Analytical Focus

Diction


• Can reveal traits of a character or character background.
• Can hint at the time period in which the story is taking place
• Can help set the tone of the passage
• Can be help deliver the author's message


Diction in a short passage can be a very useful literary technique to mention since, unlike a poem, there is more room for dialogue in which the characters can express their thoughts. Also the author can be more descriptive in the way the authors respond to certain events that occur in the story. Also, if the characters happen to be using old English while they speak, then it means that the setting is taking place at an earlier time. The type of words that the author uses usually reveal how the author views the events taking place which can prove to be essential for your essay.


Imagery


• Reveals what the author wants you to see the most
• Can reveal mood by the way the author describes the setting
Finding imagery tells you that it's something that the author wants you to visualize as it probably is very important to some aspect of the story. Also make sure to pay attention to how the author describes the setting. Depending on what the author thinks of the setting, will reflect on the way that they describe it.


Tone


Tone simply just tells you how the author feels about the subject that he is talking about which is important if the question asks you about the authors opinion or anything of the sort. Tone can be a variety of things which can range from remorseful to excited. Tone can be a minor difficulty to find if the author is using anything like sarcasm in which the tone will be something like hateful but the wording, if not paid attention to carefully, might sound cheery.


Figurative Language


• Can help locate sarcasm
• Helps emphasize a point


Figurative language can be a number of things such a hyperbole in which something is exaggerated. Usually when something is exaggerated, it's because the author wanted to make it stand out from the text or wanted to show that he was being sarcastic. Figurative language can also be an allusion in which the author refers to another work. These are used so that it provides the subject with further depth instead of the author having to explain it all.

Thematic Focus

Tips and Strategies:

· Read essay question before reading the passage

It’s best to read the essay question before reading the passage because you now know beforehand what to look for. This is one of the most effective things you can do to maximize your essay score because knowing beforehand will give you the advantage when you actually read the passage.

· Timing

Time is obviously the hardest part of the AP exam. The limited time that is given to you should make you get a different perspective in terms of how you should approach it. The suggested time is 40 minutes so you can break that down into your own preference. I would suggest 20 minutes of reading and annotating, then 20 minutes to write the essay.

· Read the Prompt/Blurb

The blurb is a brief announcement or preview telling you what you are about to read. It’s best to read that before actually reading the whole passage because it will give you a base for understanding the passage. Many times a lot of these passages are hard to initially follow through and understand, but when you read the blurb it makes it less complicated.

· Annotate, Annotate and Annotate.

By now annotating should be embedded in your brain, but it’s important to know how to use it in the prose passage of the AP exam. Since you already read the essay question, just annotate in accordance with the question. Annotate literary elements and write brief purpose. Of course the main idea as well, but best to limit yourself to annotating only focusing on the essay question because it’ll save you a lot of time.

· Literary Techniques, Figurative Language, and the “So What?”

As I said when you annotate make you sure you find literary elements in accordance to your essay question. You can also find as many literary elements as you want but the catch is that you need to relate it to the essay question and at the same time you must also find the purpose for it. The “So What?” technique is effective, but if you want to be simple you can just ask yourself why. When addressing why? You should look at it in a whole passage standpoint of the story, not the general idea. Many define it, but defining is giving the general idea of why and that can be directed to any literary work. You need to limit yourself to the story. Tell yourself this. How does it affect the characters, setting, plot, etc.