Writing an In-class Essay

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Writing an In-class Essay
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Essays on the AP English Exam

• A poetry response
• In the following poem by Sir Philip Sidney
  (1554-1586), the speaker addresses the subject of
  desire. Read the poem carefully. Then write a
  well-developed essay in which you analyze how
  poetic devices help to convey the speakers
  complex attitude toward desire.
• A prose passage response
• Carefully read the following excerpt from
  the novel Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena María
  Viramontes. Then write a well-organized essay in
  which you analyze the development of Estrellas
  character. In your analysis, you may wish to
  consider such literary elements as selection of
  detail, figurative language, and tone.
• An open-ended response
• Choose a novel or play in which cultural,
  physical, or geographical surroundings shape
  psychological or moral traits in a character.
  Then write a well-organized essay in which you
  analyze how surroundings affect this character
  and illuminate the meaning of the work as a
  whole.

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Make sure that you understand what the prompt
asks you to do

• The passage below is taken from the novel Tom
  Jones (1749). In this scene, which occurs early
  in the novel, Squire Allworthy discovers an
  infant in his bed. Read the passage carefully.
  Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the
  techniques that Fielding employs in this scene to
  characterize Mr. Allworthy and Mrs. Deborah
  Wilkins.
• Write a well-organized essay in which you analyze
  the style and tone of the passage below,
  explaining how they help to express the authors
  attitudes.

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What is meant by style?

• What one says. . .
• How one says that something. . .

If style is thought to consist of the mannerisms
and methods of an individual writer, then one can
refer to the pompous style of Dr. Johnson, the
whimsical style of Charles Lamb, the allusive
style of T. S. Eliot, the clipped style of
Hemingway. Most critics agree, however, that
what one says and how he says it are basic
elements in style. Therefore, style may be
thought of as the impress (influence) of a
writers personality upon his subject matter.
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Devices used to create style

• Diction--word choice
• connotation of words
• Syntax--sentence structure
• Imagery
• Figures of speech
• metaphors, similes, personification, allusions,
  etc.
• Choice of detail
• And others. . .

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What is tone?

• An authors attitude toward his subject
• Remember that rarely will the tone remain the
  same from beginning to end, nor will the tone be
  limited to a single descriptive adjective.
• Dont be afraid to see opposites--the attitude is
  one of - - -, yet one of - - -.

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Essays are scored holistically

• The reader reads the essay without making any
  marks
• The reader evaluates both what is said and how it
  is said
• A score is determined based upon a rubric

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• 9-8--These essays address the prompt fully. They
  identify techniques and then analyze how the
  author uses them to address the prompt. Though
  the essays may not be error-free, they are
  perceptive in their analysis and demonstrate
  writing that is clear and precise.
• 7-6--These essays offer a reasonable attempt at
  the prompt. Although not as convincing or as
  thoroughly developed as the 9-8 papers, they
  demonstrate the writers ability to express ideas
  with clarity, insight, and control

• 5--These essays tend to be simplistic in analysis
  of techniques. They often rely on paraphrase.
  There may be minor misinterpretations. These
  essays are not as well conceived, organized, or
  developed as upper-half papers.
• 4-3--These lower-half essays offer less than
  thorough understanding of the task. They
  demonstrate misunderstanding of some aspect of
  the passage. These essays tend to rely on
  paraphrase only. The writing often demonstrates
  a lack of control over the conventions of
  composition inadequate development of ideas, an
  accumulation of errors, or a focus that is
  unclear.

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Literary Analysis

• In addition to understanding the passage that you
  read,
• and writing clearly, precisely, and as correctly
  as possible under the circumstances,
• you are also expected to write good literary
  analysis.

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(No Transcript)
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Literary Analysis
Claim

• This poem uses excellent imagery to depict
• how blind folks affect our lives, to evoke
  sympathy
• for the blind, and to criticize mainstream
  America
• for its callousness towards the disabled. In the
  first
• three lines Kooser describes how the blind can
• suddenly fill an elevator with a great white
  porcupine
• of canes. A porcupine is noted for its
  prickliness
• we are apprehensive when it is around and we do
  not
• want to touch it. The blind person, according to
• Kooser, evokes a similar reaction their
  presence in a
• situation causes prickliness, and it makes us
• uncomfortable.

Data
Commentary
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Literary Analysis

• In Animal Farm, Clover represents a caring and
  motherly figure to the other animals. She talks
  to Mollie, the horse, when others will not. She
  cares about keeping the animals together. She
  isnt mean to Mollie but wants her to understand
  how her decision to leave may affect the farm.
  In addition, Clover warns Boxer to slow down and
  nurses him when he collapses. In her concern for
  him, she models the kind of behavior that the
  animals wanted from Mr. Jones but did not get.
  She sees the injustice of the system and
  understands the punishment of hard work.
  Furthermore, she notices the changes in the Seven
  Commands and in the pigs behavior at the end.
  The knowledge that something is wrong leads her
  to speak out. Her commitment to Animal Farm is
  most important in her mind, and she wants to put
  her beliefs into action. Clover works hard to
  help the other animals, regardless of what might
  happen to her.

• In Animal Farm, Clover represents a caring
  and motherly figure to the other animals. For
  example, she talks to Mollie, the horse, when
  others will not. In addition, Clover warns Boxer
  to slow down and nurses him when he collapses.
  Furthermore, she sees the changes in the Seven
  Commandments and in the pigs at the end. She
  works hard to help the other animals regardless
  of what the negative consequences may be.

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Be prepared to write

• Plan your time wisely you will only have 45
  minutes
• Spend some time planning your essay before you
  begin--organization is an important factor of
  good composition
• You must write in blue or black ink on loose-leaf
  paper--you may write on the back