AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesTHE COURSE: Welcome to AP Literature and Composition! This course follows the requirements set forth by the College Board in the AP English Literature and Composition Course Description. From the first day in this classroom, you will become acquainted with the vocabulary, skills, and literary knowledge to be successful on the AP test, and more importantly for college-level writing and reading. We will routinely practice and discuss the multiple-choice and essay components of the AP exam. All essays are modeled after, or taken from previously published AP exams, and you will have the opportunity to write both in-class essays and extended formal essays with opportunities for revision. Reading materials include texts from a variety of genres, time-periods, and perspectives.

THIS CLASS IS CONSIDERED A COLLEGE LEVEL CLASS! Here at Franklin, there are no prerequisite classes, grades, test scores or teacher recommendations necessary to take AP Literature. This means is that you are all coming to this class with different abilities, academic needs, experiences, and perspectives. Consequently, respect for others and patience are paramount, and my instruction will run the gamut from basic skills to complex concepts. To be successful in this class, you must take responsibility for your own learning, and commit yourself to self-reflection, self-improvement, and practice. This practice includes extensive reading and writing in and out of class; assignments will be intellectually demanding, dense, and occasionally frustrating. But do not fret! My job is to assist you in navigating this course and to facilitate your learning.

HOMEWORK AND PREPARATION: I expect you to come each day prepared, and to attempt to challenge yourself and others in an academically appropriate manner. With a dedication to advancing your reading, writing, and thinking, all of which are infinitely improvable, you will be successful in this course. My goal is to assess where each individual student currently rests in his or her ability to read, understand, discuss, and write about literature, and then provide the knowledge, skills, and individual feedback to assist you in improving your critical reading, writing, and thinking.

All students are expected to take the exam in May. For you who are worried that the cost of the test may be prohibitive, I will organize a Free and Reduced Lunch sign up the first weeks of school. If you qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, not only will you be eligible for reduced AP test costs, but also lower SAT, ACT, ASB and college application fees.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS: If you are consistently absent or tardy, you will miss both class work and instruction, which will negatively affect your grade. In order to make up missed work from an excused absence (not including papers/drafts-see below), you must obtain a pink slip within 3 days from the attendance office to show me; retroactive pink slips will not be accepted. A pink slip entitles you to as many days as your excused absence to make up the work. Make up work will not be assigned during regular class activities; please see me outside of class. I will not follow up with you for the pink slip or make up work—that is your responsibility. All work is due when it is due, and if you choose to receive full credit your work must be on time. If your absence or tardy is unexcused, you cannot make up the work. Papers and drafts are due by midnight on the due date (you may turn it into me in person, send an emissary, make sure it is in my box in the Main Office before it closes, or e-mail it to me by midnight). If you miss class on the due date (even if it is an excused absence), you must submit your paper before 12:00 a.m. If you, your parents, your guardians, or your friends do not have an e-mail account, I would suggest you go to the public library and sign up for one. Papers must be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, which I will demonstrate in class.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS1. The course teaches students to write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful

observation of textual details, considering the work's: Structure, style, and themes The social and historical values it reflects and embodies Such elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone

The primary focus of 1st semester is students’ acquisition of the vocabulary and skills necessary to analyze literature, and then practice literary analysis writing in the expository, analytical, and argumentative modes. Specifically, we will work on annotation, for which students will receive daily points based on nightly reading assignments. Annotation will build upon the knowledge many students already have of Talking to the Text.

Students will also generate discussion questions, and keep dialectical Reading Journals (some of you may be familiar with the similar format of Cornell Notes). The Reading Journal is essentially a dialogue between you and the texts you read, a conversation between the ideas found in what you are reading and YOUR ideas. For each text/reading assignment students should create an entry in their Reading Journals, the contents of which will be an invaluable resource for test preparation. Reading Journals will also facilitate students becoming accustomed to identifying the elements of literature and literary devices in the texts that we read. Please organize your Reading Journals similarly to the format below. Make sure to include the following (when applicable) for EACH reading assignment:

Date: Text: Pages/Chapters:

What is occurring in the text… Your response to the text…Plot structure; point of view; author’s tone; mood; setting; detailed list of significant characters; allusions; evidence of author’s style; examples of irony; examples of figurative language; examples of imagery; examples of symbolism; examples of other literary devices;

Your observations; your likes; your dislikes; significant themes addressed; the social and historical values the piece reflects and embodies

REQUIRED FOR EACH ENTRY: Minimum of THREE discussion questions (can be fact or interpretive); Minimum of ONE significant quotation

To incorporate the Franklin Handbook for Scholars into the class, as it is a school-wide expectation for the Handbook to be 5% of students’ grades in all classes, our daily warm-up exercise will utilize the Handbook. There will be a definition on the screen of a mythological, literary, symbolic or historic nature that students should copy into their Handbooks. These definitions will assist students to build schema that they will be able to apply to their reading, and therefore their writing, as the definitions appear as allusions in literature. If students have an unexcused tardy or absence they cannot make up that day’s Handbook points.

2. The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write and rewrite formal, extended analyses and timed, in-class responses. The course requires: Writing to understand: Informal, exploratory writing activities that enable

students to discover what they think in the process of writing about their reading (assignments will include annotation, free-writing, keeping a reading journal, Socratic Seminar preparation assignments, and response/reaction papers)

Writing to explain: Expository, analytical essays in which students draw upon

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

textual details to develop an extended explanation/interpretation of the meanings of a literary text (assignments will include practice AP essays, personal essay for college preparation, 1st-3rd quarter outside reading essays on short stories, Death of a Salesman, and The Road).

Writing to evaluate: Analytical, argumentative essays in which students draw upon textual details to make and explain judgments about a work's artistry and quality, and its social and cultural values (assignments will include practice AP essays, tragedy essay, narrative perspective essay, poetry essay, Author Project essay)

3. The AP teacher provides instruction and feedback on students' writing assignments, both before and after the students revise their work, that help the students develop: A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and effectively A variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and

coordination Logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such

as repetition, transitions, and emphasis A balance of generalization and specific, illustrative detail An effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and

maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure

We will begin the year by learning how to create a “skeleton” of an effective essay, the characteristics of the different types of writing mentioned above, focusing on the importance of pre-writing and the recursive nature of the writing process. As we progress and students become more adept at writing independently, class time will be used for calibration to the 9-point scoring guide using student examples from previous years’ tests, review of student writing examples, peer review, and individual student/teacher conferences. Many essays will be evaluated without student names attached. Essay prompts will cover a variety of topics, and will all relate to the types of questions asked on the AP test, including free-response analyses of literary passages and poetry in which students will examine how elements of literature contribute to the meaning of a text or compare and contrast texts, and also open response questions in which students will be given a prompt and asked to choose a relevant work of literature to discuss the question.

I will provide instruction on writing using The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White. Each formal extended writing assignment will require multiple drafts, be required to follow MLA format, and will be peer edited at least one time before the revised draft is submitted for a grade. All writings will be assessed according to either the 9-point rubric or the Franklin High School Level II Rubric, both of which are attached. After students’ papers are returned with scores and teacher comments, papers become the touchstone for further writing improvement; we will also anonymously score students’ practice AP essays as a class, and students will be asked to occasionally score their own essays based on the 9-point rubric. If a student scores his or her paper within one point of what I have given the paper, I will give the student the higher score. Each draft of every formal essay is required to be turned in ON TIME in order to receive points. Again, as this is essentially a college course, I am holding you to college standards of timeliness. To ensure that you turn in these drafts on time, I will advise students of the due date at least a week before, and this information will be on the Source as well for parents and guardians to view.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesWe will discuss the following aspects of writing both discretely, and vis-à-vis the literature we read: Pre-Writing Drafting Editing Revision Research Plagiarism Voice

Organization Subordination

and Coordination

Fragments and Run-ons

Diction Syntax

Thesis Introduction Conclusion Transitions Varying

Sentence Structure

Parallel Structure

Choosing Details, Textual Support, or Evidence

Leading into and Explaining Textual Support

Peer-Review (how-to)

I will identify problems with grammar, mechanics, organization, diction, syntax, sentence fluency etc. in students’ writing and base classroom writing instruction on students’ needs. Students may increase formal paper grades through excellent revision. Writing is a process, and in this class students are expected to embrace all aspects of this process. Through repeated practice, the reading of excellent writing both in literature and students’ writings, and with openness to giving and receiving constructive and thoughtful feedback, students should expect to improve their writing abilities.

4. The course includes an intensive study of representative works such as those by authors cited in the AP English Course Description, including literature from both British and American writers, as well as works written in several genres from the sixteenth century to contemporary times. The works selected for the course should require careful, deliberative reading that yields multiple meanings.

This course, in addition to requiring extensive opportunities to write, is, at its heart, about reading great literature. The AP English Course Description says that in AP Literature, students, “…read deliberately and thoroughly, taking time to understand a work’s complexity, to absorb its richness of meaning, and to analyze how that meaning is embodied in literary form. In addition to considering a work’s literary artistry, students reflect on the social and historical values it reflects and embodies. Careful attention to both textual detail and historical context provides a foundation for interpretation.” The Description goes on to outline three foundational elements to such reading: “the experience of literature, the interpretation of literature, and the evaluation of literature. By experience, we mean the subjective dimension of reading and responding to literary works, including pre-critical impressions and emotional responses. By interpretation, we mean the analysis of literary works through close reading to arrive at an understanding of their multiple meanings. By evaluation, we mean both an assessment of the quality and artistic achievement of literary works and a consideration of their social and cultural values. All three of these aspects of reading are important for an AP English Literature and Composition course.”

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesANNUAL COURSE SCHEDULE & LITERATURE OVERVIEWUNIT 1—WELCOME TO AP English Literature and Composition® (approximately 1.5 WEEKS)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, I will review the course syllabus, and begin to create a classroom culture of excellence and risk through icebreaker activities. Students will be exposed to the Major Works Data Sheet format (attached). Students will write an in-class, practice Open Response AP essay as a diagnostic. Students will also choose one novel or play of literary merit from the Reading List to expand their exposure to literature and to begin their reading for the Author Project. Finally, students will complete the vocabulary pre-assessment, which will form the basis for the Mid-term exam, from which I will gauge what students already know and what I will need to teach them.

I will also introduce the format of the AP test by giving a practice multiple-choice section and both a practice prose and poetry essay question serving as pre-assessments of students’ writing levels and critical reading abilities. After these tests, we will debrief, I will introduce the 9-Point Scoring Guide and we will practice evaluating these essays. Finally, I will introduce the reading skill of annotation, and the course requirement of the Reading Journal and further explain the Major Works Data Sheet. Finally, eligible students will sign up for Free and Reduced Lunch. For 2011, the fee for each AP Exam is $87. Student eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch should expect to pay between $0-$57 per exam.

ASSIGNMENTS: vocabulary pre-assessment (AP Monster Vocabulary List), practice multiple-choice sections, practice essay (open ended), diagnostic prose and poetry essay questions, Major Works Data Sheets for a literary work student has read before.

1ST QUARTER OUTSIDE OF CLASS READING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ASSIGNMENTS: Students will read four self-selected short stories from either Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Fiction or Aiiieeeee!: An Anthology of Asian American Writers on their own. Books will be handed out by SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 and the stories must be read, and Reading Journals entries completed by NOVEMBER 1, 2010. Students are expected to complete a Reading Journal entry for each story.

UNIT 1.5—INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR PROJECT—SENIOR PAPER (1 week in October)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, students will choose an author from AP English Course Description on whom to conduct research. Authors must be approved by me. Students will then read at least three novels/plays written by that author (1 book 1st Quarter, 1 book 2nd Quarter, and 1 book 3rd Quarter). Students will have to obtain these novels/plays on their own or from the library. The

I expect students to complete the reading of their three novels/plays and Major Works Data Sheets by the AP test (1 per Quarter). After the test, students will continue their research of critical sources (see Unit 7) and complete the Senior Paper.

Author Project Assignment: The FIRST Major Works Data Sheet for the first novel/play must be completed by NOVEMBER 1, 2010.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesUNIT 2—INTRODUCTION TO READING AND WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE WITH SHORT STORIES (approximately 6 WEEKS)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, we will use short stories to introduce different elements of literature. In addition to the vocabulary accompanying the short stories, I will introduce additional vocabulary and Literary Devices (as found on the pre-assessment), the Journey Motif, traditional and modern Archetypes, the writing skills of developing a thesis, the differences between Expository, Analytical, and Argumentative Writing.

READING A STORY & FABLE AND TALE (pages 3-5, all page numbers refer to your literature book, COPY indicates that the story is in your Short Story Packet)TEXTS: Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, ed., seventh edition, Longman Press, 1999; Short Story Packet, The Appointment in Samarra by W. Somerset Maugham (4), Godfather Death by the Brothers Grimm (6-8)VOCAB: FICTION, FABLE, TALE, TALL TALE, FAIRY TALE (as you read in the literature book, revise/fill in your vocabulary assessment)

WITH THIS FIRST READING, BEGIN YOUR READING JOURNAL IN ITS OWN SECTION OF YOUR NOTEBOOK. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST TWO PAGES PER WORK. AS WE MOVE THROUGH AND LEARN NEW ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE YOU SHOULD

GO BACK AND ADD DEFINITIONS TO YOUR MONSTER VOCAB LIST.

PLOT/SHORT STORY (9-12)TEXTS: A & P by John Updike (12-17) VOCAB: DRAMATIC SITUATION, EXPOSITION, COMPLICATION, PROTAGONIST/HERO, SUSPENSE, ANTAGONIST, FORESHADOWING, CRISIS, CLIMAX, CONCLUSION/RESOLUTION, DÉNOUEMENT, PLOT, FLASHBACK, SUMMARY, SHORT STORY, EPIPHANY, STORY OF INITIATION

POINT OF VIEW (20-26)TEXTS: A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (26-33), The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (33-37), We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? by Achy Obejas (COPY) VOCAB: NARRATOR, POINT OF VIEW, OMNICIENT, EDITORIAL OMNISCIENCE, IMPARTIAL OMNISCIENCE, LIMITED/SELECTIVE OMNISCIENCE, OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW, INNOCENT/NAÏVE NARRATOR, UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS, INTERIOR MONOLOGUE

CHARACTER (60-63)TEXTS: Eveline by James Joyce (COPY) –Practice Test 1972, Everyday Use by Alice Walker (71-78) VOCAB: STOCK CHARACTERS, MOTIVATION, FLAT/STATIC, ROUND/DYNAMIC, ALLUSION, AND ANTIHERO

SETTING (92-94)TEXTS: A Pair of Tickets by Amy Tan (119-134), Soldier’s Home by Ernest Hemingway (COPY) VOCAB: SETTING, NATURALISM

TONE AND STYLE (137-141)TEXTS: Popular Mechanics by Raymond Carver (COPY) VOCAB: TONE, STYLE, DICTION, AND MINIMALISTS

IRONY (158-159)

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesTEXTS: The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant (160-166)VOCAB: VERBAL IRONY/SARCASM, IRONIC POINT OF VIEW, COSMIC IRONY, SITUATIONAL IRONY, AND DRAMATIC IRONY

THEME (175-177)TEXTS: Love in L.A. by Dagoberto Gilb (COPY), The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (444)VOCAB: THEME, PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE QUESTIONS ON 176-177 THAT YOU SHOULD ASK ABOUT A STORY! See pages 1995-2001 for examples of themes.

SYMBOLISM (217-219)TEXTS: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (219-235), The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin (235-240), The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne (COPY), Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison (448) VOCAB: SYMBOL, ALLEGORY, AND SYMBOLIC ACT

ASSIGNMENTS: various informal, in-class responses to what is read, annotation, Reading Journal, practice AP essays on two stories, formal essay comparing one of the literary devices in two-short stories, two Socratic Seminars, and the midterm vocabulary test.

UNIT 3—THE COLLEGE ESSAY (approximately 2 WEEKS)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, students will research colleges and scholarship opportunities. We will look at successful college application and scholarship essays and students will choose to write in response to one essay question from the college or scholarship of their choice. Students will write multiple drafts of their essays, receiving both peer and teacher feedback. ASSIGNMENTS: students will be asked to bring either a scholarship or a college application essay question AND the specific essay requirements to class. Students will be graded according to the FHS Level II Rubric and the requirements the college or scholarship outlines for the response (e.g. word count, double/single spaced, etc.). Students will submit a rough draft for peer feedback, a revised draft for teacher feedback, and a final draft. Each draft must be ON TIME.

2ND QUARTER OUTSIDE OF CLASS READING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ASSIGNMENTS: Students will read Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (text) on their own. Plays will be handed out by NOVEMBER 15, 2010 along with the Seminar preparatory assignment and paper rubric, and the book must be read by JANUARY 18, 2011. Students are expected to make a Major Works Data Sheet for the play. At the end of the Quarter, students will participate in a Socratic Seminar and turn in an analytical paper based on themes discussed in the Seminar. The paper will be a portion of the final exam.

Author Project Assignment: The SECOND Major Works Data Sheet for the second novel/play must be completed by JANUARY 18, 2011.

UNIT 4—TRAGEDY IN LITERATURE (approximately 9 WEEKS)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, students will learn the characteristics of classic tragedy as outlined by Aristotle, and then read Oedipus. Next, students will read Hamlet and discuss how Shakespearean tragedy reflects and departs from the elements of classic tragedy, as well as both plays’ treatments of determinism and free will, reality and seeming reality, and

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. Statessin and justice. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead will be used as a supplemental, non-print text which students will use to compare to Hamlet. A Standard American English version of Hamlet will be used as an additional resource for students as necessary.

TEXTS: Aristotle’s definition of Tragedy (COPY), Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (text), Hamlet by William Shakespeare (text), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (film).

VOCAB: HAMARTIA, HUBRIS, UNITY OF TIME, UNITY OF PLACE, UNITY OF ACTION, REVERSAL, RECOGNITION, CATHARSIS, TRAGIC HERO

ASSIGNMENTS: various informal, in-class responses to what is read, annotation, Reading Journal, Major Works Data Sheets, practice AP essay on Oedipus, practice AP essay on Hamlet, Socratic Seminar on each work, formal process paper comparing and contrasting one of the following topics in both Oedipus and Hamlet: 1) Sin and Justice, 2) Determinism and Free Will, 3) Reality and Seeming Reality. Practice AP essay on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

Possible prompts for Oedipus:1994 AP Question: In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence.

Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.2000 AP Question: Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. Choose a novel or play in which one or more of the characters confront a mystery. Then write an essay in which you identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Possible prompts for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead:Shakespeare scholars have long debated whether the Hamlet of Shakespeare's play is truly mad. How does Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead deal with the question of Hamlet's madness? How does the point of view presented in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead illuminate the theme of madness? Discuss whether the film presents Hamlet as sane or insane and why this is effective.

Possible prompts for Hamlet:2001 AP Question: One definition of madness is “mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it.” But Emily Dickinson wrote

Much madness is divinest Sense—To a discerning Eye—

Novelist and playwrights have often seen madness with a “discerning Eye.” Select a novel or a play in which a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the “madness” to the work as a whole. Due not merely summarize the plot.1998 AP Question: In his essay "Walking," Henry David Thoreau offers the following assessment of literature:

In literature it is only the wild that attracts us.Dullness is but another name for tameness. It is theuncivilized free and wild thinking in Hamlet and The Iliad,in all scriptures and mythologies, not learned in schools,that delights us.

From the works you have studied in school, choose a novel, play, or epic poem that you may initially have 8

AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. Statesthought was conventional and tame but that you value for its "uncivilized free and wild thinking.” Write an essay in which you explain what constitutes its "uncivilized free and wild thinking" and how that thinking is central to the value of the work as a whole. Support your ideas with specific references to the work you choose.

After this Unit, we will prepare for the 1ST Semester Final Exam which will include quote identification from Hamlet, a practice multiple-choice test, and an essay.

3RD QUARTER OUTSIDE OF CLASS READING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/ASSIGNMENTS: Students will read The Road by Cormac McCarthy (text) on their own that shares some correlations with what we will be working on in class. Novels will be handed out by FEBRUARY 7, 2011, along with the Seminar preparatory assignment and paper rubric, and the book must be read by APRIL 4, 2011. Students are expected to make a Major Works Data Sheet for the novel. At the end of the Quarter, students will participate in a Socratic Seminar and turn in an analytical paper based on themes discussed in the Seminar.

2010 AP Question: Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.” Yet Said has also said that exile can become “a potent, even enriching” experience.

Using The Road, consider how a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whetherthat home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which youanalyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experienceilluminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparableliterary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Author Project Assignment: The THIRD Major Works Data Sheet for the third novel/play must be completed by APRIL 4, 2011.

During the Poetry Unit, statewide HSPE testing will occur. We will still have class on designated days, but during testing in the mornings, I will be offering Practice AP exams and

study sessionsMarch 15—1, 2011 and April 13, 2011. For students who will not be taking the AP Literature test, they may

take a full AP test during this time to fulfill the 10% of their grade.

UNIT 5—POETRY (approximately 9 WEEKS)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, we will first do a brief review of literary devices including some additional vocabulary. The poems are from a variety of poets and centuries, but to explicate them we will be utilizing annotation and the TPS-FASTT method (see attached).

TEXTS: “Pass/Fail” by Linda Pastan (COPY), “Graded Paper” by Mark Halliday (COPY), “Did I Miss Anything?” by Tom Wayman (COPY), selection from MacBeth Act V, Scene 5 by Shakespeare (COPY), “Sonnet 138” by Shakespeare (COPY), “Sonnet 130” by Shakespeare (863), “Sonnet 116” by Shakespeare (995), “Sonnet 23” by John Milton (1105), [1990 Practice]

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States“The Flea” by John Donne (1053), “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne (1053), “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell (1101), “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” by Christopher Marlowe (COPY), [1978 Practice] “Acquainted with the Night” by Robert Frost (865), “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” by Emily Dickinson” (909), “Because I could not stop for Death—” by Emily Dickinson (1017), “Emily Dickinson’s Defunct” by Marilyn Nelson Waniek (COPY), [1991 Practice] “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick (1081), “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas (872), selection from “I Sing the Body Electric” by Walt Whitman (COPY), “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen (691), “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats (925), “in Just-” by e.e. cummings (896), “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (910), [2004 Practice] “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot (1059), “I, Too” by Langston Hughes (1021), “Fat Is Not a Fairy Tale” by Jane Yolen (COPY), “It’s the Law: A Rap Poem” by S. Pearl Sharp (COPY), “Love Poem” by John Frederick Nims (COPY), “Sex without love” by Sharon Olds (COPY), “Ode to American English” by Barbara Hamby (COPY).

ASSIGNMENTS: various informal, in-class responses to what is read in class, annotation, Reading Journal (in the TPS-FASTT format), practice AP essays (Q1), Socratic Seminar on The Road Not Taken and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Poem Explication/Presentation Project.

UNIT 6—NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE (approximately 9 WEEKS)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, students will first learn a brief history of Leopold of Belgium’s ”opening up of Africa” and discuss throughout the Unit how both texts reflect social and historical values. We will discuss how the narrative perspective has multiple implications for a text. We will examine Conrad’s nested and therefore problematic narrative with Achebe’s omniscient narrator and discuss the effects of each. We will also discuss Impressionism and Symbolism in Heart of Darkness vis-à-vis the Realism of Things Fall Apart. Finally, we will examine the two texts in the context of colonization and racism.

TEXTS: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (text), Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (text), The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot (COPY), The Congo by Vachel Lindsay (COPY), “How to Write About Africa” by Binyavanga Wainaina (COPY), selection from “An Image of Africa: Conrad’s Heart of Darkness” by Chinua Achebe (COPY), selection from “Impressionism and Symbolism in Heart of Darkness” by Ian Watt (COPY), selection from Decolonising the Mind by Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o (COPY)

ASSIGNMENTS: various informal, in-class responses to The Hollow Men, The Congo, How to Write About Africa,” “An Image of Africa: Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,” “Impressionism and Symbolism in Heart of Darkness,” and Decolonising the Mind, annotation, Reading Journal, Major Works Data Sheets, practice AP essay (Q2) on selection from Heart of Darkness, practice AP essay on Things Fall Apart, Socratic Seminar on each work.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesPossible prompts for Things Fall Apart:2003 AP Question: According to critic Northrop Frye, “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightening than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightening.”

Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.1995 AP Question: Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed.

Choose a play or novel in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions and moral values.

AP TEST-MORNING SESSION, 8 A.M., THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011

UNIT 7—AUTHOR PROJECT—SENIOR PAPER (October through June)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: In this Unit, begun in October with students choosing an author, students will learn the elements of a research paper, and read six critical sources about the author (I will offer to take students to either the UW library or the downtown library to conduct research either after school or on a weekend). Students are to have read three novels/plays by their author and completed three Major Works Data Sheets before the AP test. After the test, students will go through the various steps of research and the writing process to create a 10—12 page research paper that is comparable to papers expected at most colleges, and that will fulfill the Senior Project Research Paper graduation requirement. Students are expected to become experts on their chosen authors, and will create a 20 minute (minimum) presentation on their author that will fulfill the Senior Project Presentation graduation requirement. If students expect to complete their Senior Papers/Presentations in other classes, as this is a college level class (and as in college, students often have to write more than one paper and prepare more than one presentation simultaneously), it is still a class requirement and failure to complete either the paper or the presentation will negatively affect a student’s grade.

TEXTS: students will choose their author from the list (attached); students will begin reading their novels at the beginning of first semester so they may use them on the Open Response essay on the AP test.

ASSIGNMENTS: read three novels/plays and complete Major Works Data sheets on each, read six critical sources, multiple drafts on the Author Project Senior Research Paper which will be graded on the FHS Level II Rubric (papers must be revised to a C grade on the rubric for this paper to count for the graduation requirement), Author Project Senior Project Presentation.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCESStudents will have individual copies of all handouts, reading packets, and assigned books. However, students will be responsible for these handouts and packets and will only receive one copy of all printed materials. Assignments will be available on the Source if students need to print another copy on their own, but if a reading packet is lost, it is the individual’s responsibility to make a copy of another student’s materials. If you are able (THIS IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE COURSE), I would suggest buying an individual copy of the novels that we will read; I will teach students how to annotate using journals and sticky notes, but

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. Statespersonally I prefer being able to mark up my own copy of a book. I have a few suggestions for used bookstores in the area.

As we will have varied foci throughout the year, I would not recommend that students purchase a composition book for this course. I would suggest either a 3-ring binder with dividers and college-ruled paper, OR a multi-subject, college-ruled spiral notebook; either way, you will need to have paper, writing utensils, and your text(s) EVERY DAY, and you will need some place in your notebook to keep handouts and texts. You will need distinct sections for AT LEAST: Classroom notes/in-class informal responses, Seminar Preparation Assignments Literary Devices/Vocabulary Reading Journal Major Works Data sectionKeeping everything organized will be invaluable throughout the year.

GRADING POLICYThis course will be taught an introductory college-level and all work will be assessed accordingly.The following weights are given to the class grade 1st Semester:

Essays/Quizzes—60% Annotation/Homework/In-Class Work—10% Reading Journal—10% Discussions/Seminars/Participation—10% Franklin Handbook—5% Semester Exam—5%

The following weights are given to the class grade 2nd Semester:

Essays/Quizzes—45% Author Project Components—15% Taking the AP Test/equivalent—10% Discussions/Seminars/Participation—10% Annotation/Homework/In-Class Work—7.5% Reading Journal/TPS-FASTT—7.5% Franklin Handbook—5%

I am truly looking forward to working with you all…it will be an intense year, but it should be pretty amazing! If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to make an appointment with me for after school.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesLevel II or SAT Writing Rubric--This rubric is based on that used to assess the SAT and AP writing…your paper will be assessed holistically. Your grade will be comprised of your score, as well as any additional requirements (e.g. page length, format, citations, etc.).

Score of 6 (6+ is exemplary in all ways)/AP 9-8An essay in this category demonstrates clear and consistent mastery, although it may have a few minor errors. A

typical essay: Effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrate outstanding critical

thinking, using clearly appropriate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position Is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating clear coherence and smooth progression of ideas Exhibits skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary Demonstrates meaningful variety in sentence structure Is free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics Score of 5/AP 7-6An essay in this category demonstrates reasonably consistent mastery, although it will have occasional errors or lapses in quality. A typical essay: Effectively develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates strong critical thinking, generally using

appropriate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position Is well organized and focused, demonstrating coherence and progression of ideas Exhibits facility in the use of language, using appropriate vocabulary Demonstrates variety in sentence structure Is generally free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics Score of 4/AP 4An essay in this category demonstrates adequate mastery, although it will have lapses in quality. A typical essay: Develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates competent critical thinking, using adequate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position Is generally organized and focused, demonstrating some coherence and progression of ideas Exhibits adequate but inconsistent facility in the use of language, using generally appropriate vocabulary Demonstrates some variety in sentence structure Has some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics Score of 3/AP 3An essay in this category demonstrates developing mastery, and is marked by one or more of the following

weaknesses: Develops a point of view on the issue, demonstrating some critical thinking, but may do so inconsistently or

use inadequate examples, reasons, or other evidence to support its position Is limited in its organization or focus, but may demonstrate some lapses in coherence or progression of ideas Displays developing facility in the use of language, but sometimes uses weak vocabulary or inappropriate

word choice Lacks variety or demonstrates problems in sentence structure Contains an accumulation of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics Score of 2/AP 2An essay in this category demonstrates little mastery, and is flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses: Develops a point of view on the issue that is vague or seriously limited, demonstrating weak critical thinking,

providing inappropriate or insufficient examples, reasons, or other evidence to support its position. Is poorly organized and/or focused, or demonstrates serious problems with coherence or progression of ideas Displays very little facility in the use of language, using very limited vocabulary or incorrect word choice Demonstrates frequent problems in sentence structure Contains errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics so serious that meaning is somewhat obscured Score of 1/AP 1An essay in this category demonstrates very little or no mastery, and is severely flawed by one or more of the following

weaknesses: Develops no viable point of view on the issue, or provides little or no evidence to support its position Is disorganized or unfocused, resulting in a disjointed or incoherent essay Displays fundamental errors in vocabulary Demonstrates severe flaws in sentence structure Contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that persistently interfere with meaning Score of 0/AP 0Essays not written on the essay assignment will receive a score of 0.

Level II or SAT Writing Rubric Score conversion table SAT

6+ 6 5 4 3 2 1

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

% 100% 90% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 0%A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D-4.0 3.9-3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2-2.7 2.6-2.3 2.4-2.3 2.2-1.7 1.6-1.5 1.4-1.3 1.2-0.8 0.7

Below, if circled, are some of the grammatical/usage errors you will need to work on in future drafts. Incomplete/vague thesis statement Incorrect or immature word choice Incomplete evidence/ misinterpreted evidence Misspells college level words Poor or incorrect word choice Pronoun misuse (who/whom, which/that) Unparallel structure Errors in citation Indefinite pronouns Pronoun-antecedent disagreement Errors in verb tense/inconsistent verb tense Subject-verb agreement “s” not added to show plurality Misuse of colons, semi-colons, hyphens Passive voice 1st and 2nd person are used Misuses homophones (e.g. there, their, they’re, too, to, two, affect/effect, etc.) Errors in capitalization Uses vague words like “things,” “got,” “stuff,” and “really” Comma misuse or omission Uses double negatives Contains comma splices (sentences joined by commas) Run-on sentences/ Sentence fragments Misspells elementary level words Contractions (do not use contractions in formal writing) Misuse of informal voice (contains slang, swear words)

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesFORMAL ASSESSMENTS AND WRITING TASKS—9 Point Essay Scoring Guide

This is the basic scoring guide for all essays, based on that used by AP test scorers. While I will provide students with task-specific scoring guides and rubrics for formal writing assessments and writing tasks, including practice AP tests, familiarity with this scoring guide is essential. GENERAL DIRECTIONS: The score assigned reflects the grader’s judgment of the quality of the essay as a whole—its content, its style, and its mechanics. Writers are rewarded for what they do well. The score for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised one point from the score otherwise appropriate. In no case may a very poorly written essay be scored higher than a three.

9—8: These well-organized and well-written essays offer effective and insightful responses to the prompt and/or text. Though not without flaws, they demonstrate the writers’ ability to read perceptively and to write with clarity and sophistication.

7—6: These essays also demonstrate effective responses to the prompt and/or text, but they are less thorough or less precise than essays in the topmost range. In addition to minor flaws in interpretation, their discussion is likely to be less well supported and less incisive. Although these essays demonstrate the writer’s ability to articulate ideas clearly, they lack the mastery and control of composition possessed by papers in the 9-8 range.

5: These essays are superficial. Though they struggle to effectively respond to the prompt and/or text, their discussion tends to be vague, mechanical, or inadequately supported. They manage the assigned task without important errors of interpretation, but they have little to say beyond what is most obvious and easy to grasp. As exegesis, they deal with the text in a cursory manner; they are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as upper-half papers. Often they manifest simplistic thinking and/or immature writing.

4—3: These lower-half papers reflect an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of the prompt and/or text. Their discussion is limited or skewed, and/or they do not convincingly explain their reasoning for their response. Although not without sensible observations, they misread portions of the text or offer assertions that may be unsupported or even irrelevant. The writing typically reveals uncertain control over the elements of the college-level composition. Essays scored three exhibit more than one of the above infelicities; they are marred by significant misinterpretation, poor development, or serious omissions.

2—1: these essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3 range. They may seriously misread the text. Often, they are unacceptably brief. They may be poorly written on several counts, and may contain many distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Although some attempt may have been made to discuss the text or respond to the prompt, the writers’ observations are presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Essays that are especially inexact, vacuous, and/or mechanically unsound should be scored one.

O: This is a response with no more than a reference to the task.

—: Indicates a blank response or an essay that is completely off-topic.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

Advanced Placement English Literature AUTHOR PROJECT 2010-2011

This is a 10—12 page research paper, which examines in depth the works of one author. Research means that you will read several works by that author (at least three novels), and you will read six secondary, critical sources on that author’s works. You will become an “expert” on your author by the end of this assignment. Be prepared to share the results of your research with your classmates after your paper is completed in a formal presentation. We will spend some class time in the library, but you should expect to do most of the research on your own time. This is in essence your perpetual “homework” throughout the year and after the AP Exam.

Please choose an author from the following list (or check with me if an author is not on this list):Sherman Alexie Ivan Doig John Irving Herman Melville Ivan TurgenevRudolfo Anaya Theodore Dreiser Henry James N. Scott Momaday Anne TylerMargaret Atwood

George Eliot James Joyce Toni Morrison John Updike

Jane Austen Ralph Ellison Franz Kafka Alice Munro Alice WalkerJames Baldwin Louise Erdrich Ken Kesey Zora Neale

HurstonEudora Welty

Saul Bellow William Faulkner Jamaica Kincaid Flannery O’Connor

Edith Wharton

Charlotte Bronte F. Scott Fitzgerald Barbara Kingsolver George Orwell Tennessee Williams

Albert Camus Richard Ford D.H. Lawrence Katherine Ann Porter

August Wilson

Raymond Carver John Fowles C.S. Lewis Ayn Rand Thomas WolfeJohn Cheever Gabriel Garcia

MarquezSinclair Lewis J.D. Salinger Virginia Woolf

Anton Chekhov Graham Greene Jack London Wallace Stegner Richard WrightKate Chopin Nathaniel Hawthorne Bernard Malamud John SteinbeckStephen Crane Lillian Hellman Thomas Mann Amy TanCharles Dickens Maxine Hong Kingston Katherine Mansfield Leo Tolstoy

Research Notes: Please take notes (use your Reading Journal and the Major Works Data Sheet formats) as you read your novels, making short commentaries about each chapter. Annotate your novels so that when you need to return to the book for information, you can find it easily.

Critical Sources: As you read your critical essays, write down what you think is the thesis of the critical essay, summarize the main points that support the thesis, and write down important quotations. For each critical source, before you put the book/magazine/turn off the computer, make a MLA citation (I will instruct you on this format) to add to your Works Cited. You will also need to acknowledge the author of the essay so you can give credit if you use quotations or main ideas in your paper.

Conferences: I will have four conferences with each of you regarding your process on your project. During these conferences make sure to come prepared with notes as well as any questions about your research. Each of these conferences will be graded.

Writing: When you hand in your paper, show the following writing process: a tentative thesis; an outline; a first draft; a second draft; a final draft (10—12 pages, which do not include your title page or Works Cited). When you submit your final draft, please submit all of these components.

You will receive the rubrics for both the paper and the presentation at the beginning of 2nd

Semester.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEETFrom Lance Balla

Create a sheet(or print this out) in your notebook for each major work we read, and for those you have read in the past in order to create a study guide to prepare you for the

OPEN RESPONSE question on the AP test.

Title:Significance of opening scene/chapters:

Author:

Date of Publication:

Genre:List the major topics that this text addresses:

Significance of closing scene/chapters:

STYLEDescription of author’s style: An example that demonstrates the style:

MEMORABLE MOMENTSMoment: Significance:

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

MAJOR WORKS DATA SHEET

CHARACTERSName: Role in the story: Significance: Adjectives:

SETTING(S)Setting(s): List all significant settings: Significance:

THEMATIC CONCERNSThemes—Please list at least three: How author addresses each theme:

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesThe TPS-FASTT (or “Types Fast,”) MethodFrom Lance Balla

When faced with sometimes daunting task of analyzing a poem, you will need to keep all of the following points in mind or risk a significant misreading:

TITLE: Examine the title before reading the poem. Sometimes the title will give you a clue about the content of the poem. In some cases the title will give you crucial information that will help you understand a major idea within the poem. For example, in Anne Bradstreet’s poem “An Author to Her Book,” the title helps you understand the controlling metaphor.

PARAPHRASE: Paraphrase the literal action within the poem. At this point, resist the urge to jump to an interpretation. A failure to understand what happens literally inevitably leads to an interpretive misunderstanding. For example, John Donne’s poem “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning” is about a man who is leaving for a long trip, but if it is read as a poem about a man dying, then a misreading of the poem as a whole is inevitable.

SPEAKER: Who is the speaker in this poem? Remember to always distinguish speaker from the poet. In some cases the speaker and poet might be the same, as in an autobiographical poem, but often the speaker and the poet are entirely different. For example, in “Not My Best Side” by Fanthorpe, the speaker changes from a dragon, to a damsel, to a knight; none of these obviously are Fanthorpe.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Examine the poem for language that is not used literally. This would include, but is certainly not limited to, literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, metaphor, litotes, allusion, the effect of sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, rhyme), and any other devices used in a non-literal manner.

ATTITUDE (TONE ): Tone, meaning the speaker’s ATTITUDE towards the SUBJECT of the poem. Of course, this means that you must discern the subject of the poem. In some cases it will be narrow, and in others it will be broad. Also keep in mind the speaker’s attitude toward self, other characters, and the subject, as well as attitudes of characters other than the speaker.

SHIFTS: Note shifts in the speaker and attitude. Shifts can be indicated in a number of ways including the occasion of poem (time and place), key turn words (but, yet), punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, etc.), stanza divisions, changes in line or stanza length, and anything else that indicates that something has changed or a question is being answered.

TITLE: Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level (is it ironic, intentionally misleading, or reinforcing ideas presented?).

THEME: First list what the poem is about (subject), then determine what the poet is saying about each of those subjects (theme). Remember, theme must be expressed as a complete sentence.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

Your Reading Journal for the poetry unit will be different from when we have read novels, plays, and short stories. For each poem you read both in class and for homework, please use the following TPS-FASTT format in your Reading Journal (the space provided below is not to be taken literally):

Poem:

Poet:

T TITLE—What does the title literally say?

PPARAPHRASE—What are the actual events/actions in the Poem?

SSPEAKER—Who is the speaker of the poem?

FFIGURATIVE LANGUAGE—What are examples of figurative language used in the poem (you must have a minimum of 3 examples)?

AATTITUDE—What is the subject of the poem?

What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject?

SSHIFTS—Are there any shifts in the poem? What signifies the shift(s)?

TTITLE—What does the title say on an interpretive level?

TTHEME—What is the poet saying about the meaning of the subject? State theme in a complete sentence.

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesVOCABULARY WORDSCATEGORY KEY: Adj=Adjective; D=drama; ES=elements of style; F=fiction; Fm=Form (how a piece is configured); FoS=figure of speech (whenever a writer departs from denotation); G=grammar; N=noun; P=poetry; SY=syntax; V=verb

LITERARY DEVICES/ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE/POETRYThese will be assessed throughout this course. Please go through and highlight the words with which you are

unfamiliar.Word Categor

yDefinition

ACT D The “chapter” of a playALLEGORY Fm Multiple meanings; story in which persons/places/things form a

system of clearly labeled symbolsALLITERATION P Repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of

successive words (round and round the rugged rocks)ALLUSION FoS Reference to a famous person/place/thing/event/storyANTAGONIST F/D Character that creates conflict with protagonistANTICLIMAX F A letdown used for the effect of humor or contrastANTIHERO F/D Protagonist lacking characteristics of a typical hero (i.e. courage)-

HancockANTITHESIS SY/G OppositeAPOSTROPHE FoS Way of addressing s.o./s.t. invisible or not usually spoken toARCHETYPES F/D Mold for a characterASIDE F/D When a character says something to his/herself/audienceASSONANCE P Repetition of the same vowel sound (“all the awful auguries,” “eyes

like sapphires shining bright”)ATMOSPHERE/MOOD ES Synonym to mood, emotional feeling created by a workBLANK VERSE P Best-known one-line pattern in English: unrhymed iambic

pentameterCACOPHONY P A harsh sounding words or phrase (“grate on their scrannel pipes of

wretched straw), like your lips/teeth/tongue have to work to say itCADENCE P Rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or wordsCAESURA P Any pause in a line of poetry after any word in the line, occurs at a

mark of punctuationCATASTROPHE D In drama (esp. Shakespeare), the last act.CATHARSIS D Purging of pity and fear felt by audience (usually Greek)CHARACTER F An representation of a human, the inner self that determines

thought, speech, and behavior (determine why a character is the way he/she is)

CLIMAX F/D Highest point of action; moment of greatest tensionCOLLOQUIAL ES Language used that is more informal (slangy/”normal”) than formalCOMIC RELIEF F/D Passages of clownish humor (in the midst of drama) e.g. Hamlet and

the gravediggers.COMPLICATION F/D A new conflict in a storyCONCEIT P Elaborate comparisons (My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun)CONCLUSION/RESOLUTION

F/D The ending of a story; decisive ending

CONFLICT F/D A character wants something, something/someone is in the wayCONNOTATION ES/P Meaning that is figurative/symbolic (opposite of denotation-

dictionary definition)CONSONANCE P Rhymed words/phrases have the same beginning and ending

consonant sounds but different vowels (chitter/chatter)CONTROLLING IMAGE

P Literary device employing repetition so as to stress the theme of a work or a particular symbol

COSMIC IRONY ES Fate/Cosmic forces (GOD) messing up characters’ lives; some malicious fate is frustrating human efforts.

COUPLET P Two successive rhyming linesCRISIS F/D Moment of high tension

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesDACTYL P A three syllable foot consisting a heavy stress with two lights

(notable, parable, terrible)DENOTATION ES Dictionary definition of a wordDÉNOUEMENT F/D Resolution; tying up of loose ends at the end of a storyDETAILS (Choice of details)

Items or parts that make up a larger picture or story

DEUS EX MACHINA F/D God in the machine; characters are “saved” by deities/forcesDEVICES OF SOUND Techniques of deploying the sound of words: rhyme, alliteration,

assonance, consonance, onomatopoeiaDIALECT ES The speech of a region or social group, usually shown by unique

words, expressions, and pronunciation.DIALOGUE ES Speeches of two or more charactersDIARY Fm Daily record, usually private, esp. of the writer's own experiences,

observations, feelings, attitudes, etcDICTION ES Word choice, types of words, and the level of languageDIRGE P Funeral song or tune, or one expressing mourning in

commemoration of the deadDISSONANCE P Inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophonyDRAMATIC IRONY ES When the audience knows something that the characters do not;

leads to tensionDRAMATIC MONOLOGUE

P Type of poem (taken from theatre) in which a speaker addresses an internal listener or the reader at length (see soliloquy)

DRAMATIC SITUATION

F/D Person is involved in some conflict

EDITORIAL OMNISCIENCE

F/P Narrator who has own opinion about action in story and knows the thoughts of characters

ELEGY/ELEGIAC P A mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, esp. a funeral song or a lament for the dead; a poem written in elegiac meter

END-STOPPED LINE P A line ending in a full pause, usually w/a period or semi-colonENJAMBMENT P A line having no end punctuation but running over to the next lineEPIGRAM (EPIGRAMMATIC)

ES Short, witty poem, usually in couplet, that makes a humorous or satiric point

EPILOGUE F/D Concluding part added to the end of a literary workEPIPHANY F/D/P A moment of insight; a revelationEUPHEMISM FoS The substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one

thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt; the expression so substituted: “To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”

EUPHONY P When the sounds of words working with meaning pleases the mind and ear (think loveliness in poetry)

EXPOSITION F/D Opening portion of a story that sets the scene of a story, introducing main characters, background info, etc.

EXTENDED METAPHOR

F/D/P a metaphor that is extended through a stanza or entire poem, often by multiple comparisons of unlike objects or ideas

FABLE Fm Brief story that sets forth a pointed statement of truthFAIRY TALE Fm Story set in a world of magic and enchantmentFALLING ACTION F/D After the climax, when a story tapers offFARCE F/D Humorous play whose plot depends on a situation rather than

character development.FICTION F Story that is not real/factualFIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

FoS Writing that uses figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, and irony

FLASHBACK F Going back in time to look at the past; provides needed informationFLAT/STATIC CHARACTER

F/D Character with one trait/feature; does not change throughout story

FOIL F/D Character in the story that helps balance the protagonist, provides contrast

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesFOOT P Measured combinations of heavy and light stresses, (e.g. iamb or

dactyl)FORESHADOWING F/D Event or symbol that hints at what is going to happen in the storyFREE VERSE P Poetry based on the natural rhythms of phrases and normal pauses,

not metrical feetGENRE Fm Various styles of writing (e.g. drama, fiction, non-fiction, tragedy,

poetry, essay, memoires) GRATUITIOUS ACT F/D Deed without case or motiveHERO F/D protagonistHUBRIS F/D A character’s excessive pride (Oedipus)HUMOR/COMEDY F/D Lol HYPERBOLE FoS Exaggeration of the truth/overstatementIAMB P A two-syllable foot consisting of a light stress followed by a heave

stress (e.g. the winds, or I want)IMAGERY F/D/P Descriptions of sensual (having to do with touch, smell, sight, taste,

sound) experiences IMPARTIAL OMNISCIENCE

F/P Narrator only knows the thoughts of character(s), but does not offer opinion

IMPLIED METAPHOR FoS Comparison that uses neither a connective verb or form of to be: “my love has red petals and sharp thorns”

IN MEDIAS RES F/P When the story begins in the middle of the action, rather than the beginning; uses flashbacks

INNOCENT/NAÏVE NARRATOR

F/P Narrator who fails to understand all the implications (consequences) of the story/action

INTERIOR MONOLOGUE

F/D Extended presentation of the character’s thoughts

INVECTIVE ES Vehement or violent criticism; an insulting or abusive word or expression

INVERSION ES Any change from a basic word order or syntactic sequence, e.g. the placement of a subject after an auxiliary verb in a question or after the verb in an exclamation, as “When will you go?” and “How beautiful is the rose!”

IRONIC POINT OF VIEW

F/P Using verbal irony in narration, i.e. the narrator sees the irony that the characters do not

LIMITED/SELECTIVE OMNISCIENCE

F/P Narrator is only able to “see” the thoughts of one character

LITOTES FoS UnderstatementLYRIC P Short poem written in a repeating stanzaic form, often designed to

be set to musicMEASURE P A short rhythmical movement or arrangement, as in poetry or musicMETAPHOR FoS Direct comparison between things: “your fingers are sausages”METAPHYSICAL CONCEITS

P A far-fetched and ingenious extended comparison (or "conceit") using unusual analogies for the poet's ideas that are startlingly obscure or shockingly commonplace

METER P The number of feet within a line of traditional verse e.g. iambic pentameter referring to a line containing five iambs

METONYMY F/P Name of s.t. is substituted for another thing closely associated with it e.g. “The White House” is used for the president

MINIMALISTS F Authors using minimal description/imagery to tell story (principle underlying the most impressive phenomenon on the current literary scene)

MOTIF F/D Structure (of plot, characters, symbols) found throughout different types of literature

MOTIVATION F/D Driving force behind characters’ actionsNARRATOR F/P Person telling the story(NOT ALWAYS THE SAME AS THE

AUTHOR)23

AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesOBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW

F/P Narrator does not enter the mind of any character, simply describing the action

OCTAVE P The first 8 lines of an Italian sonnet, unified by topic, rhythm, and rhyme

ODE P A stanzaic poetic form (usually long, to contrast it with a song) with varying line lengths and sometimes intricate rhyme schemes

OMNICIENT NARRATOR

F/P Narrator who is ALL-KNOWING

ONOMATOPOEIA FoS Representation of a thing/action by a word imitating its sound (boom, crash, gurgle)

OXYMORON FoS Military intelligence/cold fire; description that places 2 words/ideas together that seem to contradict each other

PARABLE Fm A short allegory illustrating a religious truth (often associated with Jesus and the Gospels)

PARADOX (paradoxical)

ES A statement that seems contradictory, but makes some sense (“I waked, she fled, and day brought back my night”)

PARODY (SELF-PARODY)

Fm A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy

PATHOS D The quality/power in literature of evoking pity/compassionPENTAMETER P A line of five metrical feetPERSONAFICIATION FoS A thing/animal/abstract term (love/truth) is made humanPLOT F/D The artistic arrangement of events in a storyPOINT OF VIEW F/P From whose perspective a story is told: FIRST PERSON,

OBJECTIVE, OMNISCIENT, LIMITED, THIRD PERSON, UNLIMITED

PROLOGUE F/D Introductory part of a play, novel or poemPROSE (think paragraphs rather than lines)

Fm Either prose fiction (short story or novel) or prose poem (laid out to look like prose employing methods of verse)

PROTAGONIST F/D Main character of a story, around which the action occursPROVERB ES A short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that

expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; adage

PUN ES Play on words (A man saying, “I can’t conceive madam, can you?”)QUATRAIN P A four line stanza or poetic unit (united by rhyme)REFRAIN P A phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, esp. at

the end of each stanza; chorusREPETITION P (Anaphora) the repetition of the same word or phrase throughout a

work or a section of a work. The effect is to lend weight and emphasis

RHETORICAL QUESITON

ES A question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply, as “What is so rare as a day in June?”

RHYME P When two or more words/phrases contain an identical or similar vowel sounds.

24

AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

Word Category

Definition

RHYME (TYPES) P END/EXTERNAL (rhyme at the end of a line)FEMININE (rhyme of 2 or more syll. w/a stress on a syll. Other than the last: TURtle/FERtile; intelLECTual, henPECKED you all) INTERNAL (rhymes occurring within lines of a poem)MASCULINE (rhyme of 1-syll. words or stressed final syll: reMORSE/diVORCE)

RISING ACTION F/D Part of a story in which events start building/moving toward climaxROMANTICISM P/D Belief and assumption that reliance on emotion provides a valid and

powerful means of knowing and also a reliable guide to ways of living

ROUND/DYNAMIC CHARACTER

F/D Character with multiple features (multifaceted), who CHANGES in a story

SARCASM ES A sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remarkSATIRE ES An attack on human follies or vices, as measured positively against

a normative religious, moral or social standards; Writing that tries to arouse a reader’s disapproval of an object by ridicule

SCANSION P The metrical analysis of verse. The usual marks for scansion are ˘ for a short or unaccented syllable, ¯ for a long or accented syllable

SCENE F/D A subsection of an ACT; a vivid/dramatic moment in a storySESTET P A six line stanza or unit of poetrySETTING F/D/P Where/when/time/season of a storySIMILE FoS Comparison using like or as: “my love is like a red, red rose”SIMPLE METAPHOR FoS A metaphor that is easy to understand vs. complex metaphorSITUATIONAL IRONY ES Contains contrast in what occurs versus what is expected.SLANG ES Informal dictionSOLILOQUY F/D Speech made by a character, alone on stage, directly to the

audience, in which the character is revealing thoughts and feelingsSONNET (English or Shakespearean)

P A poem of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter with 3 Quatrains and 1 couplet. The rhyme scheme is abab/cdcd/efef/gg

SONNET (Italian) P A poem of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter with 1 Octave and 1 Sestet. The rhyme scheme is abbaabba/cdecde OR abbaabba/cdcdcd

STANZA P A group of poetic lines corresponding to paragraphs in prose; the meters and rhymes are usually repeating or systematic

STOCK CHARACTERS F/D Like archetypes, usually secondary characters, have defined characteristics e.g. the mad-scientist, the damsel in distress, the drunk ER doctor

STORY OF INITIATION F Story in which a character moves from innocence to experience (A & P, Barn Burning, Battle Royal)

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

F Writing that echoes the procession of thoughts passing through the mind (Heart of Darkness-lots of dashes, ellipses)

STRESS P The emphasis given to a syllable, either strong or lightSTYLE/STYLISTIC TECHNIQUES

ES The mode of expression in language; you can discuss diction, syntax, figurative language, imagery, selection of detail, sound effects, and tone

SUMMARY DON’T DO IT ON THE AP TEST…retelling the action in own wordsSUSPENSE F/D/P Pleasurable anxiety SYMBOL FoS Something that represents another thing (GREEN=ENVY,

CROW=DEATH, the eye=insanity)SYMBOLIC ACT F A gesture with a larger than usual significanceSYNECHDOCHE FoS Use of a part of a thing to stand for the whole or vice versa (”She

lent a hand” means she lent her entire presence and help)Word Categor

yDefinition

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesSYNTAX Word order and sentence structure. Syntax will change depending

on what the writer is attempting to doTALE F Story that is short without character detailTALL TALE F Story, usually bragging using hyperbole (e.g. Paul Bunyan)THEME F/D/P General idea or insight that a story reveals about life, human natureTONE F/P The author’s feeling about the story, usually revealed through

diction, syntax (ironic, sympathetic)TONE ES The techniques/modes of presentation that reveal or create

attitudesTRAGEDY F/D Story that presents a conflict between human beings and some

superior, overwhelming forceTRAGIC FLAW/HAMARTIA

F/D Fatal weakness of the tragic hero

TROCHEE P A two syllable foot consisting of a heavy followed by a light stressUNDERSTATEMENT FoS A deliberate underplaying or undervaluing of a thing to create

emphasisUNRELIABLE NARRATOR

F/P Narrator that cannot be trusted (Tell Tale Heart crazy guy) to give all the information

VERBAL IRONY ES Someone says something but means the opposite, e.g. sarcasm, facetiousness

VERISIMILITUDE FoS (realism) setting, circumstances, characters, dialogue, actions and outcomes in a work are designed to seem true, lifelike, real, plausible and probable

VERSE Fm Succession of metrical feet written, printed, or orally composed as one line; one of the lines of a poem; a particular type of metrical line: a hexameter verse; a poem, or piece of poetry.

VILLAIN F/D A character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot

WORDS NOT ASSESSED IN THIS COURSE, BUT IMPORTANT TO KNOWWord Categor

yDefinition

ANALYTICAL WRITING

Fm A type of writing that analyzes the effect of a piece of literature

ANECDOTE F, Fm Short account of a incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature

ANNOTATION Descriptive note takingANTECEDENT

SY/GWord, phrase, or clause, usually a substantive, which is replaced by a pronoun, in the same or in another, usually subsequent, sentence. In Jane lost a glove and she can't find it, Jane is the antecedent of she and glove is the antecedent of it.

ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING

Fm A type of writing that argues a point (has a thesis) and proves the point using support

ATTITUDE F/D/P A speaker’s, author’s, or character’s disposition toward a subjectBALANCED SENTENCE

SY Sentence consisting of 2 or more clauses that are parallel in structure.

CLAUSE G/SY A syntactic construction containing a subject and predicate and forming part of a sentence or constituting a whole simple sentence

COHERENCE SY Logical interconnection; overall sense or understandabilityCOMPLEX SENTENCE SY Sentence containing one or more dependent clauses in addition to

the main clause, as When the bell rings (dependent clause), walk out (main clause).

COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE

SY Sentence having two or more coordinate independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses, as The lightning flashed (independent clause) and the rain fell (independent clause) as he entered the house (dependent clause).

DECLARATIVE SY/G Sentence (in the indicative mood) that makes a declaration DISCOURSE Fm ARGUMENTATION, DESCRIPTION, EXPOSITION, NARRATION

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesELLIPSIS SY/G The mark …, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or

words.EPIC P A long narrative poem elevating character, speech and action

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. States

Word Category

Definition

ESSAY Fm A short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.

EXPOSITORY WRITING

Fm Writing that explains (e.g. summary, description)

GROTESQUE (THE) F Story focusing on odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.

IMAGE P Word or sequence of words that refers to any sensory experienceINCIDENTS F The events/actions in a workINTERROGATIVE SY/G Forming, constituting, or used in or to form a questionINVERTED SENTENCE SY Any sentence in which the normal word order is reversedLOOSE SENTENCE SY A sentence that does not end with the completion of its main clause,

but continues with one or more subordinate clauses or other modifiers

MODIFYING PHRASES SY/G Phrases that add to a description: My sister, who is a pain, is twelve.

MONOLOGUE F/D A speech made by a characterNARRATIVE PROGRESS

F/P How the telling of the story/poem changes as it progresses

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

F/P The methods involved in telling a story; the procedures used by a writer of stories or accounts e.g. point of view, manipulation of time, dialogue, or interior monologue

NARRATIVE VOICE F/P See Point of ViewNATURALISM F/P/D Writing of grim/brutal realism, in which a writer observes humans

like a scientistNOVEL Fm A long work of prose fictionNOVELLA Fm A short novel PACE F/P Speed at which the story developsPERSONA P (Latin for mask) The narrator or speaker of a story or poemRESOURCES OF LANGUAGE

FoS General phrase for linguistic devices or techniques that a writer can use e.g. diction, syntax, figurative language, and imagery

RHETORICAL TECHNIQUES

ES Devices used in effective or persuasive language e.g. contrast, repetitions, paradox, understatement, sarcasm, and rhetorical question.

SHORT STORY FoS Shorter than a novel, more detail than a fable/tale, realisticSTRATEGY ES The management of language for a specific effectSTRUCTURE Fm The arrangement of materials; the relationship of the parts of a

work to the whole; the logical divisions of a work e.g. in a play: scene, act; in a novel: chapter; in a poem: line, stanza.

SUBORDINATE CLAUSES

SY/G A clause that modifies the principal clause, as when she arrived in the sentence I was there when she arrived or that she has arrived in the sentence I doubt that she has arrived.

SUBPLOT F A secondary line of action in a literary work that comments directly or indirectly on the main plot

THESIS Argument…what you are proving in an essayVOICE ES (speaker) the narrator of a story or a poem, the point of view

OTHER WORDS FOUND IN MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS/ANSWERSWord Categor

yDefinition

Abstraction N an abstract or general idea or termAkin Adj allied by nature; having the same propertiesAnalogous Adj similar, alike, like, comparable, akinCategorical assertion N It's a statement about an entire category, rather than individual

members of that category, like "all cats are sneaky"

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesCharacterize V to describe the character or individual quality ofWord Categor

yDefinition

Continuity N the state or quality of being continuousCounter V to go counter to; oppose; controvertDemeanor N conduct; behaviorDepiction N a vivid verbal descriptionDivert V to draw off to a different course, purpose, etc.Dramatize V to express or represent vividly, emotionally, or strikinglyEvoke V to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.): to evoke a memory;

to elicit or draw forth: His comment evoked protests from the shocked listeners

Implication N something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood

Implicitly Adj implied, rather than expressly statedImpose V to lay on or set as something to be borne, endured, obeyed, fulfilled,

paid, etc.Inclined Adj having a physical tendency; leaning; likely to do somethingInterpretive Adj serving to interpret; explanatoryInterspersed Adj Distributed among other things at intervals; scattered throughoutInvariable Adj not variable; not changing or capable of being changed; static or

constantPervasive (pervasiveness)

Adj spreading or spread throughout

Precedent N example, model, pattern, standardPreceding Adj previousResonant Adj rich, vibrant, sonorant, reverberantRhetorical Adj Used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect.Rhetorical shift N A change from one tone, attitude, etc. Look for key words like but,

however, even though, although, yet, etcSituate V to put in or on a particular site or place; locate

TONE WORDSWord Categor

yDefinition

Argumentative Adj fond of or given to argument and disputeCondescending Adj to behave as if one is conscious of descending from a superior

position, rank, or dignityConscientious Adj controlled by or done according to conscience; scrupulousConservative Adj traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showinessEffusive Adj pouring out; overflowingHaughty Adj disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; superciliousJaded Adj worn out or wearied, as by overworkSardonic Adj characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical;

sneeringSmug Adj contentedly confident of one's ability, superiority, or correctness;

complacentSolemn (solemnity) Adj grave, sober, or mirthless, as a person, the face, speech, tone, or

moodSomber (Sombre) Adj gloomy, depressing, or dismalTerse Adj abruptly concise; curt; brusqueTrite Adj lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant

use/excessive repetition; staleADJECTIVES (PLEASE DEFINE YOURSELF)

Word DefinitionAbsurdAcute

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesAmbivalent (Ambivalently)AnarchicAstutenessBroodingCohesive (cohesiveness)DisconcertingDisjunctDismayedDisreputableDuplicityEffacedEncumberedFrailFringedGildedGregarious (gregariousness)GullibleIndelibleInductedIntuitiveLaboriousLamentingLuridNebularParsimonious (Parsimony)PartialPedanticPerpetualPerversePopulousPropheticProprietyReclusiveRigorousSecularSincere/Insincere; Sincerity/InsinceritySinisterTactileTemperamentalUnfathomableUninhibitedWitty

VERBS (PLEASE DEFINE YOURSELF)Word DefinitionAssailBeget (begot)CoilsComplementCondemnDeposeEbb

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AP English Literature and Composition® Course Syllabus Lindsay F. StatesEndorsePlummetPlunderRetardThrive (Throve)

NOUNS (PLEASE DEFINE YOURSELF)Word DefinitionAilmentAlienationAmassmentArtisansAttainmentsBoughsCompetencyCongregationConscienceDefectionDelicacyEcstasyExultationFerocityGlenGoutsHappenstanceHordesHumdrumInfirmityInsomniacJointureLiturgiesMagistrateMartyr (martyrdom)NaivetéParapetPenuryPerilPlightProprietorProwessRabbleRepugnanceSepulcherScytheSolaceTorporTorrents

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