← English Literature syllabus

United StatesEnglish Literature

Unit 5: Poetry II

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does a reference to something outside the poem, an allusion, add meaning to it?

Topic 5.6 Figurative language: identify and explain the function of an allusion, a reference to a person, place, event, or text outside the poem.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.6 (skill category FIG), covering what an allusion is, how a reference to something outside a poem imports meaning, and how to analyze the function of an allusion rather than just recognize it.
10 min answer →

How do you tell the literal meaning of a poem's words from their figurative meaning, and why does it matter?

Topic 5.2 Figurative language: distinguish between the literal and figurative meanings of words and phrases and explain how the figurative meaning shapes the poem.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.2 (skill category FIG), covering the difference between literal and figurative meaning, how to recognize when language is being used figuratively, and how to read figurative meaning rather than paraphrase the literal sense.
10 min answer →

How does a metaphor, especially an extended one, build meaning across a poem?

Topic 5.4 Figurative language: identify and explain the function of a metaphor, including the extended metaphor or conceit sustained across a poem.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.4 (skill category FIG), covering the function of metaphor in poetry, the extended metaphor or conceit, the tenor and vehicle of a comparison, and how to analyze what a metaphor contributes.
11 min answer →

How does giving human qualities to a non-human thing create meaning in a poem?

Topic 5.5 Figurative language: identify and explain the function of personification, the attribution of human qualities to a non-human thing.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.5 (skill category FIG), covering personification, how attributing human qualities to a non-human thing shapes meaning and attitude, and how to analyze personification rather than merely spot it.
10 min answer →

How do you select and sequence evidence about a poem so the body of an essay follows a line of reasoning?

Topic 5.7 Literary argumentation: select relevant and sufficient evidence from a poem and sequence claim-and-evidence paragraphs to develop a line of reasoning in the poetry analysis essay.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.7 (skill category LAN), covering how to select relevant and sufficient evidence from a poem and arrange claim-and-evidence paragraphs into a line of reasoning for the poetry analysis essay.
11 min answer →

How does the structure of a poem, its arrangement and patterning, shape its meaning?

Topic 5.1 Structure: explain the function of structure in a poem, including stanza patterns, form, and the arrangement of ideas across the whole poem.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.1 (skill category STR), covering how the structure of a poem functions, the arrangement of ideas across stanzas and forms, and how to analyze poetic structure rather than just describe the layout.
11 min answer →

How do specific words and phrases function within a poem to create its meaning and effect?

Topic 5.3 Figurative language: explain the function of specific words and phrases in a poem, including their connotation, sound, and placement.
A focused answer to AP English Literature Topic 5.3 (skill category FIG), covering how specific words and phrases function in a poem through connotation, sound, and placement, and how to analyze word choice rather than merely identify it.
10 min answer →