AP English Literature and Composition - Study Guides, Flashcards, AP-style Practice & Mock Exams
This complete AP English Literature and Composition course delivers definitive exam prep through detailed units and focused topic reviews. You will sharpen your analytical skills with extensive practice materials designed to help you interpret complex literary works and construct sophisticated arguments for your essays and multiple-choice questions.
Course Overview
This course provides a comprehensive study of literary analysis, focusing on the skills required for the AP English Literature and Composition exam. Students will engage in the close reading of poetry, drama, and prose fiction from various periods. Core competencies include developing a defensible thesis, constructing a coherent line of reasoning, and mastering the distinction between commentary vs evidence. The curriculum emphasizes effective evidence integration and detailed prose analysis to support complex interpretations. Students will practice these skills through exercises modeled on the exam's free-response questions, including the literary argument essay, to build proficiency in timed, analytical writing.
The course is structured for systematic preparation. Learners progress through nine distinct units, each broken down into specific topics. After completing the material for each topic, understanding is assessed with an AP-style quiz. These quizzes serve as progress checks, identifying areas that may require targeted review. At the conclusion of each unit, a comprehensive Unit Exam evaluates mastery of the unit's content. This learning cycle culminates in full-length mock exams, which simulate the official testing environment. The platform's 398 practice questions provide ample opportunity to apply and refine analytical skills before attempting the final simulations.
Units & Topics
Unit 1: Character and Characterization
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Through close reading, we will explore how authors craft multifaceted individuals whose internal conflicts, evolving relationships, and pivotal decisions reveal a story's central ideas.
- 1.0Unit Overview
- 1.1Direct and indirect characterization; dynamic and static characters
- 1.2Character complexity and function, including foils and confidants
- 1.3Relationships, conflict, and motivation
- 1.4Character change and arc, including reversal and recognition
- 1.5How character choices shape meaning and theme
- 1.6Unit Exam
Unit 2: Setting and Context
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Through prose analysis, we will examine how an author’s construction of environment—from its historical context to its symbolic weight—shapes character and thematic meaning.
- 2.0Unit Overview
- 2.1Time, place, and social or historical context; atmosphere
- 2.2Setting as symbol; how environment shapes character
- 2.3Contrasting and parallel settings
- 2.4Sense of place and world‑building in fiction and drama
- 2.5Unit Exam
Unit 3: Narration and Point of View
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Through close reading, we will investigate how authors manipulate narrative voice and poetic speakers to reveal a character’s inner world and question their credibility.
- 3.0Unit Overview
- 3.1Narrator types and reliability; focalization
- 3.2Perspective shifts and free indirect discourse
- 3.3Poetry speaker and persona; addressee and tone
- 3.4Dramatic monologue and interiority
- 3.5Unit Exam
Unit 4: Structure, Plot, and Pacing
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This unit's prose analysis focuses on how authors arrange narrative events, control pacing, and use structural patterns to create specific, meaningful effects for the reader.
- 4.0Unit Overview
- 4.1Plot arc and subplots; structural function
- 4.2Nonlinear structures: frame, epistolary, and in medias res
- 4.3Pacing and tension; scene and summary
- 4.4Structural shifts, repetition, and contrast
- 4.5Unit Exam
Unit 5: Figurative Language and Imagery
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We will use close reading to analyze how poets employ sensory details, figurative comparisons, sound devices, and logical contradictions to shape a reader's experience.
- 5.0Unit Overview
- 5.1Imagery and sensory patterning
- 5.2Metaphor, simile, conceit, and personification
- 5.3Sound and line: alliteration, assonance, meter, rhyme, and line breaks
- 5.4Irony, paradox, oxymoron, understatement, and hyperbole
- 5.5Unit Exam
Unit 6: Symbol, Motif, and Allusion
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Through close reading, we will explore how recurring elements, external references, and symbolic details create complex and sometimes uncertain meanings within a literary work.
- 6.0Unit Overview
- 6.1Motifs and patterns; difference between symbol and motif
- 6.2Allusion and intertextuality
- 6.3Objects, places, and gestures as symbols
- 6.4Ambiguity and multiple interpretations
- 6.5Unit Exam
Unit 7: Theme and Meaning
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This unit focuses on crafting a defensible thesis from textual tensions and ambiguities, then comparing how different works develop complex thematic ideas.
- 7.0Unit Overview
- 7.1From topic to defensible theme statement
- 7.2Tensions and ambiguities as engines of meaning
- 7.3How elements interact to develop a theme
- 7.4Comparing theme development across texts
- 7.5Unit Exam
Unit 8: Writing the Literary Argument
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We will synthesize the skills of literary argumentation, from developing a strong thesis to analyzing evidence, into a cohesive, well-styled essay under timed pressure.
- 8.0Unit Overview
- 8.1Thesis and line of reasoning in literary analysis
- 8.2Selecting, embedding, and analyzing textual evidence
- 8.3From device identification to meaning-making
- 8.4Organization, cohesion, and style in literary essays
- 8.5Timed writing for poetry, prose fiction, and the open question
- 8.6Unit Exam
Unit 9: Exam Strategies and Timed Writing
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This unit focuses on strategies for timed literary interpretation, emphasizing the construction of a cohesive line of reasoning for poetry, prose, and argument-based essays.
- 9.0Unit Overview
- 9.1Multiple‑choice reading strategies for poetry and prose
- 9.2Timed writing for the poetry analysis
- 9.3Timed writing for the prose fiction analysis
- 9.4Planning and writing the open question
- 9.5Unit Exam
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the structure of the AP English Literature exam?
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The exam has two parts: a one-hour, 55-question multiple-choice section and a two-hour, three-essay Free-Response Question (FRQ) section. The multiple-choice section tests your close reading of prose and poetry, while the FRQs assess your ability to construct well-supported analytical essays.
What are the three Free-Response Questions (FRQs)?
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The FRQs require you to write three distinct essays: a poetry analysis, a prose fiction analysis, and a literary argument. For the literary argument, you will respond to a prompt by analyzing a single work of literary merit that you have studied and know well.
How are the essays scored?
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Each of the three essays is scored on a 6-point rubric that evaluates your thesis, evidence, and commentary. A high-scoring essay establishes a defensible claim and supports it with a clear line of reasoning, specific textual evidence, and insightful analysis.
How should I structure my study plan with this course?
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We recommend a sequential approach to master the material across all 9 units. Progress through the topics, test your knowledge with AP-style quizzes and unit exams, and then simulate the real test environment with our 3 full-length mock exams to build stamina and confidence.
What is the difference between evidence and commentary?
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Evidence is the specific textual detail, such as quotes or paraphrasing, that you select from the literary work. Commentary is your analysis; it explains *how* and *why* that evidence supports your thesis and contributes to the complex meaning of the work as a whole.
How can I develop a strong thesis statement?
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A strong thesis presents a defensible interpretation of the text that is not a simple summary or observation. It should establish a clear line of reasoning that you will support throughout your essay, guiding your selection of evidence and focus of your commentary.
What is “close reading” and why is it important?
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Close reading is the careful, sustained interpretation of a passage, focusing on how literary elements and techniques create meaning. This foundational skill is essential for both the multiple-choice questions and for gathering the specific textual evidence needed for your prose analysis and other essays.
How can I improve my evidence integration?
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Improve your evidence integration by weaving short, relevant quotes directly into your own sentences. This technique creates a smoother line of reasoning than simply dropping in long, unanalyzed blocks of text and shows a more sophisticated connection between your commentary and the evidence.
How much time will this course take to complete?
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You should plan for approximately 19 hours to complete all video lessons and practice materials. To maximize your preparation, use the 398 practice questions and 395 flashcards to reinforce your understanding of literary devices and analytical skills after each of the 38 topics.
What is the purpose of the literary argument essay?
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The literary argument essay assesses your ability to develop a sophisticated argument about a broad literary concept using a single text of your choice. You must support your defensible thesis with specific evidence and commentary, demonstrating a deep understanding of the work as a whole.
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