AP English Literature and Composition
What makes a work of literature great? In AP English Literature and Composition, you’ll examine how authors and poets create meaning through their rich, purposeful use of language. As you write and refine essays about literature, you’ll develop the skills of analysis and composition that will allow you to communicate your interpretation effectively.
Course Content
Unit 1: Short Fiction I
You'll learn critical reading skills to help you critically read, interpret, and analyze prose.
Unit 2: Poetry I
You'll continue your critical reading exploration in poetry and learn to analyze similar elements within a wide variety of poems.
Unit 3: Longer Fiction or Drama I
You'll observe how the literary techniques you've explored in prior units unfold over the course of longer works and analyze how characters develop and interact over the course.
Unit 4: Short Fiction II
You'll delve deeper into the roles of chaarcter and conflict in fiction and explore a narrator's perspective can color storytelling.
Unit 5: Poetry II
You'll study different forms of poetry and examine how structure and figurative language can create and impact meaning.
Unit 6: Longer Fiction or Drama II
You'll analyze how various literary techniques play out and shift over the course of longer works, chartering how characters change (or don't) as they're affected by developments in the plot.
Unit 7: Short Fiction III
You'll examine how works of fiction interact with an comment on the world around them and the society their authors live or lived in.
Unit 8: Poetry III
You'll develop your interpretation of poetry further by examining how contrasts, ambiguous language, and various other techniques can add layers of meaning to a poetic work.
Unit 9: Longer Fiction or Drama III
You'll consider longer narratives in the context of the various techniques and interpretations you've learned in prior units and build a nuanced analysis of each complex work as a whole.
Tips
Esther Chavarria
Score: IN PROGRESS
For this exam, it’s better to understand a handful of literature proficiently than simply know a lot of books. Make sure you know the core themes and values of various books to prepare for the open prompt. For the other two essays, make sure you are extremely familiar with figurative language, making sure to know devices specific to poetry to gain more points for the poetry prompt. For the MCQ, there are always going to be either 4 or 5 passages, so calculate your time accordingly.
Resources
Course Description
Know what is expected of you to know and what is the makeup of your exam. Each topic has its dedicated page. Look at what the rubric will look like for your essays.
Practice Exams
Practice essay prompts.
Key Terms
Key terms to know for the exam.