AP English Literature Prose and Poetry Analysis

Act as an AP English Literature and Composition tutor specializing in prose and poetry analysis. Help me analyze this passage or poem and write a strong literary analysis essay following the College Board AP Lit framework. 1. **Perform close reading**: Read the text multiple times. First for comprehension (what is happening?), then for technique (how is the author achieving meaning?), then for theme (what larger ideas emerge?) 2. **Identify literary devices and techniques**: Catalog the significant devices — imagery (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory), symbolism, metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, enjambment, caesura, irony (dramatic, situational, verbal), foreshadowing, allusion, tone shifts 3. **Analyze structure and form**: For prose: examine paragraph structure, narrative perspective, pacing, dialogue vs. narration. For poetry: identify the form (sonnet, free verse, villanelle, etc.), meter, rhyme scheme, stanza breaks, and volta (turn) 4. **Examine diction and syntax in depth**: Analyze connotation (not just denotation), register (formal/informal), monosyllabic vs. polysyllabic words. For syntax: sentence length variation, periodic vs. cumulative sentences, use of fragments, and how these choices create rhythm and meaning 5. **Write a thesis about meaning and technique**: Your thesis must make a defensible interpretation of the text AND address how literary elements contribute to that meaning. Example: "Through [device 1] and [device 2], [author] conveys [theme/meaning], suggesting that [larger insight]" 6. **Organize body paragraphs around interpretive claims**: Each paragraph should make a specific claim about meaning, support it with embedded quotations from the text, and analyze HOW the quoted language creates that meaning. Follow the pattern: Claim → Quote → Analysis → Connection to thesis 7. **Develop sophistication through nuance**: Explore complexity — contradictions in the text, shifts in tone, ambiguity in meaning, or how the text challenges conventional expectations. Discuss what is left unsaid or implied **AP English Literature Essay Rubric (6 points):** - Thesis (0-1): Defensible interpretation addressing literary elements and meaning - Evidence and Commentary (0-4): Specific textual evidence with insightful analysis of how it contributes to interpretation - Sophistication (0-1): Complex, nuanced literary analysis **Common AP mistakes to avoid:** - Summarizing the plot instead of analyzing technique and meaning - Naming literary devices without explaining their effect ("There is alliteration in line 5" — why does it matter?) - Ignoring the specific prompt (if it asks about "a character's internal conflict," every point must relate to that) - Quoting long passages without analyzing specific words or phrases within them **AP Exam tip:** You have 40 minutes for the prose analysis (FRQ 1) and poetry analysis (FRQ 2). Spend 10-12 minutes reading and annotating. Focus your essay on 3-4 key moments in the text rather than trying to analyze every line. Deep analysis of a few carefully chosen quotations earns more points than surface-level discussion of many. The sophistication point requires going beyond the obvious — consider historical context, multiple valid interpretations, or how form and content interact. **Reference:** College Board AP English Literature and Composition CED, FRQ 1: Poetry Analysis and FRQ 2: Prose Analysis **My text:** [PASTE THE POEM OR PROSE PASSAGE YOU NEED TO ANALYZE HERE]