5 Steps to a 5: AP English Literature - Estelle M. Rankin, Barbara L. Murphy 2019

Suggested reading guide
Appendixes

As you probably know, a standard curriculum for AP Lit does not exist. Instead, teachers are urged to present material that will be appropriately challenging and enlightening while providing the opportunity for literary analysis. There are several ways of organizing the literature you study in an AP Literature and Composition course. Regardless of specifics, a broad selection of literature, covering many centuries and many styles, should be offered. Be confident that your teacher and course will meet the needs of the AP requirements.

We’ve developed several ways for you to reflect upon your own background. Once you have a clear overview of what you do know, you will be able to assess your particular strengths and weaknesses. You will also see the interrelationships of the literature you’ve studied and the commonalities and differences you will draw on to write your essays.

One approach to organizing your studies is chronological. This is the traditional survey of literature from “Beowulf to Virginia Woolf to Thomas Wolfe.” This broad-based study provides you with many samples from different time periods and offers a context grounded in history. Another approach is the thematic one. Works are grouped by common ideas and are variations on a theme through time and genre. Often, it is obvious that certain works share a common sensibility. Generally, these characteristics are classified together as a literary movement. By connecting form and function, this type of reflection will broaden your understanding and analysis.

What follows is a bibliographic overview of literary movements.

Classicism

The classical writer generally exhibits or is concerned with the following:

• Universality

• Noble ideas

• Dignified language

• Restraint

• Clarity

• Objectivity

• The importance of structure

• An edifying purpose

Suggested classical works and authors:

Make a list of classical works you have read: Cite title, author, and major thoughts about each.

Realism

The realistic writer generally exhibits or is concerned with the following:

• Truth and actuality

• Detail

• Character portrayal

• Psychology

• Objectivity

• Lack of sentimentality

Suggested realistic works and authors:

Make a list of realistic works you have read: Cite title, author, and major thoughts about each.

Romanticism

The romantic writer generally exhibits or is concerned with the following:

• Emotions and passion

• Imagination and wonder

• The variety and power of Nature

• The individual

• Freedom and revolution

• Dreams and idealism

• Mystery and the supernatural

• Experimentation with form

• Spontaneity

Suggested romantic prose works and authors:

Suggested romantic poetic works and authors:

Make a list of romantic works you have read: Cite title, author, and major thoughts about each.

Impressionism

The impressionist writer generally exhibits or is concerned with the following:

• Appeals to the senses

• Mood and effects

• Vagueness and ambiguity

• Momentary insights

• Impressions of setting, plot, and character

• Emphasis on color and light

• Emotions and feelings

• Sensations into words

Suggested impressionistic works and authors:

Make a list of impressionistic works you have read: Cite title, author, and major thoughts about each.

Expressionism

The expressionist writer generally exhibits or is concerned with the following:

• Subjective responses

• Inner reality

• Abstract and mystical ideas

• Symbols and masks

• Man and society in chaos

• Creation of new worlds

Suggested expressionistic works and authors:

Make a list of expressionistic works you have read: Cite title, author, and major thoughts about each.

Naturalism

The naturalist writer generally exhibits or is concerned with the following:

• Realism to its extreme

• Fact and detail

• Social awareness and reform

• A broad spectrum of subjects, both positive and negative

• Man as animal in society

• Scientific impartiality

Suggested naturalistic works and authors:

Make a list of naturalistic works you have read: Cite title, author, and major thoughts about each.

A note about literary movements: These are the movements you will find emphasized in the Western canon of literature. However, be aware that there are other literary movements that are currently recognized. Among them are the:

• Symbolist—an outgrowth of romanticism

• Existentialist—concern with man’s alienation

• Absurdist—takes existentialism one step further into the realm of fractured reality

• Magical realism—modern genre that moves between the objective world and the world of fantasy