OVERVIEW
Analysis means to take apart and examine component parts of a whole in order to gain a greater
understanding of the whole. The AP Lit exam gives you two opportunities to show your analysis skills.
First, in the multiple-choice section, typically you’ll read, analyze, and respond to questions on several
prose passages and two poems. Secondly, the free-response section is where you will show that you can
read a complex passage, generate a defensible thesis, and argue that thesis in a well-organized essay.
Generally when we read a scholarly work and are expected to analyze and interpret our reading, we
are given time. We sometimes work with others through discussion to sort out our reactions. A written
analysis goes through several drafts. However, the AP Lit exam puts your skills to a rigorous test by
expecting lucid, insightful analysis in a very short time span—about three hours. The purpose of this
chapter is to suggest ways for you to maximize your interpretative and analytical skills.