AP English Literature and Composition Syllabus
May 2011
Course Description
AP English Literature and Composition is a course designed for the student who is
dedicated to reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing about literature. This course
develops the student's critical analytic reading and writing skills as he or she explores
different genres, styles, and periods of literature. Emphasis is placed on the historic
archetype, how writers have adapted and reinvented the archetype using the historic and
cultural influences of the times in which the works were written, as well as the writer’s
use of structure, style, themes, and other influences. In the process of this exploration,
students will not only make connections with historic time periods, themes, and values
but also apply them to their twenty-first century world. Students will engage in the
process of reading, analyzing, writing, rewriting, and conferencing with the teacher to
prepare for the AP examination to earn college-level credits. Summer reading is
required.
AP Units Overview
Students in our school have one-to-one computer access in English classes. Wherever
possible, students will access materials online. Classroom sets of novel and plays by
British and American writers are provided. The literature anthology has many of the
poems, short stories, and essays, with inclusive sections on writing and analysis. An
assessment of the quality and artistic achievement of literary works and a consideration
of their social and cultural values are essential components. Students will examine the
writer’s style, structure, and themes by comparing/contrasting archetypes, the historical
period, literary period, cultural group, roles of men and women, etc. Critical thinking and
synthesis of all aspects are crucial.
The teacher will pre-test and posttest students on grammar and usage. Emphasis will be
placed on development of sentence structure coordination, subordination, and sentence
variety. Correct placement of modifiers and parallel structure will be stressed. Grammar
and usage lesson will evolve with rewrites and continuing instruction with writing style
and structure. (Reading Jonathan Swift usually puts coordination and subordination into
perspective.)
Note-taking is required for background and historical information on the literary time
periods, archetypes, and other reading. Cornell Note-Taking templates and other graphic
organizers will be used. Documentation of sources is required.
 A word about plagiarism: When in doubt, document. Students are expected to
submit some assignments using Turnitin.com.
Students will practice timed writing in class and are expected to conference with the
teacher both in and out of class. The teacher is available before and after school as well
as during the preparation period. Instruction and feedback on students' writing
assignments both before and after they revise their work will be provided in order to help
the students develop a balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail.
Practice for the AP English Literature Test will ongoing throughout the year.
Summer Reading Requirements: Students will check out selected novels and plays.
Journals will be kept using journal format provided by teacher. Students are
expected to read the texts and write in journals to enhance critical thinking and
record observations, reflections, and reactions. Some writing assignments during
the course may be derived from the students’ journals. Active participation in
journaling will be one way of acquiring points for the inevitable grade. Please
answer in your journal the question “What is metafiction?”
Summer Reading List: Please use the Double-Entry Journal Template ***for a guide to
complete the Summer Reading Assignment. These journals will be used to for
discussion, possible study groups, and writing assignments. (More is better.) Journals
will be assessed.
The List:
Mandatory texts for summer are noted. All are recommended.
Novels
Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible.
Miller, Walter, Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.
Plays
Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus.
Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew
Shakespeare, William. Othello
Sophocles, Antigone
Mythology Links: Some have student resources links including some quizzes that you
might find helpful. Other sites are inappropriate. You will be better served to check out
some mythology texts at our local library or ask your teacher for one of her many
resources.
Short Stories
Asimov, Isaac. “Nightfall”
Benet, Stephen Vincent. “By the Waters of Babylon”
Bradbury, Ray. Read 3 choices from The Martian Chronicles. (Recommended:
“There Will Come Soft Rains” (August 4, 2026/2057) “Usher II” (April
2005/2036), “Night Meeting” (August 2002/2033).
Vonnegut, Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron”
First Quarter
The first week will include the grammar and usage pretest.
 Introduction to Course: Some Common Writing Assignments: Explication,
Analysis, Comparison and Contrast (Literature, The Human Experience. 4962.)
Unit I-Poetry - 3 Weeks Intensive
The study will include aspects of historical, cultural, and societal natures as well as
analysis of structure, style, theme, imagery, and scansion. In Literature, The Human
Experience, students will be introduced to “Responding to Literature,”( 22); “Reading
Actively,” (5); “Reading and Thinking Critically,” “Reading Poetry,” (11); “Annotating
While You Read,” (19); etc. Instruction includes “Word Choice,” (12); “Figurative
Language,” (13); and “The Music of Poetry” (15). Packets may be provided.
 Students will study a cross-section of poetry from Anglo-Saxon epic and lyric
poetry, and sonnets to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Milton, Blake, Keats, Shelley,
Browning, Marlowe, and Yeats from Literature, The Human Experience.
(Boccaccio’s influence will be covered with Chaucer.)
 War poetry and social/cultural themes, including Longfellow, Randal Jarrell,
Pablo Neruda, Ruben Dario, Gabriela Mistral, Jose Marti, Alfonsin Storni will be
presented in packets and online.
 Character development, point of view, satire, voice, tone, syntax, artistry and
quality,
and poetic conventions of each writer will be emphasized.
 Kings James Edition of The Holy Bible will be used for some archetypal
references.
 Students will read “Writing About Literature” (Literature, The Human
Experience. 37).
 Weekly analytical writing assignments will be given in class for as well as
overviews of AP Poetry sample testing, reaction papers, and vocabulary study.
 These assignments will build to the creative and larger assignments for writer’s
workshop.
Writer’s Workshop: 2 Weeks - Expository and creative pieces are required.
Required: Choose 1.
1. Expository, analytical essays and/or analytical, argumentative essays in which
students draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work's
artistry and quality. Choose 1.
 Compare/contrast 3 poems or one longer work of one of the major poets
studied doing complete analysis of structure, scansion, style, theme, any
literary devices and uses of imagery. Is the writer’s work and style
representative of the literary time period? Is the writer’s work relevant in the
twenty-first century? Who uses similar themes today? Is this writer’s work
an archetype? Example: William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs
of Experience” or Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner.
or
 Compare/contrast 3 poems of two of the major poets studied doing complete
analysis, of structure, scansion, style, theme, any literary devices and uses of
imagery. Is the writers’ works and styles representative of their literary time
periods? Are the writers’ works relevant in the twenty-first century? Who
uses similar themes today? Is this writers’ works following an archetype?
or
 Propose analysis of 3 war or protest poetry writers. Pattern your thesis
following the format of the other choices.
Creative assignments include using epic, lyric, blank verse, rhyme, and meter as
well as creative writing. Students are expected to meet with the teacher for
conferences before, during, and after for help with format and revisions so the
students develop a balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail.
Required: Choose one from the following.
 Synthesize and apply what you have learned about the Anglo-Saxon time
period and Anglo-Saxon poetry by creating an original narrative poem and an
original lyric poem employing the conventions and artistry of the genre as
well as effective use of rhetoric including controlling tone and a voice
appropriate to the writer. (2 POEMS)
or
 CSI Canterbury: Students will synthesize their knowledge of Chaucer’s time
period and Canterbury Tales as they exercise ingenuity in creating the murder
of the Wife of Bath and in solving the crime scenario using what they have
learned about characterization, voice, the period, language, societal customs,
and men and women’s roles. (Yes, you will have to create your character as
well.)
or
 Propose a creative assignment that will dazzle and amaze your AP teacher and
any writer you have studied. The project must be well-planned and achievable in
the time frame allotted for the proposal to be accepted.
Papers due: September 6th at 3:05 p.m.
Unit II - Drama - 4 weeks
This genre contains poetry and prose.
Introductory reading includes the following. “Reading Drama” (Literature, The Human
Experience. 22). “Responding to your Reading” ” (Literature, The Human Experience.
37). “Looking Deeper: From Myth to Tragedy, Aristotle/from The Poetics” (238-245)
Required: The Purdue OWL Logic in Argumentative Writing handout available online
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu) “Using Logic,” “Logical Fallacies,” “Improprieties,”
“The Rhetorical Situation: Audience and Text” “Essay Writing, The debatable thesis
statement.”
 Analyze Sophocles’ Antigone, (514-545): focusing on themes of justice,
authority, men and women’s roles, minor characters, and chorus and other Greek
Theater conventions.

Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus (Research Faust Legend from Goethe and
archetype).
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William Shakespeare’s Othello. (Literature, The Human Experience. 1144-1235.)
Tragedy: Manipulation, men’s and women’s roles are some of the highlights.
Students will explore the use of catharsis in tragedy.
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Comedy: Manipulation, men’s and
women’s roles…. Students will explore the use of catharsis in comedy.
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The Drama Unit will feature timed writings about catharsis, themes, Greek Theatre and
its dramatic structure versus that of Shakespeare and Marlowe’s time,
protagonist/antagonist. Persuasive and argumentative essays as well as essays dealing
with artistry and imagery are expected.
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An argumentative research paper exploring the historical, cultural time periods
and societal mores will be combined with the students’ literary analysis as well as
primary and secondary sources. Length is five to seven pages. Read “The
Research Paper” (Literature, The Human Experience, 63-77).
 Rewrites are expected. There is no good writing; there is only good
rewriting." ~ Justice Louis Brandeis
Writer’s Workshop: Instruction and feedback on students' writing assignments
both before and after they revise their work will be provided in order to help the
students develop a balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail.
Students will be given mini-lessons on thesis writing and graphic organizers for the
organization of argumentative essays and other papers. Students will meet individually
with the AP teacher to critique thesis, structure of preliminary outlines, rough and final
drafts. Evaluation of areas to be revised and then final rewrites will be reviewed with the
student. Students are reminded to keep up with assignments so their needs can be met in
a timely manner.
*Preliminary Drafts due by October 3rd
Final paper due by October 12th - 3:05 p.m.
Second Quarter
Unit III - Reflection 1-2 Weeks
Reflection is an integral part of learning.
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Students will meet with AP teacher to evaluate, reflect, and assess their writing
and growth as a writer.
Students will evaluate their writing using AP Rubrics.
Study groups will choose topics from reflections and writings for Socratic
Seminar.
Meeting with the AP teacher one last time, students will create a final revision on
the drama research paper.
Unit IV – Essays and Other Prose - 3 Weeks
Read “The Sting of Satire” by Robert DeMaria, Jr. (Elements of Literature, 6th Course,
614). The historic time period of the Restoration with the social, governmental, and
religious aspects will be featured. Writers will include Jonathan Swift, Thurber (637642), Mark Twain (633). Writers will not be limited to one period. Looking Deeper:
From History to Literature (657-665).
Teach “A Modest Proposal,” (625) and then excerpts from Gulliver’s Travels.
 Critical analysis of texts, compare/contrast issues, explications and
reaction/reflections are required. Tone and rhetoric used by the writer will be
emphasized. Keep up on the reading! Students will be participating in timed
writing essays in class during this portion unit.
 Emphasis will be place on students’ use of language, sentence structure, and
format when addressing writing prompts and analysis of essays structure, style,
and voice.
 Feedback will be given to the class as a group and individually.
 Mini-lessons and packets reviewing grammar usage and problem areas of student
writings are part of this unit. Individual instruction will be available in revision
conferences.
Unit IV – Novel - 4 Weeks
The English Romantic Hero will be studied in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the
archetype of Prometheus Myth. Who is the real monster? Socratic Seminars may be
used to generate discussion for writing topics with analysis of literary devices, structure,
character development, men’s and women’s roles. Is Beowulf’s Grendel an archetype for
The Creature? (Gardener’s Grendel is a possibility for comparison.)
 Nonfiction argumentative essays topics may include research into the ethics of
organ transplant, cloning, and stem cell research. Is Victor Frankenstein the
archetype for today’s researcher?
 Is the Victor Frankenstein a monster or a role model? Are religious and cultural
beliefs secondary to science?
 Graphic organizers, vocabulary study, quizzes and tests are part of the process.
Students are required to choose argumentative essay topics that tie issues in Mary
Shelley’s Frankenstein to topics that are relevant today. Students must meet with the AP
teacher to finalize topics, thesis statements and structure of argumentative essay.
Working outlines and rough drafts are due by the end of Week 3.
Final Paper due December 16th by 3:05 p.m.
Students must make and keep appointments with AP teacher outside of class to discuss
the assessment and any revision of the Frankenstein paper before the end of January.
(This counts as participation and responsibility.)
End of First Semester: Review Sentence Structure, Writing Concepts
Conferences, Finals (Posttest on grammar, usage, sentence structure!)
Third Quarter-Second Semester Begins!
Unit V - Modern Novels – 6 weeks
Novels will be outlined and discussed in detail. Assessments will be given.
 Both the teacher and students will prepare Socratic Seminar questions on social
issues from texts.
Writing assignments: Students may choose two of the following novels to compare and
contrast for literary and artistic quality as well as to examine the historical, political,
societal, and cultural time periods. Asterisks denote the novels to be paired. Short
writings and journals may be used to develop final argumentative papers to culminate the
novel study.
 Documentation: Writing a Research Essay in Literature
 Online sources such as the Owl at Purdue with its segments on Argumentation,
Logic; MLA documentation (use current edition); other forms of documentation.
*Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
(Also, read poem “Voice of Africa” by Antonio de Castro Alves)
*You must research the historical background involving Africa and its conquest Belgium
Congo, King Leopold, the involvement of the United Nations and the United
States.
*Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver Compare/contrast to characters, themes,
settings, archetypes studied. Be aware of the importance of palindromes, malapropisms,
puns, satire, and irony of all kinds.
* Kingsolver’s female characters all carry the “horror” of their experiences in
Africa. How is this so?
*In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alvarez - Compare to today or to any of the oppressions
in other reading about Dominican Republic’s Trujillo
 Can you find Christ figures, martyrs, historical fiction, the role of religion/church,
treatment of women/girls?
 Make sure you read Julia Alvarez’s own discussion of event in her life and why
she wrote the book!
 Conquest, dictators and freedom fighters are all part of the cultural and historic
**Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter Miller, Jr.
**Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Please look up the Latin phrases!
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(Students, having read science fiction short story selections from Bradbury,
Asimov, and Vonnegut from the Summer Reading List, will decide how the
stories fit into the literary time period and genre.)
(Do you find elements from Frankenstein in Brave New World? Others?)
Alternate: O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried.
This novel, set in Vietnam and telling O’Brien’s story through the experiences of the
band of soldiers, brings in another story of political, social, geographic, etc., upheaval.
Compare to the Congo and to 21st century struggles around the globe.
Putting it all together! Students will choose their research and analytical assignment from
the foregoing choices of novels, comparing issues, styles, artistry, and injustices to create
the final argumentative research paper. (8-10 pages required) Topics should be chosen
by the end of January.
Writer’s Workshop – 2 Weeks
Conferences, writing, rewriting. Students must meet with the AP teacher to finalize
topics, thesis statements and structure of argumentative essay/ literary analytical papers.
Working outlines and rough drafts are due by February 16th.
 Students must meet with AP teacher for critiquing, revising, etc., to ensure the
success of the assignment.
 Final Papers due February 24th at 3:05 p.m.
Fourth Quarter
**Final conferences to discuss the assessment and any revision of Modern
Novel papers. AP Rubric.
Unit VI - Final Prep and AP Testing - 4 Weeks
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AP Exam Practice will consist of following formats and materials provided by
instructors at AP College Board sessions and other materials provided.
Intensive review and critiquing of student work to ensure the structure and syntax
of students’ prose is polished and precise.
Instruction on and analysis of sample tests.
Times practice testing.
Peer evaluation of student papers using the AP rubric
Study Groups focus on review of key concepts, topics, and formation of theses for
analysis, reflection, and reaction. Groups, using Intelliboard, multimedia
resources in classroom or otherwise, will present reviews of major genres and
concepts studied. Example: Explication of an essay or annotating of a poem.
Week of AP Test: (Required: A positive mental outlook, good eating, and stable
sleep habits. Turn off your electronic devices!!!)
Unit VII - End of Course after AP English Literature and Composition
Exam – 1-2 weeks (approximately)
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Create final portfolio of best writing and a digital storytelling of your AP odyssey.
Final: Presentation of your multimedia odyssey using digital storytelling.
The final also includes a Final Reflection and a letter to next year’s AP students.
Grading Scale
Course Work Percent of Final Grade
In-class writings, discussion, and activities - 30%
Out-of-class writings and other assignments - 40%
Completion of other class requirements (reading the material; attendance; commitment) 30%
Numerical Average Letter Grade
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
Below 60 F
No work submitted 0
*AP Scoring Rubrics will be used.
AP English Literature and Composition Textbooks
Abcarian, Richard and Marvin Klotz, eds. Literature, the Human Experience. Ninth
Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press.
*Abrams, M.H. et al, eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Third Edition,
Vol.1.
Holman, C. Hugh and William Harmon, eds. A Handbook to Literature, Fifth Edition.
Elements of Writing, Complete Course. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Elements of Literature, Sixth Course. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
The Holy Bible, KJB edition (text or online)
Bullfinch, Thomas. Bullfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable
Zimmerman, J.E. Dictionary of Classical Mythology
Novels - Selected from these
Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness.
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World
Miller, Walter, Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz.
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.
Plays
Marlowe, Christopher. The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus.
Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew
Shakespeare, William. Othello
Sophocles. Antigone
Short Stories
Asimov, Isaac. “Nightfall”
Benet, Stephen Vincent. “By the Waters of Babylon”
Bradbury, Ray. Read 3 choices from The Martian Chronicles. Recommended: “There
Will Come Soft Rains” (August 4, 2026/2057) “Usher II” (April 2005/2036), “Night
Meeting” (August 2002/2033).
Vonnegut, Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron”
*Assorted poems and short stories from anthologies as listed in syllabus