AP English Literature AMSCO Guided Notes
7.6: Writing About Literature VII
AP English Literature Guided Notes
AMSCO 7.6 - Writing About Literature VII
Essential Questions
- How can you communicate a written interpretation of a work of literature by expressing a thesis statement; using reasoning, commentary, and sufficient evidence to support your line of reasoning; and creating a level of sophistication?
I. Enduring Understanding and Skills
1. What is the relationship between textual evidence and a reader's interpretation of literature?
2. Why can multiple interpretations of the same literary work be valid?
II. Overview of the Process of Literary Analysis
1. What are the four essential elements of a literary argument and how do they work together?
2. What makes evidence effective in supporting a literary argument?
A. Revision and Recursion
1. Why is writing a recursive process and how does revision strengthen a literary argument?
2. How can discovering contradictory evidence lead to revising your thesis statement?
B. Collaboration
1. How can discussing your interpretation with other readers improve your argument?
2. What should effective peer reviews include and why is remaining open to feedback important?
C. Elements of Composition
1. What role do grammar, mechanics, coherence, and syntax play in conveying a literary argument?
III. Complex Reasoning
1. What three techniques can you use to add complexity and sophistication to a literary argument?
A. Broader Context
1. How can connecting a literary text to other works, events, or people strengthen your argument?
2. What is the relationship between the author's background and the broader context of a work?
B. Alternative Interpretations
1. How can acknowledging alternative interpretations increase your credibility with readers?
2. What are two ways to incorporate alternative interpretations into your literary argument?
3. How can critical perspectives from different time periods provide alternative interpretations of older works?
C. Analogies
1. How do analogies differ from similes and metaphors in literary analysis?
2. What is a schema and how does it serve as the base for constructing an analogy?
3. What three components make a well-constructed analogy function as a mini argument?
4. How can showing where a text does not fit a typical pattern add complexity to your analysis?
Key Terms
thesis statement
line of reasoning
commentary
evidence
recursive
revision
broader context
alternative interpretations
relevant analogies
sufficient evidence