May 2014
Dear English AP Literature Students,
Congratulations on the choice you have made for your senior year. We look forward to working with you and helping you prepare
for the AP Literature and Composition Exam and the demands of college-level reading and writing.
Included are summer reading assignments for your enjoyment. The poetry assignment should provide an opportunity to become
more familiar with AP poetry. Your annotations will provide YOU with important notes you can share in August as we begin our
discussion of Their Eyes Were Watching God and assignments in conjunction with How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
Remember that these responses will also provide us with an important first impression of your abilities and your commitment to
the work we are undertaking.
We realize you may want to discuss the literature with a friend while you are reading. It’s a great idea to have a “study buddy.”
We encourage you to do this but caution you to do your writing individually. We also discourage the use of prepared notes
(Cliffs Notes and others) and electronic sources. The summaries provided in these sources lack the vitality of the original work,
and the wording and bland style of these notes tends to creep into students’ writing. Remember: original expression of ideas
always shows through! Similarly, borrowed ideas are awkwardly apparent.
Congratulations, again, for electing to take AP Literature and Composition. We are about to begin a demanding, pleasurable, and
rewarding year.
Please keep in mind that this is an elective college level course and it will be suggested you purchase many of the books.
Take a few minutes to look over the entire summer assignment. You may come to N11 or B1 if you have questions on the
assignments or just wish to talk about next year’s class.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ockey
Room N11
Mrs. Yates-Weber
Room B1
Assignments are due August 18, 2014
A. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Be prepared to take a test on the novel soon after school begins. You may annotate your book, and you may use your book on the
test.
B. Read How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Read all chapters (including the introduction, interludes and envoi) of How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Highlight one or
more significant quotes in each chapter and in the margins write an example from a novel, short story, character, situation, etc.
from your own reading, BRIEFLY EXPLAINING the connection. You will turn your book in and it will be returned to you after
points are recorded. If you prefer not to write in the book, record your quotations and responses on post it notes instead.
C. Allusions in Poetry
25 points
Writers often use their own experiences as inspiration for their writing. Family, the society in which they lived, race, triumphs
and failures, all provide fodder for expression of their thoughts and emotions through poetry. For each of the five poems
selected, briefly discuss (150-250 words) how the poet’s background information contributes to the meaning/theme, discuss the
style (diction, figurative language, imagery, tone, syntax) of each poem, and discuss the importance of the conflicts and themes
that are addressed in each poem. You must provide textual support (quotes).
The following are the poems you are to choose from. Choose five, PRINT THEM OUT from an internet site, annotate them, and
include them with your typed, double spaced analyses:
Poems
By Langston Hughes:
"Dream Boogie"
“The Weary Blues”
“Brass Spittoons”
By Lucille Clifton:
“mulberry fields”
"miss rosie"
"i am accused of tending to the past"
By Countee Cullen:
"A Brown Girl Dead"
"I Have a Rendezvous With Life"
"Uncle Jim"
By Gwendolyn Brooks
“Sadie and Maud”
“A Sunset of the City”
Poetry Response Rubric:
A
Reveals thoughtful and complex understanding of the poem. Deftly and effectively discusses how the poet’s background contributes
to the meaning of the poem. Accurately discusses how style (diction, tone, figurative language, etc.) contributes to meaning.
Demonstrates the student’s ability to read poetry perceptively and write with accuracy and clarity.
B
Reveals a good understanding of how the poet’s background contributes to the meaning of the poem, but the thinking and writing may
be less accurate, thorough, or incisive than an A response. This response may display a limited understanding of the complexities and
style of the poem and its use of allusion. (Occasional mechanical and/or grammatical errors do not detract from the ideas or distract
the reader.)
C
Reveals a very basic understanding of how the poet’s background contributes to the meaning of the poem. It lacks accuracy and
clarity, with minimal support. There may also be some misinterpretation or the response may offer mostly summary or paraphrasing of
the poem instead of an “analysis.” (More than occasional mechanical and/or grammatical errors may be distracting to the reader and
make comprehension difficult.)
D/F
Reveals little understanding of how the poet’s background contributes to the meaning of the poem. It lacks accuracy, clarity, and
support. There is misinterpretation or the response may offer only a summary or paraphrasing of the poem instead of an “analysis.”
Directions weren’t followed. (Mechanical and/or grammatical errors are distracting to the reader and make comprehension difficult.)
How to Read Literature Like a Professor Rubric:
A
Highlighted one or more significant quote in each chapter (including the introduction, interludes and envoi) in addition to following the
directions and answering the questions for “A Test Case.” Briefly explained the connection using complete sentences. Examples come
from another novel, short story, character, or situation, from own reading—not a movie or personal situation. Examples are well
thought out and come from a variety of books.
B
Highlighted one or more significant quote in each chapter (including the introduction, interludes and envoi). Briefly explained the
connection using complete sentences. Examples come from another novel, short story, character, or situation, from own reading—not a
movie or personal situation. Examples come from a variety of books but may not be as well thought out as an A response.
C
Highlighted one or more quote in at least 18 of the 27 chapters, but not necessarily a significant one. May or may not include the
introduction, interludes or envoi. Explanations are too brief, sometimes only referencing a title. Examples sometimes come from a
movie or personal situation. Examples are limited to a few books.
D
Highlighted one or more quote in at least 14 of the 27 chapters, but not necessarily a significant one. May or may not include the
introduction, interludes or envoi. Explanations are too brief, sometimes only referencing a title. Examples sometimes come from a
movie or personal situation. Examples are limited to a few books.
F
Highlighted one or more quote in less than 14 of the 27 chapters, but not necessarily a significant one. May or may not include the
introduction, interludes or envoi. Explanations are too brief, sometimes only referencing a title. Examples sometimes come from a
movie or personal situation. Examples are limited to a few books.