1. AP Literature Exam Essay Norming + Tips & Tricks

2. On a sheet of notebook paper… Record the following letters, which identify the anchor papers, down the left side of your paper. I, D, E, V, A, H, G, P, C On your own… Read over the prompt & passage very carefully. Review the scoring guide. Read and rank the papers 1-9, providing a brief justification for each. Then, in groups, you will attempt to come to a consensus, after which we will discuss your findings.

3. Notes, Tips, & Tricks (from the Mock Exam) 1- WHEN IN DOUBT, REMAIN GENDER NEUTRAL. Question 1 included an excerpt from George Eliot, a British female author, who wrote under the pen name “George” in order to be taken more seriously by her contemporaries. This was tricky. There was virtually no way for you to know this. This is sometimes what the college board will due to separate the pack. If you don’t know for sure the gender of an author, remain gender neutral by using the last name and “the author” throughout. In Question 2, a few people also changed Herman Melville into a woman. You know, Moby Dick, right?

4. Notes, Tips, & Tricks (from the Mock Exam) 2- DON’T GET TOO HUNG UP ON THE “GUIDING SENTENCE” AT THE END OF THE PROMPT. i.e., In Question 1, it says “…pay particular attention to Eliot’s tone, imagery, detail, and figurative language.” This sentence (you will find one of the like in every prompt) is not meant to completely dictate your response. Rather, it provides “hints” as to where you may focus your argument. It is better to focus on one/some part(s) of this, rather than all. The thesis need not regurgitate these elements; it should present a unique, arguable claim that may address one/some of these aspects.

5. Notes, Tips, & Tricks (from the Mock Exam) 3- TRY TO AVOID SAYING THE AUTHOR “USES” TONE, DICTION, WHATEVER. Remember, “How does it mean?” Our entire focus for the year is how authors implicitly (connotatively) make meaning through the art of manipulating language. Do not say, “Melville uses tone…” Instead THINK: How does his tone shift? Use vivid, accurate descriptors in the thesis and supporting claims. And to what end? What meaning does the shift create? How does it mean? Not that it means…BUT HOW.

6. Notes, Tips, & Tricks (from the Mock Exam) 4- CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT! WHEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE ALLOWS YOU…CONTEXTUALIZE THE LITERARY WORK, AUTHOR, ETC. Questions 2, Melville’s “Shiloh” poem was a fastball right down the middle in the context department. America…1862…seems like a lot of dead bodies laying around…what is it about??!!! Bringing in historical context, when possible, can help you understand the narrative of a poem, or closed passage, which in turn will help you decode/analyze its meaning more accurately.

7. Notes, Tips, & Tricks (from the Mock Exam) 5- ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, QUOTE THE PASSAGE, POEM, OR TEXT DIRECTLY! This should go without saying, but the easiest way to AVOID the 4 (or lower) range on your essay response is, even if you destroy the meaning, to quote the text provided throughout your writing. This, at bare minimum, shows you are attempting a close analysis of language, which is the foundation for the course.

8. 6- THE LEFTOVER BASIC NUTS AND BOLTS… Analysis over summary, especially in question three! It’s less important to prove you understand the whole plot of a text and more important to analyze specific elements of the narrative to answer the prompt. Cite the author! So many of you jumped right into talking about, for example, Jane Eyre, the character. What about Bronte? Give her credit for creating Jane…what did Bronte do with/to the narrative to create the headstrong Jane? Stay in third-person POV! Thank goodness there was no evidence of first person, but, some of you, slipped into second with “we” and “us.” Remember, don’t make assumptions about the reader. Stay neutral – let your arguments be the persuasive part. HANDWRITING! On the absolute most basic level, if the scorer can’t read your writing he/she will be annoyed and score you lower. Take a deep breath, do hand yoga, and try your best!