Now Available! Go to barronsbooks.com/AP/englit/ to take a free sample AP English Literature and Composition test, complete with answer explanations and automated scoring. *This online test was created for devices that support Adobe Flash Player. To access the test on an Apple iPad or iPhone you will need to install a web browser that supports Flash (check the iTunes App Store for free options). © Copyright 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008 by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. Previous edition © Copyright 2004 under the title How to Prepare for the AP English Literature and Composition. Prior editions © Copyright 2000, 1997, 1992, 1987, 1984, 1980, and 1974 under the title How to Prepare for AP English by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. All inquiries should be addressed to: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 250 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, New York 11788 www.barronseduc.com eISBN: 978-1-4380-9258-4 First eBook publication: February, 2014 Contents Barron’s Essential 5 Introducing the AP English Literature and Composition Exam Acknowledgments PART 1: GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE EXAM 1 Overview Section I Section II 2 Answering Multiple-Choice Questions Tactics for Answering Questions Sample Questions on Poetry Sample Questions on Prose Fiction 3 Mastering the Essays Questions from Previous Exams Guidelines for Writing Essays How Essays Are Scored Student Essays PART 2: DIAGNOSTIC TEST Introduction Section I Section II Answer Key Answer Explanations Self-Scoring Guide for the Diagnostic Test PART 3: POETRY 4 What You Need to Know About Poetry Poetry Overview How to Read a Poem Practice in Reading Poems What to Listen for in Poetry The Use of Repetition The Language of Poetry Poetic Styles and Forms PART 4: FICTION AND DRAMA 5 Literature Fiction on the Exam Responding to Literature Analyses of Selected Novels Drama on the Exam Writing About Selected Plays PART 5: PRACTICE TESTS Practice Test 1 Practice Test 2 Practice Test 3 Practice Test 4 Glossary of Literary and Rhetorical Terms This eBook contains hyperlinks that will help you navigate through content, bring you to helpful resources, and allow you to click back and forth between all practice questions and their answer explanations. Please be advised that certain pages, illustrations, tables, graphs, etc. may look different depending on what type of device you are using to view this eBook on. Please adjust your device accordingly. 5 Barron’s Essential To reach your goal of 5 on the AP English Literature and Composition exam, here are five essentials 1 you MUST do: Familiarize yourself with literary terms. To answer multiple-choice and essay questions you must recognize and be conversant with literary concepts such as structure, style, themes, imagery, symbolism, irony, and use of figurative language in works of imaginative literature. 2 Develop the habit of close reading. Choose fiction of recognized literary merit, and pick a page or a short passage to dissect. Read it once for an overall impression. Then go back resolved to draw out meanings that lie beneath the surface. Observe textual details, sentence structures, style, diction, syntax, and figures of speech. Describe the author’s tone. This type of close reading, consistently done, boosts performance in both the multiple-choice and essay sections of the exam. 3 Devour poetry. A steady diet of poems builds appreciation and understanding of poetry, a major subject on the AP exam. Read poems daily. For each one, answer the ten essential questions designed to make clear the poet’s purpose and meaning. With practice, you’ll soon see how structure, sound, meter, and other elements give poems the power to move, entertain, and enlighten. 4 Read widely and well. Exam questions about literature range from the meaning of an entire novel or play to the use of a single word or phrase. Every dimension of literature is fair game. Be prepared by immersing yourself in high-quality works from various periods. Read thoroughly. Take nothing for granted. Assume that every component in the work contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Make an effort to contemplate and analyze: • plot • narrative voice • … and much more • setting • structure • character • language 5 Write essays for practice. Get used to writing essays in no more than 40 minutes. Build in time to read the question, pick a main idea, and decide how to support it. Before you start writing, list your ideas and arrange them in sensible order. While composing your essay, be sure to: • introduce your topic • develop coherent paragraphs • vary sentence structures • choose the best words to express ideas • provide a brief conclusion Set aside time for editing and proofreading. Above all, try to enjoy the process, and reward yourself for each successful essay you write. Introducing the AP English Literature and Composition Exam The AP English Literature and Composition exam tests your ability to comprehend and interpret the form and substance of poems and passages of fiction. In addition, it asks you to write clear, concise, and persuasive analytical essays that demonstrate your understanding of literary techniques used by poets and authors of fiction. The exam takes three hours and is divided into two sections. Section 1, which lasts an hour, consists of multiple-choice questions and counts for 45 percent of your total score. The second section, comprising 55 percent of your score, is two hours long and requires you to write three essays. Section I Section II Fifty-five multiple-choice Three essays: one on a given poem, one on a questions based on your passage of prose fiction—each analyzing reading of two or three prose how form and content relate to the meaning fiction passages and two or —and a third essay on your choice of novel three poems. (One hour) or play. (Two hours) Your score on the exam is reported on a scale of 1–5. In general, the numbers are interpreted to mean 5 extremely well qualified 4 well qualifed 3 qualified 2 possibly qualified 1 not recommended for AP credit A high score on this exam demonstrates a proficiency in English at least on a par with college students who have done well in an introductory course in