Q.O.D. FAVORITE PHOENIX BOOK YOU’VE READ UP TO THIS POINT WELCOME!

AP LITERATURE EXAM PREP NOTES

7:45 am Competition Gym WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 TH

 picture ID  pencils / erasers  blue or black ink pens  watch  water  snack  tissues  jacket or sweater  mints or cough drops WHAT TO BRING:

LENGTH OF EXAM: 3 HOURS 2 SECTIONS: MULTIPLE CHOICE & ESSAY (WITH A SHORT BREAK BETWEEN)

 60 minutes  4-6 pieces of poetry and prose  questions SECTION 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE (45 % OF FINAL SCORE)

There is no penalty for incorrect answers. YAY! Your objective is to get through all of the questions; you don’t want to miss any you will get right. Mark the ones you can’t answer and move on. Go back and work the ones you skipped. Educated guessing is good strategy!! ANSWER ALL MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS.

120 minutes (2 hours) 3 essays: 1 poetry (verse) analysis 1 literary (prose) analysis 1 student choice analysis SECTION 2: ESSAY (55 % OF FINAL SCORE)

Diction Imagery Figurative Language Sounds/Rhyme Rhythm/Pace Patterns Shifts Organization/Structure Details Point-of-View Tone WHAT TO ANALYZE

ethos logos pathos This year, not “rhetorical” - instead it’s… “literary” devices “poetic” devices NO, NOT THIS YEAR!

You get to choose which book you write about, even if it’s not on the suggested list. Criteria….  it is of literary merit  you are very familiar with it  you haven’t simply watched a movie version of it! ESSAY #3: STUDENT CHOICE ANALYSIS

Explicitly say what the meaning is in your thesis. Meaning = Theme This is a story about _______________ and how _____________________________________. ESSAY 3 MAY BE ABOUT “THE MEANING OF THE WORK AS A WHOLE.”

Divide the 120 MINUTES as you see fit. Tackle the essays in any order. Keep track of your own time. Start Time: _____ Stop Time: _____ SUGGESTED TIMING: 2-3 MINUTES: UNDERLINE KEY WORDS IN THE PROMPT MINUTES: READ, RE-READ, ANNOTATE, PRE-WRITE MINUTES: WRITE THE ESSAY 2-3 MINUTES: PROOFREAD

HOW TO PREP…

SHOULD I READ ANOTHER BOOK?

 Option 1: Re-read any novel or play from 9 th -12 th grade assigned reading lists.  Option 2: Read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (a play; a comedy) COFFEE TALK REWIND!!

2 novels written in 20 th or 21 st centuries 2 novels written pre-20th century Be able to recall:  author  plot points  characters  conflicts  themes  what distinguishes the author’s style  opening and closing paragraphs  what makes the work unique … STORE IN YOUR MIND…

2 plays by Shakespeare 2 plays by other playwrights Be prepared to recall: the setting (place, time, social mores) major characters themes rising and falling action climax opening and closing scenes …STORE IN YOUR MIND…

NOW IS THE TIME FOR SPARKNOTES SOME GOOD NEWS…

Go to my website under “AP Exam Prep” handouts and websites will help you review Most important: Literary Analysis Terms WHEN YOU ARE READY TO REVIEW …

“show how…” “analyze the techniques…” “discuss the strategies…” “what devices are employed…” These are all asking the same thing: How does the author use words? DON’T LET THE WORDING OF THE PROMPT CONFUSE YOU OR CAUSE YOU UNCERTAINTY.

THE PASSAGES AND POETRY WILL BE FROM DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS AND WILL BE OF VARYING LENGTH AND DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY. If you read a passage or poem that you think is “hard” don’t panic. Take a breath, tell yourself, “Oh, here’s the hard one” and then give it your best!

 Let punctuation guide you as you read.  Chunk it up and paraphrase.  Begin with what you understand.  Look for patterns: words, images, sounds, etc. that seem to go together. What could these mean as a whole?  Notice SHIFTS (words like but and yet are indicators)  Remember: IMAGERY = MEANING! READING POETRY & SHAKESPEARE Don’t be intimidated by older pieces or by Shakespeare. Remember, it’s all English! Begin with what you understand and move forward.

HEY, AM I READY FOR THIS ? ABSOLUTELY!! Approach the exam with healthy respect and confidence. You’re going to have to work for it, but you can do it!

Dearest Seniors, I want you to know how delighted I am that you have chosen to take the AP Lit Exam. There is no doubt in my mind that when you bring your A-game, you will do well. You have worked with earnestness and diligence this year, and I am honored to point at you and say, “THAT is my Phoenix student!” ~ Mrs. C

OBSERVE QUESTION HYPOTHESIZE EXPERIMENT SHARE RESULTS Notice details of the text. Interact with and annotate the text. Address questions of how and why. Test your thinking against the thinking of others. Conclude and reflect. ANALYZING POETRY A LA’ THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD: