Advanced Placement Literature and Composition

The Advanced Placement Literature & Composition program is designed to allow students to pursue college-level literature and composition studies while attending SES. It is a cooperative venture between you, your study group, your classmates, and your teacher. You should expect to read additional complex texts to the ones you read in House, and to reflect on your reading through extensive discussion, analysis, and literary analysis writing. For fall and winter trimesters, you should assume to read the equivalent of 2-3 additional novels, and to write the equivalent of 3 additional essays. Although the reading and writing expectations are lighter spring trimester, you will be involved in intensive preparation and completing practice tests to prepare for the exam in May.

The AP course will help you to become skilled in reading and analysis of poetry and prose written in a variety of styles, time periods, and cultures. Through the reading of selected texts, you will deepen your understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. You will be expected to have an understanding of literary technique, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language including imagery, symbolism, and tone. You will be asked to “dissect” every piece of poetry and prose we read, sharing your interpretations of literary intent. You will also be asked to support your ideas with research, literary criticism, and passages in our readings.