AP English Literature – Notes and Study Guides Unit 1: Intro to Short FictionUnit 1 Overview: Introduction to Short Fiction1.1 Interpreting the role of character in fiction1.2 Identifying and interpreting setting1.3 Understanding how a story’s structure affects interpretations1.4 Understanding and interpreting a narrator’s perspective1.5 Reading texts literally and figuratively1.6 The basics of literary analysis Unit 2: Intro to PoetryUnit 2 Overview: Introduction to Poetry2.1 Identifying characters in poetry2.2 Understanding & interpreting meaning in poetic structure2.3 Analyzing word choice to find meaning2.4 Identifying techniques in poetry to analyze literary works Unit 3: Longer Fiction & Drama IntroductionUnit 3 Overview: Introduction to Longer Fiction and Drama3.1 Interpreting character description and perspective3.2 Character evolution throughout a narrative3.3 Conflict and plot development3.4 Interpreting symbolism3.5 Identifying evidence and supporting literary arguments Unit 4: Short Fiction: Characters & ConflictUnit 4 Overview: Character, Conflict, and Storytelling4.1 Protagonists, antagonists, character relationships, and conflict4.2 Character interactions with setting and its significance4.3 Archetypes in literature4.4 Types of narration like stream of consciousness4.5 Narrative distance, tone, and perspective Unit 5: Poetry Structure & Figurative LanguageUnit 5 Overview: Structure and Figurative Language5.1 Traits of closed and open structures in poetry5.2 Use of techniques like imagery and hyperbole5.3 Types of comparisons in poetry including personification and allusion5.4 Identifying and interpreting extended metaphors Unit 6: Literary Techniques in Extended WorksUnit 6 Overview: Literary Techniques in Longer Works6.1 Interpreting foil characters6.2 Understanding and interpreting character complexity6.3 Understanding nonlinear narrative structures like flashbacks and foreshadowing6.4 The effect of narrative tone and bias on reading6.5 Characters as symbols, metaphors, and archetypes6.6 Developing literary arguments within a broader context of works Unit 7: Short Fiction: Society & History ContextUnit 7 Overview: Societal and Historical Context7.1 Sudden and more gradual change in characters7.2 Epiphany as a driver of plot7.3 Relationships between characters and groups7.4 Character interactions with changing and contrasting settings7.5 The significance of the pacing of a narrative7.6 Setting as a symbol7.7 Interpreting texts in their historical and societal contexts Unit 8: Advanced Poetry TechniquesUnit 8 Overview: Advanced Techniques in Poetry8.1 Looking at Punctuation and Structural Patterns8.2 Interpreting juxtaposition, paradox, and irony8.3 How ambiguity can allow for various interpretations8.4 Identifying symbols, conceits, and allusions8.5 Learning proper attribution and citation in literary analysis Unit 9: Analyzing Depth in Extended LiteratureUnit 9 Overview: Nuanced Analysis9.1 Looking at a character’s response to the resolution of a narrative9.2 Suspense, resolution, and plot development9.3 Narrative inconsistencies and contrasting perspectives
