Crash Course AP Literature

DICTION Diction is primarily the poet’s choice of words. Since poetry, of all literary forms, uses the least number of words to ...

LITERARY TECHNIQUES/DEVICES Exam writers sometimes list literary techniques or devices in the passage prompts for you to conside ...

SOUND Poems are meant to be heard. It has been said that poetry is language the “drips from the tongue.” We must pay attention t ...

Prevalence Rating ⋆ = 1-2 instances ⋆⋆ = 3-5 ⋆⋆⋆ = 6+ instances Diction ⋆⋆ Dialogue/speech ⋆ Figurative language ⋆⋆ Imagery ⋆⋆ N ...

Consonance can occur in the middle of words also: river, liver, cadaver, palaver, waver, save, rave, etc. The “v” sound repeats. ...

ANALYSIS OF POETRY PROMPTS The information that follows come from an analysis of poetry prompts from released exams. About one-t ...

METAPHOR A metaphor is a comparison of two dissimilar things to help us see something in a new or more meaningful way. Similes a ...

Analyze how the poet uses language to portray the scene and convey mood and meaning. analysis of setting, mood Discuss how the p ...

THEME Why write poems? Some people can’t help it. Writing poetry is as natural to them as breathing and it’s not a choice—they j ...

LITERARY TECHNIQUES/DEVICES Exam writers sometimes list literary techniques or devices in the poetry prompt for you to consider. ...

SAYING SOMETHING NEW OR SAYING SOMETHING OLD IN A NEW WAY Poetry is one of the oldest art forms, and poets have pretty much cove ...

Prevalence Rating ⋆ = 1–2 instances ⋆⋆ = 3–5 instances ⋆⋆⋆= 6+ instances Allusion ⋆ Diction ⋆⋆⋆ Figurative language ⋆⋆ Form ⋆ Im ...

KEY TERMS Familiarize yourself with the following list of terms. The starred terms (⋆) are those that have appeared more promine ...

ANALYSIS OF OPEN-ENDED PROMPTS The information that follows comes from an analysis of open-ended prompts from released exams. Th ...

whole, such as “all hands on deck” 24. ⋆ tone: the emotional quality of a poem, such as regretful or contemplative. Tone also re ...

explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. conflict Show how the presentation of a character considered ev ...

HOW TO READ A POEM As you read above, a poem is often full of figurative language, which means you shouldn’t read a poem for its ...

enhances the meaning. style/technique Show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work. ...

▶ What sound elements are most striking and why? You should be looking for sound repetition, cacophony/euphony, or any element o ...

CHAPTER 15 Essay Basics “Persuasion is achieved by the speaker’s personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us t ...