AP ENGLISH EXAM:
Poetry Essay
By: Jelani Fleming & Jasmine Tejada
Literary Devices for Poetry Essays
O ALLITERATION - is the repetition of initial
consonant sounds.
O ALLUSION - is a direct or indirect reference
to a familiar figure, place or event from
history, literature, mythology or the Bible.
O PARADOX - a statement in which there is an
apparent contradiction which is actually
true.
Literary Devices for Prose Passages
Cont’d
O ASSONANCE - is a close repetition of similar
vowel sounds, usually in stressed syllables.
O ATMOSPHERE / MOOD - is the prevailing
feeling that is created in a story or poem.
O CACOPHONY - Harsh sounds introduced for
poetic effect - sometimes words that are
difficult to pronounce.
O CLICHE - an overused expression that has
lost its intended force or novelty.
Literary Devices for Prose Passages
Cont’d
O ONOMATOPOEIA - the use of words which
sound like what they mean.
O OXYMORON - two words placed close
together which are contradictory, yet have
truth in them.
O RHYME SCHEME - any pattern of rhymes in
poetry. Each new sound is assigned the next
letter in the alphabet.
Literary Devices for Prose Passages
Cont’d
O SYMBOL - a symbol has two levels of meaning, a
literal level and a figurative level. Characters,
objects, events and settings can all be symbolic
in that they represent something else beyond
themselves.
O PERSONIFICATION - giving human attributes to
an animal, object or idea.
O METAPHOR - a comparison between two things
which are essentially dissimilar. The comparison
is implied rather than directly stated.
Some Important Literary Terms
O TONE - is the poet's attitude toward his/her
subject or readers. It is similar to tone of
voice but should not be confused with mood
or atmosphere. An author's tone might be
sarcastic, sincere, humorous . . .
O IRONY - is a literary device which reveals
concealed or contradictory meanings.
Some Important Literary
Terms
O FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE - Language used in
such a way as to force words out of their
literal meanings by emphasizing their
connotations to bring new insight and
feeling to the subject.
O IMAGERY - is the representation through
language of sense experience. The image
most often suggests a mental picture, but
an image may also represent a sound,
smell, taste or tactile experience.
Tips for Writing Your Essay
Paper
O Write Out The Instructions- Write out what your
instructor’s requirements in your own words so
that you understand what the instructor is
looking for. Check your interpretation with the
instructor just to be sure you have gotten it right.
Always keep the requirements in mind and
check back with the instructor once you have
something written so that you can be sure you
are on the right track. Many papers get bad
grades simply because they didn’t follow the
instructions
Tips for Writing Your Essay
Paper
O Map Out Your Goals- Map out your research
goals by making an initial list of the subtopics you expect to cover in your paper.
Keep in mind that these sub-topics may
change as you look more closely into the
subject
O Make Quality Notes-underline every quote,
statement or fact spot out when in need to
go back.
Tips for Writing Your Essay
Paper
O Proper Citations- Clearly label them.
O Grammar- Try to use sophisticated grammar
O Re-Read paper- Re-read your paper and go
over what you’ve wrote. Check for grammar
mistakes and other things
Conquering the Poetry Essay Question
(Thematic Focus)
Time Management
O Given time: 40 minutes
O 1-3 minutes to work the
O
O
O
O
prompt
5 minutes to read and
annotate the poem with
purpose
About 10 minutes to
pre-write
20 minutes to write the
essay
2-3 minutes to proofread
What To Do When...
O Working the prompt: Circle key words and identify
synonyms for them. This way, you know exactly what to
look for as you read poem.
O Annotating the poem: Think of the message the poet is
trying to convey and why the poet is writing about that
particular subject. Identify literary elements that you would
want to include in your essay and think of how they are
important to the poem as a whole.
O IMPORTANT: Underline or circle lines that you could
quote in your essay. These quotes serve to support your
ideas in your essay.
O Preparing to write: Compose an outline or graphic
organizer of some sort. This allows you to organize your
thoughts so that you can write them down in essay format
later on. Use your annotations to plan your writing as well.
You Will Be Expected To...
...Compare and contrast two
poems. If this is the case, the
poems would usually be on a
similar subject and you would
have to write about their
commonalities and differences.
You would also have to discuss
how each poet approaches their
subject and how they use poetic
devices similarly or differently.
O ...Choose literary elements and
clearly explain how the poet
uses them to get a message
across the readers and how
these literary elements are
important to the poem as a
whole. You are NOT restricted
to the suggested literary
elements.
O
Remember To...
O Look at the entirety of
the poem. Don't just
focus on one stanza or
one line.
O Show how things like
literary elements and
poetic devices
contribute to the poem
as a whole.
O Explain why the poet
has chosen to utilize
certain literary elements
in their poem.
AVOID...
O ...Using first-person
pronouns such as I,
me, you, we and us.
Instead, use words like
'the reader' or 'readers'.
O ...Being vague. Be clear
and straightforward in
your essay.
O ...Digressing from the
topic. Remember to
stay on topic in your
essay at all times.