Tips and strategies for success

AP Lit- The Comparative Poetry Essay

Try to read the poems 2 times EACH1 for an understanding of each poem

individually2 with an intention to find evidence to support

points of comparison3 if you have time- to hear the sounds in your

head

After reading, you should organize your thoughts in advance- prior to starting to write

-You can do this on a chart or make an outline

-Don’t take too much time, but it is worth up to 10 minutes of preparation to help write your essays quicker

Preparing: Reading

Your introductory paragraph only really needs 1 essential element- the thesis. This should directly respond to the prompt, mimicking the wording

The rest of the intro should NAME the poems and AUTHORS (if you know)

Then provide any summary of meaning or a list of SPECIFIC techniques that you will be discussing

DO NOT COMMENT ON “the reader” or “enjoying the poem”- avoid “really”, “very”, “interesting”

Intro- this applies to ALL essays

Should be AS SPECIFIC as possible. Avoid vague terms like “a lot” or “many”Literary techniques needs specified

adjectives or descriptorsi.e. Dickinson and Frost, in their respective

poems, both consider the idea of the darkness as a symbolic representation of the unknown, and provide an exploration through their varied structures, dark imagery, and specific points of view.

THESIS:

Organize by technique- mention in topic sentence

Include BOTH poems in each body paragraph to assure a balance

Include DIRECT TEXTUAL SUPPORT, not just summary or paraphrase

Include AMPLE explanation- explicitly connecting technique to meaning

Concluding sentence should tie back into the overall meaning

DO NOT transition at the end of a paragraph

Body paragraphs (back to specifics for the comparative poetry essay)

Restate the thesis/ main idea but do not repeat

Make a universalized theme statementi.e. Dickinson and Frost prove that exploring

darkness is a trait common to all, however some will approach darkness with curiosity and determination, where others will succumb to the darkness and internalize it. There varied points of view help to include all audiences in the journey, providing insight from those who have both overcome and succumb.

Conclusion (yes, you need one)

Categorize your essay for a bonus- use a technique from each of the following “categories”Structure (line, stanza, couplets, form)Sound (rhyme/ rhyme scheme, alliteration,

assonance or consonance, rhythm, meter)Figurative language (metaphor, symbolism,

personification, simile, imagery)

Poetic techniques: