AP® English Literature and Composition
Course Summary
Engage in close reading and analysis of challenging literary works across a variety of genres, including novels, short stories, poems, plays, and nonfiction. Read at a fast pace and form independent opinions about the materials. Conduct critical analysis of the readings and complete multi-step writing assignments ranging from online posts to five-paragraph essays.
Through course discussions, students develop an in-depth understanding of course concepts and gain feedback on writing assignments. This course prepares students for the AP® English Literature and Composition exam.
Course Prerequisite(s):
AP® English Language and Composition, English 11, or Honors English
Curriculum
This is a 2-semester course. We do not recommend taking both semesters simultaneously.
Unit 1: AP Exam Questions
- AP® Exam: Question 1 Poetry
- AP® Exam: Question 2 Prose
- AP® Exam: Question 3 Free Response
- AP® Exam: Multiple Choice
Unit 2: Antigone
- Antigone Background
- Antigone The Tragic Hero
- Antigone The Beginning
- Antigone The Middle
- Antigone The End
Unit 3: Hamlet
- Hamlet Background
- Hamlet Acts 1-5
- Hamlet Characters and Themes
Unit 4: House of Mirth
- House of Mirth Background
- House of Mirth Books 1 and 2
Unit 5: A Tale of Two Cities
- A Tale of Two Cities Background
- A Tale of Two Cities Books 1 through 3
Unit 6: Poetry
- Poetry: Longfellow and Bryant
- Poetry: Holmes and Whittier
- Poetry: Eliot
- Poetry: Auden
- Poetry: Angelou and Giovanni
- Poetry Multiple Choice Practice
Unit 7: Dracula
- Dracula Background
- Dracula Chapters 1-26
- AP® Skills Review: Poetry Analysis
Unit 8: Pride and Prejudice
- Pride and Prejudice Background
- Pride and Prejudice Chapters 1-61
- Literary Terms Review
- AP® Skills Review: Prose Analysis
Unit 9: The Importance of Being Earnest
- The Importance of Being Earnest Background
- The Importance of Being Earnest Acts 1-3
- AP® Skills Review: Free Response Question
Unit 10: This Side of Paradise
- The Side of Paradise Background
- The Side of Paradise Books 1-2
Unit 11: Dubliners
- Dubliners Background
- Dubliners Childhood Adolescence
- Dubliners Maturity and Public Life
- AP® Skills Review: Multiple Choice Strategies
Unit 12: Short Stories
- Gilman The Yellow Wallpaper
- Chopin The Story of an Hour
- O'Connor A Good Man is Hard to Find
- Faulkner A Rose for Emily
- Updike A&P
- AP® Skills Review: Short Story Wrap-Up
Unit 13: Modern Novel
- Character Analysis
- Theme Analysis
- Plot Analysis
- Final Project