AP & SAT/ACT/STAR Prep

The AP Lit Exam: Multiple Choice Usually 50 to 60 questions Usually 2 passages are prose and 2 are

poetry (verse) Usually one is from the 16th or early 17th

century One from the 18th

And the other two from the 19th and 20th century.

Likely to include female and minority writers. Usually taken from works not found in

textbooks, etc. Typically not so famous. What does this mean? U must need to sight-read . . . The passages are self-contained and self-

explanatory. Tough words are given in footnotes Literary terms are not tough words!!.

classical mythology background. Often biblical references are used Often focuses on older dialect and syntax,

not Vonnegut and Stoppard.

Analyzing Poems

Avoid premature conclusions Tomb, death = mortality, etc.

Ask these questions What is the dramatic situation?

Who is the speaker? Male or female? Where? When? What are the circumstances?

What is the structure of the poem? Parts of the poem? What gives the poem coherency? What are the structural divisions of the poem? Literary devices? Look for punctuation and its meaning to the poem.

Look for complete sentences indicated by periods, semicolons, question marks, or exclamation marks.

Ask how the poem gets from one sentence to the next. Are there repetitions such as parallel syntax, use of one

simile per sentence, etc.

What is the theme of the poem? Are the grammar and meaning clear?

Word order is often skewed: direct object can be before the subject and verb.

What are the important images and figures of speech? Similes, metaphors? Create comparisons? Very powerful Pattern in these images?

The greatest challenge: discriminating between the figurative and the literal (e.g., rose . . . )

What are the most important single words used in the poem? Diction? Repetition? Direct and Indirect characterization via dialogue.

What is the tone of the poem? Tone: slippery definition . . .

Sometimes it is The mood or atmosphere Manner of speaking A tone of voice

Most common use is To denote the inferred attitude of an author. What? “A Modest Proposal” “Woman crying over Obama’s

speech”

What literary devices does the poem employ? The rhetorical devices are numerous The short list will be focused on metaphor, simile,

and personficiation.

What is the prosody of the poem? You can get away with knowing very little about

Rhyme Meter Sound effects

Takes time to hear the accented and unaccented syllables.

The “movement of the verse” is rarely used. Often vague Out of 13 to 15 objective questions over the poem, 1 or

2 will be about meter or rhyme scheme.

Answering Multiple-Choice Poetryor Applying for a test-writing job Should precede answering The question writer has already gone through

the same process Should be very similar to your questions.

Questions on dramatic situation: Who is speaking? Where is she? To whom is the poem addressed? Who is the speaker in lines 5-8? Where does the poem take place—context. What time of the year . . . Etc. Nature and poems . . . .?

Questions on structure

How are the stanzas 1 and 2 related to 3. What word in line 20 refers back to an idea

used in lines 5, 10, and 15. Which of the following division of the poem

best represents its structure?

Questions on theme

Which of the following best sums up the meaning of stanza 2?With which of the following is the poem centrally concerned?

The poet reject the notion of an indifferent universe because . . .

Questions on grammar and meaning of words Which of the following best defines the word

“glass” as it is used in line 9. To which of the following does the word

“which” in line 7 refer? The verb “had done” may best be

paraphrased as . . .

What is the meaning of “glass”

A. A transparent material used in windows B. a barometer C. a mirror D. a telescope E. A drinking vessel.

Context governs everything:

“The glass has fallen since the dawn” = Barometer The next line of the poem could solidify or

alter your choice.

Questions on Images and Figurative Language Expect a large number. Poems must be complex enough to inspire

10-15 questions . . .

Examples

To which of the following does the poet compare his love?

The images in line 3 and 8 come from what area of science?

The figure of the rope used in line 7 is used later in the poem in line . . .

Questions on diction:

Which of the following words is used to suggest the poet’s dislike of winter?

The poet’s delight in the garden is suggested by all of the following words EXCEPT

Questions on tome, literary devices, and metrics. The tone of the poem (or stanza) can best be

described as . . . Which of the following literary techniques is

illustrated by the phrase “murmurous hum and buzz of the hive”?

The meter of the last line in each stanza is . . .

Redemption?