Monday, May 13, 2019
Final Blog Reflection (reflection of AP exam)
Going into the AP English Literature Exam, my feelings were relatively indifferent. I did not know what to expect, yet I knew exactly what to expect due to the extensive practice with multiple choice, Poetry, Prose, and Open Question essays throughout the course. I believe my performance was decent,but I am unsure how to specifically analyze my performance on multiple choice as it is my most impulsive section, and where I tend to doubt my thinking, as well as where my confusion most prominently lies. However, I feel it went much better than prior Multiple Choice sections so I am hopeful for a better numerical outcome as well, but I do not hold Multiple Choice to the same degree as the essays.
I believe that regarding the overall test, I paced myself significantly better than in the past, both in practice, graded assignments, and even in the AP English Language exam. I was very aware of my time, and felt I could tackle each section of both the multiple choice and the free response without immense pressure that I would run out of time.
I began with the Open Question essay, as I knew it had the potential to be my strongest but also harbored the greatest possibility of breadth, and therefore, mystery in its content. The prompt, however, regarding characters who withhold an idealistic perception, honestly, brought me to a state of utter bliss. The prompt was perfectly molded for the play that had been ingrained in my mind--Death of a Salesman--due to having recently read it, analyzed it, and practiced my Ted Talk presentation surrounding it. The prompt and my understanding of the play was a blessing, as it also contributed to beneficial time management, as I quickly mimicked earlier Open Question essays surrounding Death of a Salesman. In my writing in this section, I feel I did well in articulating the meaning of the work as a whole, as well as clearly and accurately showcasing the layers of the prompt through my analysis of the text. Throughout the year, our continual discussions of complexity, the three sentence thesis, as well as our developed projects rooted within the Find Your Place final, all contributed to my confidence regarding the Open Question essay. Our year-long practice with the Open Question and the significance of the MOTWAAW allowed me to integrate my analysis and illuminate the author’s intentions.
After the Open Question, I proceeded in reverse order, writing Prose and then Poetry. I struggled significantly with Prose, specifically with articulating the overarching purpose of the passage. I enjoyed the passage, and I articulated the opposition of the sisters, and the societal luxury that the family did not fit into, but I found it difficult to express what the deeper meaning of the passage was. I do not believe that my failure to recognize this greater purpose was a result of lack of preparedness, but rather, my confusion with the passage, as Prose has frequently been where I have struggled throughout the year in comparison to the other two essays.
After Prose, I proceeded to write the Poetry essay. Throughout the year, our focus on poetic structures and literary devices was extremely helpful in this section, as identifying the literary devices and their effect was a major part of my analysis whilst reading the poem, as well as my essay. I thoroughly enjoyed the poem, regarding the landlady’s tendency to snoop, yet the speaker’s juxtaposing regard for her actions as observatory, then friendly, then obsessive, and disturbing. I felt like this essay went relatively well, as I felt I accurately identified and underscored the specific tone of the speaker, as well as the author’s choice with literary devices.
Overall, I am not entirely sure how I feel about my cumulative performance on the AP English Literature Exam, but I am not discouraged by my experience during the test. I believe that regardless of my score, I will accept the outcome, and that no matter the numerical ranking, I gained sufficient knowledge regarding intricate analysis of literature and identification and function of complexity within texts that I otherwise had not known. I am hopeful for a decent score, but I believe that I did my best no matter the outcome.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
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