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How to Write an Analytical AP Essay About Literary Devices
USINFO | 2014-01-03 14:46
Advanced Placement courses allow high school students to study at the college level and even earn college credits. An AP course culminates in an exam; the English exam includes an essay section. Writing an analytical essay about literary devices, whether for the AP class or for the exam itself, requires sound knowledge of the techniques themselves and strong essay writing skills.
Literary Devices
●Literary devices are the techniques writers use in their craft. These include figures of speech such as metaphor and hyperbole. Narrative style refers to the way in which the story is told, such as using first person point-of-view or incorporating allusions into the text. Plot mechanisms include elements such as rising action and characterization. AP writing assignments are created to measure students' abilities to read, write and think analytically about literature. For an analytical essay about literary devices, you should not only identify them and discuss how they are used, you should analyze the effect of the devices on the work of literature.
SOAPSTONE Method
●Writing analytical AP essays about literature requires a sophisticated level of text analysis. AP teachers sometimes suggest the use of a method called "SOAPSTONE," an acronym reminding students of the seven steps of text analysis. "S" reminds students to identify the speaker. "O" is for occasion, meaning setting. "A" is for audience, "P" for author's purpose and "S" for the subject of the piece. The final four letters, "TONE" make up just the word tone. This reminds students to discuss the attitude expressed by the speaker.
Essay Structure
●The structure of an AP essay does not differ from the standard: introduction, body and conclusion. However, students may not use a hook; the attention-getter is not necessary. Rather, AP Readers, those who grade the written portion of AP English exams, suggest using the introduction to answer the entire prompt. Use the body of the essay to develop your answer, making one point per paragraph. Paragraphs should start with a topic sentence and use evidence directly from the text to support the analysis. For an essay about literary devices, discuss one technique in each paragraph. Your conclusion should draw the paper to a close by tying up any loose ends or adding a final piece of insight to your analysis.
AP Exam Tips
●The AP English Exam requires a written essay. Though your time is limited, you should analyze the prompt carefully. For literary devices, think not only what techniques you will discuss but what implications for the work they represent. Prepare to explain, for instance, how an allegory drives the piece. Also, take the time to sketch out a plan for your essay. Your introduction answers the prompt; you want to ensure full development of each point brought up in the introduction. Use a variety of sentence patterns and choose vocabulary as precisely as possible. The strongest essays include smooth transitions and well-supported claims that lead to a logical conclusion.
Literary Devices
●Literary devices are the techniques writers use in their craft. These include figures of speech such as metaphor and hyperbole. Narrative style refers to the way in which the story is told, such as using first person point-of-view or incorporating allusions into the text. Plot mechanisms include elements such as rising action and characterization. AP writing assignments are created to measure students' abilities to read, write and think analytically about literature. For an analytical essay about literary devices, you should not only identify them and discuss how they are used, you should analyze the effect of the devices on the work of literature.
SOAPSTONE Method
●Writing analytical AP essays about literature requires a sophisticated level of text analysis. AP teachers sometimes suggest the use of a method called "SOAPSTONE," an acronym reminding students of the seven steps of text analysis. "S" reminds students to identify the speaker. "O" is for occasion, meaning setting. "A" is for audience, "P" for author's purpose and "S" for the subject of the piece. The final four letters, "TONE" make up just the word tone. This reminds students to discuss the attitude expressed by the speaker.
Essay Structure
●The structure of an AP essay does not differ from the standard: introduction, body and conclusion. However, students may not use a hook; the attention-getter is not necessary. Rather, AP Readers, those who grade the written portion of AP English exams, suggest using the introduction to answer the entire prompt. Use the body of the essay to develop your answer, making one point per paragraph. Paragraphs should start with a topic sentence and use evidence directly from the text to support the analysis. For an essay about literary devices, discuss one technique in each paragraph. Your conclusion should draw the paper to a close by tying up any loose ends or adding a final piece of insight to your analysis.
AP Exam Tips
●The AP English Exam requires a written essay. Though your time is limited, you should analyze the prompt carefully. For literary devices, think not only what techniques you will discuss but what implications for the work they represent. Prepare to explain, for instance, how an allegory drives the piece. Also, take the time to sketch out a plan for your essay. Your introduction answers the prompt; you want to ensure full development of each point brought up in the introduction. Use a variety of sentence patterns and choose vocabulary as precisely as possible. The strongest essays include smooth transitions and well-supported claims that lead to a logical conclusion.
