AP Lit & Comp5/6 ‘19

1.Ten commandments of AP Lit

2.Important tips and reminders

3.AP Lit survival kit

The Ten Commandments of AP Lit

• I am the Prompt, thy Prompt; thou shalt have no other

Prompt before me. Thou shalt read the Prompt with rapt

attention; the Prompt is thy friend. Thou shalt address the

Prompt. Thou shalt not just get the general idea of the

Prompt, nor shalt thou fight the Prompt or substitute thine

own ideas for the Prompt, or simply restate the Prompt.

• Thou shalt not postpone, omit or bury thy Thesis

Statement.

• Thou shalt not commit plot summary, nor shalt though

cohabit with Reading Comprehension, for it is an

abomination in my sight.

The Ten Commandments of AP Lit

• Thou shalt not commit free-floating generalization, but shall

support and develop thy every assertion.

• Thou shalt not confuse complexity with confusion, or subtlety

with indecisiveness or shifting perspective with self-

contradiction; thou shalt not attribute thine own insensitivity or

ignorance to authorial ineptitude. The fact that thou gettest not

the point doesn't mean that the passage hath no point: thou hast

missed the point. Deal with it.

• Thou shalt read every MC question with the same exquisite

care that thou devotest to the essay Prompt: thou shalt not 'get

the drift.' By the same token, thou shalt strive to read what the

writer actually wrote, not what thou expectest him or her to

have written.

The Ten Commandments of AP Lit

• Thou shalt not finish early. Thou shalt spend plenty of thy

time planning thine essay responses and reading them

over.

• Thou shalt guess in an educated manner when thou

knowest not the answers.

• Thou shalt not merely identify literary and stylistic devices,

but shalt SHOW how they function.

• Thou shalt never permit thyself to become discouraged: I

am the prompt, thy Prompt. Thou shalt maintain thy

focus, attention and confidence. Yea, though thou hast

totally screwed up thy last essay, this next essay maketh a

fresh start.

FREE RESPONSE ESSAY• 1. Make a task list that includes everything the

prompt wants you to do.

• 2. Choose the work you’ll use and the theme

you’re going to focus on from that work. Then

write a strong thesis (use the “ultimately

revealing” template you’ve memorized.)

• 3. Organize your body paragraphs according to

TREX EX. Blend in lots of specific examples

from the work. Connect each paragraph back to

MOWAW (theme.)

FREE RESPONSE ESSAY• 4. Finish with at least one strong, insightful

concluding sentence –don’t repeat the thesis—

say something new that’s connected to the

universality of the heart of the prompt.

• 5. Book titles are underlined.

• 6. Review your flashcards!

THE POETRY ESSAY• 1. Find the heart of the prompt.

• 2. Read the poem SLOWLY, in sentences.

Read to figure out the heart of the prompt

BEFORE you figure out which devices you’ll

discuss. Read the poem more than once.

• 3. Organize your body paragraphs by concepts

(or by devices.) TREX EX EX

• 4. Use snippets for your examples. LOTS of

them.

• 5. Poem titles go in quotation marks.

THE POETRY ESSAY• 6. Remember that your thesis needs to address

the heart of the prompt: you can also mention

the devices but don’t have to.

• 7. Try to talk about the poem’s overall meaning

in some way.

• 8. Write a concluding statement that goes in its

own paragraph – make it something new or

insightful – not just a repeat of your thesis.

Connect it to heart of the prompt or overall

meaning.

Poetry prompt reminders

• Remember to take the time to annotate the poem or poems, before you write the essay. Look for deeper meaning (what is the poem saying about life (or whatever subject it’s addressing)?

• Then, for each element you discuss, connect how the element helps the author get to this meaning. This is what the readers are looking for!

• Do not say “narrator.” Refer to the poem’s main character as the speaker.

• Refer to the author as the poet.

• Poem titles are in quotation marks

• Cite lines of poetry in snippets to PROVE how the author is showing meaning. Try to include three snippets (at least) per paragraph (or per element.)

THE PROSE ESSAY• 1. Find the heart of the prompt.

• 2. Read the passage slowly, annotating carefully

for heart of the prompt and meaning.

• 3. After you’ve figured out how you’ll respond

to the heart of the prompt, choose the devices

you’ll discuss.

• 4. Write a thesis that addresses the heart of the

prompt.

• 5. Organize your body paragraphs by

characteristics rather than devices.

THE PROSE ESSAY• 6. Each body paragraph should be organized by

TREX EX EX.

• 7. Use direct quotes for your examples and

explain each one thoroughly, connecting it back

to the heart of the prompt.

• 8. Finish with at least one strong, insightful

concluding sentence –don’t repeat the thesis—

say something new that’s connected to the

universality of the heart of the prompt.

• 9. Use the prompt to punctuate the work title.

PROSE prompt reminders• Box, circle or underline the key words in the prompt. Make sure

you address these things in your essay. Find the heart of the

prompt.

• Read the passage slowly and carefully. Actually form the words

with your mouth, so you can “hear” the reading in your head.

• Remember to take the time to annotate as you’re reading. Use

brackets around paragraphs, underline or box things, etc. before

you write the essay. Look for HOW the author is using literary

devices to accomplish characterization or convey meaning. This is

what the readers are looking for!

• Excerpts from novels are underlined. Short story titles go in

quotes.

• Refer to the author by first and last name, then by last name only.

• Cite lines from the passage in snippets to PROVE how the author

is creating characterization or showing meaning.

– Use the literary terms flashcards on Classroom

to help familiarize yourself / refresh your

memory about lit terms you may find in

multiple choice questions / multiple choice

answer choices.

– Here’s another set of flashcards for lit terms.

– Here are flashcards for poetry terms.

– Reviewing these will help your comfort level

and cut down on anxiety.

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A few lit terms to review:

–APOSTROPHE

– Apostrophe – when an author or speaker addresses

(talks to) an abstract concept that cannot answer.

•Examples: “Oh, cruel fate”

•“Bright flower thou art.”

•“Death be Not Proud”

– Blank verse – poetry written in iambic pentameter

that doesn’t rhyme

– Free verse – poetry that has no rhyme OR meter

– Sestina – poetry in lines of six

– Sonnet – 14 line poem; the shift is always at line 9

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A few lit terms to review:

–LAST FEW TERMS

– Iambic pentameter – an iamb = 1 unstressed (u) then

1 stressed (/) syllable (de DUMM)

– Iambic pentameter = 5 iambs per line

Example: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

– It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

• Types of imagery: visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory

(taste), olefactory (smell)

• Remember enjambment & endstop

• Caesura – a pause that occurs within a line of poetry.

– 'Sing a song of sixpence, // a pocket full of rye.

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WRITE ENOUGH• Fully develop your essays: try to write at least 2

pages, 2.5 if possible.

• AP graders emphasize every year how they

could have scored an essay higher if the student

would have written more.

• Spend time planning your essay (10 minutes), and find some

angle, within the heart of the prompt, that you feel passionate

about, whether emotionally, intellectually, or philosophically

(passion moves readers).

• If the prompt refers to “literary devices” or any other

technical aspects of the work, ignore the reference and ask

first, “What is the heart of the prompt? THEN, ask “How is

that message delivered?” At this point, the devices should

suggest themselves in a context in which the technicalities of

the work will be seen to create its effectiveness rather than

obscuring its power.

• USE POE on the multiple choice questions –power of elimination.

• Cross out as many wrong choices as you can.

• Have a LOD ready. (letter of the day)

• Figure out which passage you’ll do first.

• Determine your time (12 or 15 minutes per passage)

• Star difficult (or time consuming )questions and fill in LOD. Then come back if you have time.

• Keep double checking your answer sheet to make sure you’re on the right number.

MC strategies:

• 1. You MUST discuss MOWAW (meaning of the work as a whole). If you don’t do this, your score drops to a 5.

• 2. You MUST discuss which techniques the author uses to portray the MOWAW.

• 3. You need specific textual support. You won’t be able to use quotes, but you need to give specific examples from the work (so a specific character’s actions, a specific scene, a specific event, etc.)

• 4. You must have a clear thesis. Don’t repeat the prompt word-for-word. Use the thesis template we learned. Try to add a little of your own style and flair. Thesis goes in the first paragraph (or is your first paragraph exclusively).

Must haves for the open quest.

• 5. Circle or box key words and tasks in the

prompt. You MUST address all parts of the

prompt. Failure to do so, again, drops your

score to a 5.

• 6. This essay prompt is all about theme. What

methods does the author use to convey

meaning (MOWAW)? Use the thesis

statement formula we learned in class earlier

this year.

Must haves for the open quest.

• 7. This essay is all about showcasing your analysis abilities. Do

NOT summarize the plot. The person who scores your essay

will be familiar with the work you’re using.

• 8. Organize clearly in paragraphs. Best bet? A brief intro or

just your thesis with mention of theme.

• Paragraph 1 = discuss first example/technique and relate to

theme.

• Paragraph 2 = discuss second example and relate to theme.

Paragraph 3 = discuss third example and relate to theme.

• You need at least a concluding statement. A brief concluding

paragraph is better, one in which you reiterate which methods

the author uses to make meaning.

Must haves for the OEQ

• 9. If specific literary techniques are given in the prompt,

address ALL of them with concrete examples. If the

choice is yours, choose the most sophisticated ones

possible.

• 10. Punctuation and handwriting count. Underline book

titles and pay attention to detail. WRITE IN PRESENT

TENSE.

• 11. Use ALL the time given. Proofread closely, if time

allows.

Must haves for the OEQ

• Here is a formula for writing a thesis statement that ironically won't read as formulaic. This model provides is a thesis statement which is sophisticated, in-depth, and complex. MEMORIZE THIS FORMULA!

In the ___________________ __________________________________,

(name the specific genre) (title of text punctuated correctly)

• _________________ _______________________

(author’s full name) (reflects upon, examines, or other SPICY verb)

________________,

(idea, issue or problem)

highlighting the tension between _______________ and __________________, (central opposition)

• (central opposition) ultimately revealing _______________________________.

• (THEME – statement about the human condition that transcends setting.)

• *Note how this formula identifies the central topic, recognizes complexity, and states theme--an ideal combination, as the AP Lit exam is all about complexity.

OEQ Thesis formula

• Watch a funny video or two right before you head into the test.

• Dress in layers and stay hydrated. Bring water with you in a sealed bottle or cup.

• Drink the same amount of caffeine you would normally have prior to the exam (no more or no less.)

• Eat breakfast that is high in protein. Even an Egg McMuffin would be good.

• Bring a high protein snack

• Bring extra pencils and pens and a watch with no alarm (and no smart capabilities.)

• Believe in yourself! You have prepped for this all year and know more than you think.

GENERAL REMINDERS

• I feel very confident about your abilities and the

likelihood of you performing well on the exam.

• If I believe in you, you should definitely believe

in you!

• You will do well!

• Please consider stopping by during the start of

third block on Wednesday and telling me how

it went.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

• Review your mini data works sheets (flashcards)

• Read through sample OEQ prompts. Find these on Classroom under exam prep.)

• Look through some sample prose & poetry prompts online (Classroom.) Read and annotate a few passages and jot down how you would write the essay.

• Perhaps do a few M/C questions on the practice sites on Classroom.

• Review verb/tone/lit term flashcards on Classroom. SPICY VERBS

MONDAY & TUESDAY NIGHTS