AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
I. Rationale and Course Description
This course is designed to develop reading and writing skills at the college level. In
the course of the readings we will examine important elements of fiction, poetry, and
drama in order to better understand what they offer, how they are constructed, and
why they appeal to readers. Most of the works we read will be discussed in detail in
class. Class discussion is essential; hence, it is imperative to keep up with the
readings in order to participate. You are expected to attend every class and to
contribute questions, comments and ideas.
In addition to the readings and discussions, the third major element in the course is
your writing. The papers will be discussed in detail in class and related to the
assigned readings. Each student will also be responsible for classroom presentations
on as assigned. The mid term exam will progress over the course of three days, and
will be an actual AP Lit exam. There will be two basic kinds of questions: 1)
identifying and using literary terms and concepts (e.g. antagonist, dramatic irony,
symbol) related to excerpts of literature and 2) essay questions designed to evaluate
your careful reading of the works.
For each of the assigned readings you will usually write at least one page of typed
comments in response to a question that will focus on the work(s) read. The idea is
to preserve your impressions of the readings, develop useful notes, and to reflect
upon what you're reading. These, along with the notes you make in your marble
composition book, should prove helpful. Some of these will be collected. Date and
identify each of the entries and keep them for our use.
Please bring the text or the current reading to each class meeting.
II. Basic Texts
Anthology – Meyer, Michael, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature – 6th
Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s. Boston, 2002.
Major works within the anthology –
Antigone - Sophocles
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare
[The Glass Menagerie – Tennessee Williams]
Poetry A
Assorted poems – approximately 30 (see poetry assignments below)
Individual Works –
Summer work -The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
1
The Quiet American – Graham Greene
The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien
Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
King Lear – William Shakespeare
III. Course Requirements
1.
Readings (and perhaps occasional reading quizzes)
2.
Class discussions and oral presentations
3.
Short papers; written responses to the readings due for class.
4.
AP practice tests
5.
Mid Term (or later) AP exam
IV. Grading
Discussion, quizzes and oral presentations
Short papers and written exercises
Extended and revised papers
Practice AP exams
2
POETRY
POETRY ASSIGNMENTS – CLOSE READING/ANALYSIS
1.CLASS WORK – Poetry - “A Mountain Graveyard” – p. 686
Lyric Poetry
“The Author to Her Book” – Bradstreet – p. 780
Simile and Metaphor
HOMEWORK – “If” – Rudyard Kipling – p. 699
“A Woman Is Not A Potted Plant” p. 699
Writing – assignment on p. 699
2. CLASS WORK – Poetry - “The Sun Rising” John Donne – p. 704
“A Late Aubade” – Richard Wilbur – p.731
“Rite of Passage” – p.792 with
“Dulce et Decorum Est” – p. 794 see P. 928 for discussion
Writing – assignment in class on p. 705 (Donne and Wilbur)
HOMEWORK – Writing - Explication of “Sex Without Love” – p.739 &
“Poem for her Breasts” – p. 790
OR
Explication of “The Joy of Cooking” – p. 797 and “Home-Baked Bread” p. 769
3. CLASS WORK – Poetry - “A Beautiful Girl Combs Her Hair” Li Ho – p.705
HOMEWORK –
“Mirror” – Sylvia Plath – p.789
“The White Porch” – Song – p.773
Writing – assignment on p.706; p.775
4. CLASS WORK – Poetry - “Happiness” Haas – p.707
“I Like Look of Agony” – Dickinson – p.962
HOMEWORK – Writing – assignment on p.707
DIRECTIONS: From the pieces that you have written for our poetry close reading/analysis,
you will choose the strongest and revise it according to the procedures the class will determine.
LITERARY (POETIC) TERMS – FIGURES OF SPEECH
Pun, Synecdoche p. 782
Metonymy, Apostrophe p.783
Hyperbole – overstatement and understatement – p. 785
Paradox, Oxymoron
Symbol, Allegory
Irony
3
BRITISH POETRY OF THE 17TH CENTURY
17th Century Poetry
Class Presentations
AP English Lit & Composition
April 2006
The 17th Century Poetry Presentation: DIRECTIONSChoose a poem to learn and to “make your own.” Not only will you present and teach this
poem to the class, but also you will present this poem on the day of the Poetry Festival in
May to an outside audience. Therefore, you must know the poem – inside and out (as
they say).
1. Please be certain that you are prepared to discuss the work you have chosen on
the day it is due. The reading schedule will not permit us to make changes
readily, so if you miss your turn as discussion leader there may not be another
opportunity for you to complete that requirement for the course.
2. As discussion leader, your role is to present the work to the class in an
instructive manner. You may use notes or outlines to present the work but do
not read to the class from a prepared text. No matter how well written, that
sort of thing gets boring. Make a genuine effort to engage the class. Know
what you are talking about, and be prepared to field questions during and after
your presentation. The job of your classmates is to respond to your comments
and to ask questions.
3. You may find useful the following suggested procedure for discovering all the
possibilities your poem offers:
a.
If possible, learn something about the author so that you have some
context for your initial approach to the work. Note when the work was
written. Provide useful background information.
b.
Read the work carefully, writing comments in the margin and noting
passages that seem especially important. Take notes.
c.
Answer the relevant general "Questions for Responsive Reading" (for
poetry: pp. 711-12). Be prepared to read the poem aloud.
d.
If you still need help (but only after you have wrestled with the work),
you may use secondary sources such as critical articles and sections in
books. For help with finding sources see the "Annotated List of
References" (pp. 2100-02). Reference librarians can also help you to
locate material if you are unsuccessful on your own. Sometimes
disagreements among professional critics can reveal what is central in a
work.
4. Your presentation should not be simply a response to the list of questions
mentioned above. Instead approach the work as you think it is best explained.
The emphasis could be on point of view, character, setting, diction, tone,
symbolism, irony, or whatever best serves as a way of making sense of the
4
work's meanings and how those meanings are created. Discuss whatever you
judge to be interesting and relevant to your particular work. Make specific,
detailed references to the text to illustrate your points. For a variety of
approaches review "Critical Strategies for Reading" (pp. 2021-2047). Be sure
you are clear about what approach you are taking (a combination of
approaches is, of course, possible).
5. Keep in mind that the purpose of the presentation is to help your classmates
understand the work. If something puzzles you, say so and we'll see what the
rest of the class can contribute.
6. Your presentation should be no longer than about twenty minutes. Also,
remember that as others present their works they would probably appreciate
questions if they stumble or the pace slackens. Neither I nor the class must
agree with your approach to the work, but we must agree that you've had a
thesis and something useful to say about the work.
7. Prepare a series of ten (10) multiple choice questions about the poem.
The questions must include: speaker, point of view, attitude/tone, devices,
“find a line which indicates_________”, theme, diction.
Be sure that you know the answers and have written copy of the answers
to the multiple choice questions.
8. Prepare a “visual” to augment your presentation of the poem. This
must be a portable object (poster, diorama, prop, etc.) as you will use it
during your Poetry Festival Day reading as well.
9. If you are not prepared on the day assigned, another student will go out of turn
for extra credit and you will receive a zero. If have any questions about what
you are to do, don't hesitate to discuss them with me.
10. Let me know your choice as soon as possible, but no later than ____________.
If I don’t hear from you by then, I’ll assign a poem.
5
WEBSITES SOURCES FOR AP ENGLISH LITERATURE
As websites are added, revised and sometimes deleted, the following is a sampling of
resources for the teacher and the students of AP English Literature.
GENERALhttp://edsitement.neh.fed.us/
A Rutger’s University professor’s site for literary resources
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Lit/
Amazing Brit Lit site
http://www.luminarium.org/
SHAKESPEARE:
College siteshttp://fteague.myweb.uga.edu/wordcrun.html#top
AC Bradley on King Learhttp://www.clicknotes.com/bradley/tr243.html
Amy Ulen’s “Surfing with the Bard” http://www.shakespearehigh.com/library/surfbard/index.htm
Pathologist in Kansas (Ed Friedlander M.D) with a love of Shakespeare:
http://www.pathguy.com/kinglear.htm
A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Edition of King Learhttp://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/kinglear.pdf
Folger LibraryKing Lear Lessons
http://www.folger.edu/eduLesPlanArch.cfm?cid=#42
Harlem Theater’s Study Guide
http://www.folger.edu/documents/CTH%20Lear%20Study%20Guide1.pdf
ACHEBE:
Kipling and Imperialismhttp://www.victorianweb.org/authors/kipling/rkimperialism
6
AP LITERATURE AND COMPOSITON
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS - # 1
PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING:
I. THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE
DUE DATE: POSTMARKED JULY 20, 2006 – USE EMAIL OR SNAIL MAIL–
Late arrivals will be graded no higher than 60.
For the novel, reflect on the story as a whole and create a collection of
responses to the questions in section B.
Read the assigned work.
Answer the following questions, using specific references to the text to
support your conclusions. Your total number of responses should
be sufficient to produce a Reading Journal (for summer reading) for
extra credit in Humanities.
What did the main character learn from his or her life?
What is a theme that you have identified as significant?
If you were performing part of this novel as a monologue, what
prop would you use to represent the character? And why
would you select this item?
What literary devices/techniques can you identify? And which was
most effective and why?
Choose one of the past AP Lit Exam Free Response Questions and use
it to write a (typed) 40 minute essay on The Prime of Miss Jean
Brodie. The AP Lit Free Response Questions are posted on my
eboard at RD http://www.riverdell.k12.nj.us/rdhs/faculty/eboards.htm
7
AP LITERATURE AND COMPOSITON
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS - # 2
II.
THE GREAT GATSBY
DUE DATE: POSTMARKED AUGUST 24, 2006 – USE EMAIL OR SNAIL MAIL
– Late arrivals will be graded no higher than 60.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: START HERE: Peruse the questions BELOW (letter
“B”). Decide on which question you will focus. As you read, keep the question in mind –
begin to think of how you will respond to it.
RE-READ the assigned work
Questions from which to choose:
SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE
Note Taking
Take notes as you read.
Record page numbers. (You might want to use Post-its ®.)
These notes will be used in support of your working thesis.
The Essay
Create a strong thesis statement essay.
Use your notes, quotations and page numbers (citations) as
supports.
Use examples from the novel for supports.
Introduce and elaborate on each example.
Essay - continued
Do I hear you ask: how long should it be?
If so, I answer this way – as long as you need in order to do a
thorough job –
OR – at least three typed pages: 800-1,000 words.
This is not a good novel to use for Summer Reading as you have already
studied The Great Gatsby in 10th Grade.
8
AP LITERATURE AND COMPOSITON – continued – THE
QUESTIONS
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS - # 2
III.
THE GREAT GATSBY
DUE DATE: POSTMARKED AUGUST 24, 2006 – USE EMAIL OR SNAIL
MAIL– Late arrivals will be graded no higher than 60.
A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Peruse the questions BELOW (letter “B”).
1. Choose a question – only one group of questions - on which you
will focus.
2. As you read, keep the question in mind – begin to think of how you
it.
will respond to
B. Questions from which to choose:
1.
Metaphor and imagery contribute largely to Fitzgerald’s distinctive style in
The Great Gatsby. Write an essay analyzing three or more important
metaphors and explaining their contribution to the novel’s overall effect.
2.
Write an essay analyzing how race is represented in The Great Gatsby,
paying particular attention to Fitzgerald’s portrayal of Jewish and African
American characters and to Tom’s fascination with early-twentiethcentury theories of white superiority.
3.
Write an essay analyzing the role of women in The Great Gatsby, as
represented by Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle. What kind of influence or
power do they wield? Consider their social positions and interactions.
4.
The Great Gatsby has been called “the great American novel.” In what
5.
Social class plays a predominant role in The Great Gatsby. To what extent
does the novel critique class divisions, and to what extent does it endorse
them? Specifically, consider Nick’s comments about “a sense of the
fundamental decencies” … “parceled out unequally at birth” and what
Gatsby’s rise and fall say about the pursuit of wealth and status in the
world of the novel.
6.
What hierarchy of values does Fitzgerald establish in The Great Gatsby?
Based on your reading of the novel, which personal qualities does
Fitzgerald value most highly? Which does he condemn most strongly?
sense is the novel about a uniquely American experience? Why does
Fitzgerald compare Gatsby’s experience to that of the Dutch sailors who
encountered the “new world”?
9
AP LITERATURE AND COMPOSITON
SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS - # 3
IV.
POETRY AND THE NOVEL – DUE DATE: FIRST FULL DAY OF
CLASSES
Late arrivals will be graded no higher than 60.
A. Find a poem of significant literary merit that represents either a
theme or a character of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie AND of The
Great Gatsby - the novels you read for AP this summer.
In writing, explain your choices– how each poem relates to the
work/the character/the themes(s) of the novel.
PLEASE NOTE THAT UNCOMPLETED SUMMER WORK COULD RESULT
IN DISMISSAL FROM AP ENROLLMENT.
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
10
AP Rubrics
This is the generic rubric: for grading prose analysis papers.
9-8
Clearly demonstrates an understanding of the passage. Correctly identifies two
tones or sides of the author's attitude toward the subject in a well-written thesis.
Recognizes complexity of passage. Deals specifically with narrative techniques such as
Point of View, Syntax, Diction, Detail, Organization. Uses appropriate choices for
quotation or reference and selects appropriate number of choices from throughout the
passage. May be flawed, but nevertheless displays consistent control over the elements
of effective writing. Reveals the student's ability to read with perception and to express
ideas with clarity and skill.
7-6
Adequately demonstrates an understanding of the passage. Tone identification
may not be as precise or thesis as forcefully worded as a 9-8. Is not as thorough, precise
or aware of complexities as the top scoring papers. May deal with fewer narrative
techniques, and analysis may be less perceptive or less developed than that of the better
essays. Prose demonstrates ability to express ideas clearly but with less maturity and
control than the top-scoring papers. Generally, essays earning a score of 6 present a more
limited analysis and less consistent command of the elements of effective writing than
essays scored 7.
5
Often characterized by superficiality. Responds to the question without important
errors, but misses the complexity of the passage. Thesis may not reveal clear
understanding of author's tone(s). Only a vague relationship between paragraphs’
discussions of Point of View, Syntax, Diction, Detail, Organization and how these relate
to question. Choices of proof may be less effective than those in 9-6 range or not from
throughout the passage. Although adequate to convey the student's thoughts, the writing
is not as well conceived, organized or developed as that of papers scoring in the upper
half.
4-3
Attempts to explain the passage, but does so inaccurately or ineffectively. May
present misguided or underdeveloped analysis of Point of View, Syntax, Diction, Detail,
Organization and/or fail to relate them to the thesis. Mistakes examples of diction for
detail or vice versa. May involve paraphrasing and omitting analysis altogether.
Generally prose reveals weak control over writer's own elements as diction, organization,
syntax or grammar. A typical essay earning a score of 3 exhibits more than one of these
problems: it is flawed by weak writing skills, significant misinterpretations, inadequate
developments, or serious omissions.
2-1
Compounds the weaknesses of essays in the 3-5 range. Seriously misread the
passage or fails to respond adequately to the question. May be unacceptably brief or
poorly written on several counts, and may contained many distracting errors in grammar
and mechanics. Although the student may have attempted to answer the question, the
views presented typically have little clarity or coherence.
11
0
Off topic
This is the generic rubric for poetry:
9-8
These well-organized and well-written essays clearly demonstrate an
understanding of how------------------------------------ expresses the complex attitude of the
speaker. In their textual references they are apt and specific. Although the writers may
provide a range of interpretations, these papers will offer a convincing interpretation of
______________________ as well as consistent control over the elements of effective
composition, including the language unique to the criticism of verse. Though not
without flaws, they demonstrate the writers’ ability to read poetry perceptively and to
write with clarity and sophistication.
7-6
These essays reflect a sound grasp of ------------’s poem; but they are less
sensitive to the complexities of ---------------- than the best essays, and their interpretation
of the poem may falter in some particulars. Though perhaps not as thorough or precise in
their discussion of (how the speaker's tone) is revealed in the poem, their dependence on
paraphrase, if any, should be in the service of analysis. These essays demonstrate the
writers’ ability to express ides clearly, but they do not exhibit the same level of master,
maturity and/or control as the very best essays. These essays are likely to be briefer, less
incisive, and less well-supported than the 9-8 papers.
5
These essays are, at best, superficial. They respond to the assigned task yet
probably say little beyond the most easily-grasped observations. Their analysis of HOW
the author creates meaning may be vague, formulaic, or inadequately supported. They
may suffer from the cumulative force of many minor misreadings. They tend to rely on
paraphrase but nonetheless paraphrase which contains some implicit analysis.
Composition skills are at a level sufficient to convey the writer's thoughts, and egregious
mechanical errors do not constitute a distraction. These essays are nonetheless not as
well-conceived, organized, or developed as upper-half papers.
4-3 These lower-half essays reveal an incomplete understanding of the poem and
perhaps an insufficient understanding of the prescribed task as well: they may emphasize
literal description without discussing the deeper implications of the poem. The analysis
may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant or it may rely essentially on paraphrase.
Evidence from the text may be meager or misconstrued. The writing demonstrates
uncertain control over the elements of composition, often exhibiting recurrent stylistic
flaws and/or inadequate development of ideas. Essays scored 3 may contain significant
misreadings and/or unusually inept writing.
2-1 These essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3 range. They may
seriously misread the poem. Frequently, they are unacceptably brief. They are poorly
written on several counts and may contain many distracting errors in grammar and
mechanics. Although some attempt may have been made to respond ot the question, the
12
writer's assertions are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the text
of the poem.
0 A response with no more than a reference to the task.
- A blank paper or completely off-topic response.
Here is a rubric for use with open ended questions such as Question #3 on the AP Exam:
(With thanks to Gloria Wilkins, Oneida HS, Oneida, NY for this version)
9-8 Superior papers specific in their references, cogent in their definitions, and free of
plot summary that is not relevant to the question. These essays need not be without
flaws, but they demonstrate the writer's ability to discuss a literary work with insight and
understanding and to control a wide range of the elements of effective composition.
7-6 These papers are less thorough, less perceptive or less specific than 9-8 papers.
These essays are well-written but with less maturity and control than the top papers.
They demonstrate the writer's ability to analyze a literary work, but they reveal a more
limited understanding than do the papers in the 9-8 range. Generally, 6 essays present a
less sophisticated analysis and less consistent command of the elements of effective
writing than essays scored 7.
5 Superficiality characterizes these 4 essays. Discussion of meaning may be
pedestrian, mechanical, or inadequately related to the chosen details. Typically, these
essays reveal simplistic thinking and/or immature writing. They usually demonstrate
inconsistent control over the elements of composition and are not as well conceived,
organized, or developed as the upper-half papers. On the other hand, the writing is
sufficient to convey the writer's ideas.
4-3 Discussion is likely to be unpersuasive, perfunctory, underdeveloped or misguided.
The meaning they deduce may be inaccurate or insubstantial and not clearly related to the
question. Part of the question may be omitted altogether. The writing may convey the
writer's ideas, but it reveals weak control over such elements as diction, organization,
syntax or grammar. Typically, these essays contain significant misinterpretations of the
question or the work they discuss; they may also contain little, if any, supporting
evidence, and practice paraphrase and plot summary at the expense of analysis.
2-1 These essays compound the weakness of essays in the 4-3 range and are frequently
unacceptably brief. They are poorly written on several counts, including many
distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Although the writer may have made some
effort to answer the question, the views presented have little clarity or coherence.
13