Welcome, Class of 2021!

What a year! I know that everything is in flux, but whether we meet in person this August or virtually over Zoom, I am excited to work with you. We will work hard. We will read (a lot), analyze, write, and discuss.

Here is some information on AP Literature:

AP English Literature and Composition will give students a learning experience equivalent to a typical undergrad introduction to literature class. Through close reading of literary texts, students will come to understand how writers use language to provide meaning and to answer the big questions in life. We will “measure” literature against the history of philosophy to understand how literature fits into its own time as well as in all time.

We will ask, “What is art?” and try to determine the qualities of great literature. Our literary analysis will look through the lenses of style and structure, rhetorical strategies, diction, figurative language, imagery, selection of detail, language and syntax. Vocabulary study is important.

So, let’s get started! This summer, you will read:

• 1. How to Read Literature Like a Professorby Thomas C. Foster. Write a a brief summary (bullet points, and a couple of paragraphs should be enough).

  You will turn this in. 

  To be clear, you will take notes on the chapters. What did you learn? What hints and suggestions does Foster provide? For example, what are the characteristics of the Heroic Journey?

  2. Oedipus the King(sometimes translates as Oedipus Rex) a classic Greek play by Sophocles
  3. An AP Review Book (e.g., Princeton Review, Barrons, 5 Steps to a 5).

  Take notes, there will be a test on the vocabulary and some of the common test strategies.

  To Clarify: you’ll review the book and LEARN their test-taking skills and strategies. For example, what does the text suggest is at the heart of every essay question? What tips does the text give on answering the multiple choice questions?

  Know the structure of the exam and become familiar with the literary terms and vocabulary (there is an extensive glossary at the back of the book).
  Your test will include questions on each of those.

  Now, some suggestions:
  The AP Lit exam tests your knowledge of literature. It is, in actuality, a test on 4 years of literary knowledge. The more you read, the more prepared you will be. So, I suggest that you read a novel or play of your choice from this list (but NOT one of the works that we will read together in class. Here is a link to the list: http://www.madeiracityschools.org/userfiles/300/Classes/39310/Most%20frequently%20cited%20books.pdf )

  You may also want to refresh your knowledge of Biblical stories. Many literary texts, especially the older works, often allude to Judea-Christian stories. So, it would be a good idea to review those so that you can recognize some common symbols and archetypes that allude to biblical stories.

  Another suggestion is the book A Brief History of Thought: a Philosophical Guide. This book explains and explores different schools of philosophical thought, which will be very helpful as that will be a component of our class.

  Please keep in mind that discussion is a major component of this course. So, discuss amongst yourselves. Visit this site often and post questions, thoughts, observations. I will do the same.

  Throughout the year we will read and analyze many works of literature from novels and plays to short stories and poems.

  For those of you that want to know what we will read in class throughout the year, this is a tentative list of some of the books that we will read next year, in case you want to purchase and/or borrow these books over the summer.

  We will read the following books in class. Depending on our timing, there may be an additional play.
  The Iliad, Homer (excerpts, I will provide)
  Othello, William Shakespeare
  Beowulf (excerpts, I will provide)
  Grendel by John Gardner                                                                                                                    The Stranger, by Albert Camus                                                                                                     The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald                                                                           A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

  You will read a book or play over the winter break and another one during spring break.

  If time permits, we will read one of the following plays:

   A Doll’s House, Ibsen

  Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Edward Albee

   Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller

  SUMMARY:
  You will read independently and for class

  You will read, not just for plot, but for style, motif, hidden meanings, etc.

  Your work begins this summer

  Expect a test on the first day of class. I will test you on:

  • Facts, literary devices, symbols, etc from How to Read Literature Like a Professor
  • Oedipus the King
  • on literary terms/vocabulary, testing strategies, and on things that you should have learned from your summer reading.

  Good luck, enjoy your summer, and keep in touch!

NEW: Class Syllabus Advanced Placement English 20-21 Syllabus