AP English Literature AMSCO Guided Notes
1.5: Writing About Literature I
AP English Literature Guided Notes
AMSCO 1.5 - Writing About Literature I
Essential Questions
- How can you communicate your interpretation of a work of literature in a paragraph that asserts a claim and supports it with evidence?
I. Interpretation and Claims about Literature
1. Why does reading literature produce different interpretations among different readers?
2. How does close reading help you develop and refine your interpretation of a text?
A. Two Processes for Close Reading: Rereading and Annotating Texts
1. What is the purpose of rereading a text multiple times, and what should you focus on during each reading?
2. How does annotating a text help you identify and organize important details for analysis?
B. From Details to Big Ideas
1. What are universal or big ideas in literature, and how do patterns of textual details help you identify them?
2. How does recognizing big ideas in a text move you from observation to interpretation?
C. Examining Complexity
1. What does it mean to examine complexity in a text, and why do opposing or contrasting ideas matter?
2. How does a thematic statement capture the complexity of a text by addressing tension between opposing ideas?
II. 5.1 Making a Claim Based on Textual Details
1. What is the relationship between textual details about characters, setting, plot, and narration and the development of an interpretation?
III. 5.2 Developing and Supporting a Claim
1. What makes a statement about literature a claim rather than a simple fact about the text?
2. What two requirements must a claim meet in order to be effective in literary analysis?
3. What is the difference between evidence and commentary, and why is commentary necessary to support a claim?
4. What is a line of reasoning, and how does it connect evidence to a claim?
IV. 5.3 Writing a Paragraph of Literary Argument
1. How should you consider purpose and audience when writing literary analysis?
2. What are the main components of a paragraph of literary analysis, and how do they correspond to the parts of a standard paragraph?
3. Why should you avoid summarizing the work or including unrelated details in a paragraph of literary analysis?
Key Terms
analysis
interpretation
argument
claim
evidence
commentary