece of paper in your notebook. You must also draw a
picture representing each word, or write each word in a sentence.
4. Literary Terms, Definitions, and Examples: As a class, we will define
important literary terms and provide examples for each. You will be required to
add to this as you read (at least one example per poem, at least 10 examples per
novel/play).
5. Handouts: This section is reserved for copies of poems, articles, and other
related literature that I will give you.
Grading Scale In Relation to Work Competed
Participation- 10%
Formative Assignments (Practice Multiple Choice, classwork, discussion questions, etc.)30%
Summative Assignments (Timed essays, tests, quizzes, projects, etc.)- 50%
Final Project- 10%
Numerical Average Letter Grade
90- 100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
Below 60 F
No work submitted O
Required Texts:
Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense by Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
“Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Schedule of Readings and Projects:
Underlined items require work outside of class
Page numbers indicate location in Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense text
Week 1: Beginning Analysis
Discussion of course, syllabus, grading, and overview
Read “Deer Among Cattle” (handout) by James Dickey and discuss tone, mood, and
language
Read “A Blessing” (handout) by James Wright and discuss symbolism and meaning
Define literary elements and provide examples for each (euphemism, metaphor,
alliteration, etc.)
Discuss AP exam sample rubric and sample essays
Timed essay-critical analysis of a poem
1st novel assignment-Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte read by week 3
Week 2: Mood and Tone
Read “War is Kind” by Stephen Crane, “Naming of Parts” by Henry Reed, and “The
Death of a Toad” by Richard Wilbur (handouts)
Students will discuss how language creates the tone and mood in these poems.
Students will identify various literary devices (simile, symbols, diction, etc.) within each
poem and discuss their effect.
Timed essay-analyzing tone and mood in a work
Week 3: Symbolism and Language
Discuss various aspects of Wuthering Heights with a focus on symbolism, setting, and
flashback.
Discover and discuss various literary devices in Wuthering Heights.
Timed essay—analyze flashback in Wuthering Heights.
Workshop essays and self grade
Next novel assignment-Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut by week 6
Week 4-5: Characterization
Literature circle discuss the main characters in Wuthering Heights and how they create
meaning to the novel. Each group is assigned a character to analyze and must present
their findings.
Discuss tone/mood in Wuthering Heights.
Creative response to Wuthering Heights (drawing, poem, short story, etc.)
Demonstration and application of test taking skills (marking up passages, eliminating bad
choices, etc.)
Timed essay—critical analysis of a short story.
Final test and project on Wuthering Heights
Week 6-7: Setting and Theme
Discussion of Slaughterhouse Five—discuss how the setting and themes help create
meaning in the novel.
Discuss dystopia and what it means today
Discuss Winston’s character and how he deals with his setting
Reader’s Theater project—create a short skit based upon Slaughterhouse Five
1st portfolio grade
Timed essay—on characterization and conformity in Slaughterhouse Five
Workshop and peer review of timed writing
Week 8: Society and Character
“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Hardy page 889
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by TS Elliot page 926-discuss speaker
Discussion of our society and Slaughterhouse Five compare/contrast
Poster project on favorite author due
Discussion of character in Slaughterhouse Five
Discussion of literary devices in Slaughterhouse Five
Timed essay—analysis of a poem.
Week 9-10: Plot, Symbolism, and Purpose
Examine plot structures in Slaughterhouse Five and create a plot pyramid to demonstrate
structure
Discuss purpose of Slaughterhouse Five and compare/contrast to our society
Discuss symbolism in Slaughterhouse Five
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost page 734-discuss symbolism
“A Noiseless Patient Spider” by Walt Whitman page 736-discuss structure, tone,
meaning, and symbolism
“The Sick Rose” by William Blake on pages 737-738-discuss symbolism and structure
“Digging” by Seamus Heaney on page 740-discuss structure, tone, and symbolism
Creative project-write a symbolic poem in response to one of the above poems. Project
due at the beginning of week 11.
Timed essay—Slaughterhouse Five
Week 11: Allusion
“Out, Out—“ by Robert Frost on page 779—discuss allusion, structure, mood, and
meaning
“In Just—“ by e.e. cummings on page 782—discuss allusion, structure, and meaning
“Journey of the Magi” by T.S. Elliot on page 787—discuss allusion, structure, tone, and
meaning
Discuss the variety of allusion in Slaughterhouse Five
Internet research project—choose one work alluded to in Slaughterhouse Five and
research that work. Then, create a visual describing that work in greater detail and
present it to the class. This project is due at the beginning of week 12.
Discuss variety of purposes of writing—writing to understand, writing to explain, and
writing to evaluate.
Write an essay in response to one of the works using allusion
Week 12-13: Poetry-Sound and Meaning
Discuss/define literary terms such as: onomatopoeia, phonetic intensives, cacophony,
euphony, meter, rhythm, and rhyme. Discuss how these items and more function in the
following works: “Eight O’Clock” by A. E. Housman on page 866, “Sound and Sense”
by Alexander Pope on page 867, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen on page
875, “Landcrab” by Argaret Atwood o page 876-877, “Recital” by John Updike on page
877, and “A Fire-Truck” by Richard Wilbur on page 881.
Imagery poem due
2nd portfolio grade
Timed essay—analysis of a poem
Week 14-15: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Discuss setting, plot, and social implications in Slaughterhouse Five.
Discuss symbolism, fantasy, and science fiction in Slaughterhouse Five
Fantasy or science fiction short story due at the beginning of week 15
Workshop of these stories—analyze structure, plot, character development, and language
Timed essay—on “2BR02B”
Next reading assignment—The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare by week 17
Week 16: Poetry-Pattern
Discuss structure of villanelle, sestina, and sonnet, continuous form, and stanzaic form.
Read and discuss form, structure, mood, and meaning in the following poems: “The
Pulley” by George Herbert on pages 884-885, “On First Looking into Chapman’s
Homer” by John Keats on pages 886-887, “That time of year” by William Shakespeare
on page 887, “The White City” by Claude McKay on page 893, “Death be not proud” by
John Donne on page 892, “Woodchucks” by Maxine Kumin on pages 899-900, and
“Lonely Hearts” by Wendy Cope on page 895.
Discuss social implications in modern poetry.
Sonnet or villanelle due Timed essay—analysis of a poem
Week 17-19: Traditional Drama
Read aloud portions of The Merchant of Venice and discuss language
Analyze structure of the play and discuss how the pattern and structure help to create
meaning
Reader’s theater—re-write select scenes and act them out in class
Research using the library and internet the historical context of the play and create a short
presentation of findings
Discuss plot and characters in the play
In literature circles discuss each character individually and their motives and traits
3rd portfolio grade
Timed essay—in response to The Merchant of Venice
Week 20-21: Modern Drama
Read aloud portions of “Waiting for Godot” and discuss diction, language, structure, plot,
and character development.
Short dramatic piece due-write and act out with a small group a short play
Workshop the scripts from this project
Compare/contrast traditional and modern drama-write a paper using specific examples
from both The Merchant of Venice and “Waiting for Godot” due
Workshop these papers
Next reading assignment—The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Timed essay—in response to “Waiting for Godot”
Week 22-23: Theme, Symbol, Characterization, Allegory, Audience and Foil
Discussion and development of a class rubric which will be used to score the timed essay
on The Awakening
Timed essay—The Awakening
Discuss theme, symbol, characterization, allegory, and foil in The Awakening
Discuss the importance of audience to a work
Write the same short narrative describing a robbery for four different audiences
Share/discuss these writings
Research and discuss women’s role in society during Chopin’s time
Discuss author’s purpose
Next reading assignment—As I Lay Dying by Aldous Faulkner by week 26
Week 24: Short Story-Symbol, Allegory, Fantasy, Plot, and Structure
Read “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence on pages 285-299, “Young
Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne on pages 299-311, and “Where Are You
Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates and discuss symbol, allegory,
fantasy, plot, and structure of the story
4th portfolio grade
Timed essay—analyze an excerpt from a short story
Practice Multiple Choice Exam
Week 25: Short Story-Point of View
Read “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather on pages 234-251, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
on pages 251-260, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” pages 260-268, and “Hills Like
White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway on pages 268-272 and discuss point of view,
structure, plot, mood/tone, and character development in these stories.
Creative writing-short story due
Workshop these stories
Week 26: Country themes. Irony, Point of View, Reliability, and Society
Discuss As I Lay Dying focusing on country themes, irony, point of view, reliability, and
societal issues
Discuss characters in As I Lay Dying
Discuss the concept of “death rituals” and how they relates to out society
Discuss character development in As I Lay Dying
Timed essay—on As I Lay Dying
Week 27: Denotation and Connotation
Discuss denotation and connotation in “These is no Frigate Like a Book” by Emily
Dickenson on page 686, “When my love swears that she is made of truth” by William
Shakespeare, “Cross” by Langston Hughes on page 693, and “Desert Places” by Robert
Frost.
Discuss language and stream of consciousness in As I Lay Dying
Timed essay—analysis of a poem
Week 28: Test Preparation and Test taking Strategies
Discuss various test taking skills and strategies
Take sample multiple choice sections and discuss answers as a group
Take a practice AP exam
Discuss experiences with the exam
Week 29: Point of View, Humor, Irony, Overstatement, and Understatement
Discuss humor, irony, and point of view in As I Lay Dying
Discuss humor, irony, overstatement, and understatement in “Incident” by Countee
Cullen on page 756, “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy on page 761, and “The Chimney
Sweeper” by William Blake on page 763
Creative assignment due—write a poem that utilizes overstatement , understatement,
irony, or humor
Timed essay—prose passage
Week 30- 31: Characterization and style
Discuss stream-of-consciousness employed by Faulkner in As I Lay Dying
Group activity—analyze a character from As I Lay Dying and present your conclusions to
the class
Discuss social implications and setting in As I Lay Dying
Test As I Lay Dying
5th portfolio grade
Timed essay—analysis of a poem
Week 32: Dialect, Setting, Imagery and Context
Discuss dialect, setting, and historical context of excerpt from a Mark Twain novel
Discuss plot in the novel
Discuss imagery in the following poems, “”Spring” by Gerald Manley Hopkins on page
703, “After Apple-Picking” by Robert Frost on page 708, and “To Autumn” by John
Keats on page 711.
Timed essay—Response to Twain excerpt
Week 33: Theme and Controversy
Discuss theme and controversy surrounding novels in the school curriculum
Review of MLA and research formats
Research assignment—5-7 pages research a literary work or an author and its impact on
society due week 35
Timed essay—analyze a poem
Week 34-35: Personification and Metaphor
Discuss personification and metaphor in “The Lottery”, “Story of an Hour”, and “The
Yellow Wallpaper”
Discuss chracterization and social implications in these stories
Discuss allegory in these stories
Compare/contrast these stories
Research paper due
Workshop these
Timed essay—response to the feminist stories
Week 36: Evaluating
Evaluative and analytical paper due—discuss at least three works we have read (poetry,
novels, sort story, or drama) and discuss their literary effectiveness
Discuss the works we have encountered and the shared themes, ideas, and/or techniques
Discuss what one believes to be effective in literature
Discuss the human existence and how it is portrayed though literature
Week 37: Individual Perspective
Final “Meaning of Life” Project due—in response to at least three works we have read
Presentation of these projects
Final workshop of best creative works