AP Test Review: Sample Essay Excerpts
Poetry Prompt:
Each of the following poems, written about 70 years apart, is entitled “Forgetfulness.”
Read the poems carefully and then, in a well-organized essay, analyze how each of the
speakers conveys his ideas about the phenomenon of forgetfulness. Take into account any
poetic elements that you deem appropriate to your analysis, such as tone, imagery,
sentence structure, meter, and so forth.
Essay 1 [strong organizational structure of analysis]
Hart Crane and Billy Collins both wrote poems entitled “Forgetfulness.” Despite
this similarity in title, each poem says something different about forgetfulness. Crane ahs
a more praising and accepting tone toward the subject while Collins creates a depressing
tone. The differences in the poets’ attitudes comes from differences in formal devices
such as diction, imagery, personification, similes and metaphors, which all create tone.
Crane’s tone reveals the beauty behind forgetfulness. His diction includes words
such as “wanders” (line 2), “outspread” (line 4), and “unwearyingly” (line 5) which do
not contain negative connotations, but rather remind the reader of an innocently forgetful
person. He calls to mind beautiful and serene images such as “a bird whose wings are
reconciled” (line 4) and “rain at night” (line 6). These images are peaceful, and
correspond with a forgetful person’s naïve personality. Crane also uses personification to
say “it may stun the sybil into prophesy / or bury the Gods” (line 9). These lines show
that forgetfulness can also be powerful. They convey the speaker’s sense of praise for the
condition as well. He uses similes to say that forgetfulness “is like a song” (line 1) as well
as metaphors to compare forgetfulness to “an old house in the forest,--or a child” (line 7).
Once again, each of these things creates a serene, beautiful image within the reader’s
mind, contributing to the overall tone.
Collins utilizes the same device, but in a different manner. He uses words such as
“lurking” (line 15), “struggling” (line 13) and “oblivion” (line 18). His choice of words
suggests a more hopeless tone toward forgetfulness. Collins creates images of
abandonment to negatively categorize forgetfulness. He writes “it is as if, one by one, the
memories you used to harbor (…) where there are no phones” (lines 5-8). This image
creates a sense of isolation between the memories and the mind. He uses personification
in a similar way, writing, “[you] watched the quadratic equation pack its bag” (line 9).
Once again he shows that the things once known are abandoning the mind, showing that
the mind has no control over this. Collins also shows that the memories start out small
such as “the name of an author” (line 1) then grow to “how to swim” (line 19). He shows
that the loss of control over the mind causes one to lose all memory of facts and
functions. Collins creates his depressing tone through images of abandonment and usage
of words with negative connotations.
Essay 2, excerpt from Body #2 [application of rhetoric]
A second major contrast between the two poems lies with the subject. In Crane’s
poem, the subject is forgetfulness itself; while in Collins’ poem, the subject is you, the
reader. Both choices in diction are effective, and appeal differently to the reader (Crane’s
focus on forgetfulness create a sentimental feeling that appeals to pathos, and Collins’
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focus on “you” appeals to ethos). Once the reader is appealed to, however, the message
remains the same, as does the method. Each poet uses his/her diction multiple times to
show just how widespread forgetfulness is.
Essay 3, excerpt from Intro, Body 1, 2 [strong written style, voice]
Before embarking on the journey of reading a poem, one’s eyes are drawn to the
title much like a child, shaking a Christmas package in attempt to predict its contents.
Here, we have two poems, and they are wrapped identically, yet, as we will see, they
contain very different gifts.
Thanks to the title, we know that the theme of both poems revolves around
forgetfulness and thus, we the reader have our foundation for interpretation. Yet in order
to comprehend exactly what about forgetfulness each author attempts to convey, we must
analyze tone, diction, figurative language, imagery and structure.
Crane’s “forgetfulness” is a goldmine of literary devices. The first line,
“Forgetfulness is like a song” (1) is a simile which sparks the interest of the reader by its
vague meaning. And so arises the question: why is forgetfulness like a song? In the
following lines, the reader learns, through the usage of simile and then metaphor that
forgetfulness is not just a song, but also a bird, then rain, an old house and a child. Since
the meaning of each of these comparisons is never expressed explicitly, we must turn to
the other literary devices that are employed in order to understand their meaning. Crane
uses personification to say that this “song” of forgetfulness wanders freely. From this, a
picture arises in the mind’s eye of a nomad, roaming about, unwatched by any. From this
picture, it is understood that Crane seeks to depict the way in which thoughts drift
away—we lose our grasp on them and they are freed into the universe. The same general
concept can be applied to his simile of a bird—freely drifting away, unknown to the
universe.
To understand the metaphors in the second stanza of the poem, it is important to
take note of the author’s diction and tone. His words are carefully selected by their
connotation—“rain,” “old,” “blasted.” These words give rise to an image of loneliness
and darkness, which convey forgetfulness as abandonment. Yet this solemn tone is
contrasted by a reference to forgetfulness being “white,” which is a use of imagery that
shows how forgetfulness is absolute, blinding and, since white is made of all colors,
forgetfulness will eventually consume all things. Finally, the last line of the poem shifts
the tone slightly from melancholy to nostalgia in this ironic statement: “I can remember
much forgetfulness.”
Although on the same subject, Billy Collins’ poem differs greatly. Rather than a
melancholy tone of nostalgic loneliness, the tone of this poem is humorous. Like Crane,
Collins also makes use of personification (“memories…decided to retire.”) but the effect
is much different. The thought of memories retiring to a fishing village or packing a
suitcase (9) is comical and witty, shedding a much more lighthearted picture of
forgetfulness. Collins uses imagery as well, in the lines 16-17 when he paints a picture of
a memory floating away down a river. Yet, rather than conveying this memory being
forgotten as a tragedy, Collins pokes fun at those who are on their “way to oblivion.” In
this manner, forgetfulness is shown as something that will be experienced by all
eventually, and the poem seems to jokingly mock those who are nearing the age where
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that begins to happen. Collins’ diction helps to convey meaning when he chooses to use
the word “join” in line 18. By this, we see that forgetfulness is not quite so lonely as
Crane made it out to be but rather, it is a human tendency that unites us all.
In the last stanza of the poem, there appears to be a slight shift in tone that lessens
the gap between the two poems. Collins speaks of rising in the middle of the night—an
activity that does not parallel the joyful banter of the preceding stanzas of the poem. He
speaks of night and war—words that are connotated with loss, and he speaks of the moon
that “seems to have drifted out of a love poem” (22). It seems when Collins spoke of the
memory drifting down the river in stanza 5, the reader also drifted into a darker place,
where forgetfulness was realized as something more grave and somber than memories
retiring to a fishing village.
Essay 4, excerpt from final body paragraph [allusion]
In order to make their central idea clearer, both poets use figurative language to
demonstrate forgetfulness in real life. Collins alludes to a river that begins with an “L,”
Lethe. This river made the dead forget their past lives, and relates directly to the theme of
forgetfulness. Instead of focusing on allusions, Crane compares forgetfulness to things in
nature using similes and metaphors. Forgetfulness is “like a song,” a “bird,” “rain at
night,” “an old house”….
Essay 5, excerpt (not entire essay)
The act of forgetting something is a peculiar one. Everyone experiences
forgetfulness in a different way, as we will see in the poems “Forgetfulness” by Hart
Crane, and “Forgetfulness” by Billy Collins. While both poets convey their sense of
forgetting, they vary in their stylistic approach.
Crane makes use of a lot of similes to describe forgetfulness. He starts off by
saying forgetfulness is “like a song” that wanders away gently. This line sets up a tone
that is both mysterious and wistful. Forgetfulness is also “like a bird”; he describes the
bird as floating through the air, which adds to the sense that forgetting is a calm, gradual,
and somewhat natural thing. Crane transitions from similes to metaphors as the poem
goes on, which gives the reader the sense that Crane is now more definitive in his
explanation of forgetting. Forgetfulness becomes: rain at night, an old house in a forest,
or a child. These images convey a quiet sense of loss. Most of the lines are short and
fairly simple; this simplicity reflects the clam and simplistic explanation Crane gives us
for forgetting. It is natural to forget; it is in our nature, but it is sad all the same. He ends
the poem by saying that even gods can be lost due to forgetting. The last line is rather
cryptic: “I can remember much forgetfulness.” Here Crane is concluding that we all
forget very often, and in the end we seem to forget more than we remember.
Billy Collins’ poem “Forgetfulness” is much more direct than Crane’s. While
both employ metaphors to create imagery, Collins uses very clever images to describe
forgetting: “it is as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to
the southern hemisphere of the brain.” Here Collins plays on the idea of the elderly
retiring to a warmer climate with our memories deciding to retire. Collins uses much
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larger sentences than Crane does. Collins is really spelling out his feelings on forgetting,
whereas Crane provided images that forced the reader to come to their own conclusion.
Prose Prompt:
Edith Wharton’s “New Year’s Day.” In a well-organized essay, analyze the literary
devices Wharton uses to show that social values and customs of the day had changed
since days gone by. You may wish to consider the structure of the excerpt as well as its
diction, tone, or any other relevant literary element.
Essay 1: excellent analysis, text evidence, and voice
Edith Wharton’s “New Year’s Day” uses 1st person narration to comment on the
changes in social values and customs in New York during the early 1900s. Through this
1st person narrator, the reader is taken through a flashback that creates a structure of
present day followed by the past. Within this structure, figurative language, diction, tone,
and repetitions contribute to the idea of social change.
The excerpt begins in present day, after the changes have taken place. This setting
is emphasized by the reflective atmosphere of the scene. The mother accompanies her
reminiscent comments with knitting—an activity associated with settled women in a
relaxed atmosphere. This feeling of relaxation is then juxtaposed against the past, swift
changes through the symbolic “hiss that might have singed the snowy baby-blanket
which engaged her indefatigable fingers” (4). The word “singed” can be associated with
fire, while “snowy” is associated with ice. “Indefatigable fingers” can symbolize a refusal
to embrace the changes despite old age and physical deterioration. While this atmosphere
can represent the aftermath of the social changes, it only serves as an introduction to the
changes.
When commentary from the narrator and Sillerton Jackson is added, more specific
evidence of the social changes appear. In the second paragraph, the narrator directly
compares “my old New York” and “A generation later” (9) by commenting on the old
tendency to “linger on any given point in a sentimental relation” (15). This change from
sentimental detail to apathy is further conveyed through “old Sillerton Jackson”’s word
choice. He ends his comment with “for all that anybody cares” (19), indicating a
bitterness toward the changes in values in society.
From here on, the narrator speaks of the past, taking the reader into a flashback.
More specific changes are evident in the flashback through figurative language and
repetition. The reader knows that the past is going to be addressed with the simile, “as a
search-light…held motionless while one notes each of the unnaturally sharp and lustrous
images it picks out” (24), referring to a sudden memory. It is evident that fashion was a
part of the social changes through the images of Grandmamma in “lace lappers and
creaking moiré” (40), “prunella sandals and low-necked saranet” (84). Then, repetition is
used to emphasize the old generation’s refusal to escape New York on New Year’s Day,
through the repeated use of descriptions of the “chilblained generation,” “the generation
brought up in unwarmed…houses,” “shipped off to die in Italy” (57). These descriptions
comment on the old’s comfort with suffering opposed to luxury.
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Essay 2: Strong analysis of how figurative language creates meaning. Original
observations.
In this passage, Edith Wharton addresses the social values and customs of upperclass social circles of New York City, looking at how they were in the past and how they
are in the present. She places emphasis on the changes in those values and customs over
time. Wharton shows the change with multiple techniques; she uses figurative language
to both portray time as a concrete idea and sensitize movement through time, while
creating juxtapositions of past and present values and customs to showcase their
comparison.
Wharton’s figurative language serves to depict time, a normally abstract concept,
as concrete. For example, she writes, “But what a flood of light…focused on an
unremarked incident of my boyhood!” (20-21). This phrase is metaphorical. When the
narrator’s mother mentions a certain incident, Wharton compares it to shining light on a
period in time. It conjures an image of a timeline in the reader’s mind, on which the
author can shine a light to pick out specific incidents; this allows the reader to actually
picture the passing of time, allowing the author to really show, rather than just tell, how
customs and values have changed.
Similarly, Wharton makes it possible for the reader to picture another abstract
concept, movement over time, using figurative language, specifically personification. She
writes “the new houses advanced steadily Parkward” (32-33), and later, “fashion moved
quickly in New York” (37). By attributing movement to typically inanimate objects,
Wharton allows the reader to actually watch the changes as they take place, as if there
were a video of the city changing over the years, being played in fast forward. This
makes Wharton’s descriptions of the changes very effective.
Additionally, Wharton creates a pattern throughout the passage, in that she writes
about an anecdote from the past, and immediately after, places a corresponding
observation about the present. This is most evident in the last two paragraphs. In the first,
she writes, “Grandmamma…used to receive…” (38-39), and in clear contrast, writes in
the second paragraph, “Grandmamma, of course, no longer received” (50). Earlier, she
also writes “They used to meet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel” (8), and immediately after,
provides the corresponding phrase from a generation later: “They met in hotels” (11).
Wharton crafts her passage with multiple juxtapositions of the past and present, clearly
emphasizing the comparisons that she makes between the two, and thus, the change in
social values and customs over time.
With her use of images and juxtaposition, Wharton shows changes over time in a
unique, effective way. The reader receives the changes not just in words, but also in
images, creating a more impactful reading experience.
Open Question Prompt:
Many novels and plays focus on individuals involved in a struggle to find
themselves or to seek a purpose in life. Sometimes the effort pays off; sometimes it
doesn’t.
Choose a novel or play of literary merit in which a character (not necessarily the
protagonist) engages in a search for meaning or personal identity. In a well-organized
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essay, explain the search or struggle, assess to what extent it succeeds, and analyze how
it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Thus, prompt is three-part:
1. explain the search or struggle
2. assess to what extent it succeeds
3. analyze how it (the search or struggle) contributes to the meaning of the work as a
whole
Essay 1: well-organized response to all aspects of prompt. Would be even stronger
with more evidence, examples, and analysis (i.e. more of what’s already here)
The struggle to find purpose in life is a common conflict often addressed in
literature. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, the character Bernard Marx experiences
this struggle in a futuristic society where life is all but completely synthetic. Bernard’s
struggle is similar to that of other characters in other novels, however his does not
succeed in the end. Huxley uses this struggle to help comment on how meaningless
modern society and consumerism is.
In Brave New World, Bernard Marx experiences a typical struggle for meaning in
life. What is atypical about his situation is the futuristic society he lives in. Unlike other
works of literature such as Death of a Salesman, there are no other members of World
State Society that have truly found their meaning. Instead, all citizens work
predetermined jobs, buy predetermined products and basically do everything that
everyone else wants them to. That is what makes Bernard’s struggle so futile. Due to the
fact that he is shorter than the average Alpha, Bernard cannot fit perfectly into World
State society, making his struggle necessary.
Bernard attempts to find happiness by visiting a savage reservation where people
are allowed to live with love and other human emotions. However, his struggle ultimately
fails when he brings John home with him. After this event, Bernard becomes interesting
and society actually accepts him. Instead of continuing his struggle to find meaning,
Bernard falls into the society’s synthetic happiness. By giving up his struggle, Bernard
made the conscious choice to abandon a life of love and meaning for one where he can
create his pleasure with drugs and women.
Overall, Bernard’s failed struggle helps to contribute to the meaning of Huxley’s
satire. Although Bernard turned out to be a false protagonist, he is much more relatable to
the average reader than the Native American raised John the Savage. Bernard’s normalcy
and relatability are used by Huxley to warn would-be rebels among his audience. If one
wants to deny consumerism and meaninglessness, one cannot fall victim to it once they
are finally accepted in that society.
Essay 2: uses specific evidence to support a focused analysis and response to all
aspects of prompt; also contains strong written voice and style
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce depicts the development
of his main character, Stephen Dedalus, as he seeks his purpose in life. Stephen’s struggle
to find himself involves numerous ideas; he must consider his allegiance to religion and
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his country as he finds his way. Through an examination of those two subjects as they
appear in Stephen’s life, it becomes evident that he fully succeeds in finding himself as
an artist, conveying the need for exile for artistry that substantiates the main theme of the
book.
Throughout A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen’s struggle with his
thoughts on religion is apparent. At Clongowes, his authorities emphasize religion as
extremely important, and it has an enormous impact on Stephen during chapter three,
which contains the long sermon. Stephen had recently had sexual relations with
prostitutes, a serious sin, and he is immediately frightened with descriptions of hell into
trying to purge himself of his sins. This, however, leads to conflict, as Stephen
intrinsically knows that he does not truly regret his sins. In chapter four, however,
Stephen succeeds in resolving this part of the struggle by mentally separating himself
from the binds of religion. This is an important step in his development as an artist.
Stephen endures a similar internal struggle with his loyalty to Ireland. Joyce
introduces this conflict early, by displaying it within Stephen’s family. Dante, who is
anti-Parnell, fights at the dinner table with Uncle Charles, who supports Parnell, and
Stephen wonders at a young age if he should support the green (which represents Ireland)
or the maroon. In the end, Stephen makes a conscious decision to “take flight” from Irish
society. Like in the example concerning religion, he is resolving his struggle with the fact
that he must exile himself from elements of society to truly become an artist.
Additionally, in the last lines of the book, Stephen proclaims that he intends to use his
individual voice to speak for his community. He successfully resolves his struggle, and at
the same time, uses it to improve himself as an artist.
Stephen Dedalus struggles with elements of his surroundings, specifically religion
and allegiance to Ireland, as he finds himself as an artist. In the end, however, he lets go
of his obligations to both and comes to terms with it without ignoring the impact they had
on his past; this allows him to emerge as an artist. Throughout the struggle, Joyce is able
to effectively show that Stephen (as well as other artists in general) must exile himself to
fulfill his purpose. Stephen both succeeds and makes a statement for Joyce through his
search.
Essay 3: unique argument and response to prompt, supported with evidence from
the text; strong conclusion adds to argument
In Hamlet, a famous play written by Shakespeare, Hamlet faces many challenges.
Right from the opening of the play, Hamlet is challenged with grief and loss and is given
the task of revenge. This burdensome task consumes Hamlet, making his nominal success
pointless and superfluous. However, what Hamlet’s task of revenge does accomplish is
that revenge is a dark and dangerous deed which can consume someone as easily as
liberate them.
Hamlet is all about gaining revenge against his uncle/stepfather Claudius. Hamlet
does not believe that it is right for a man to marry his brother’s widow. In the beginning
of the novel, Hamlet struggles with this concept and suspects his Uncle of murder.
Struggling with the idea that his Uncle should be able to replace his father, taking his
wife and his crown, is what leads Hamlet to seeing his father’s ghost who commands
Hamlet to revenge the king’s death. Hamlet’s search for meaning led him to finding
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himself as the lawmaker, the one who could interpret fairness. Henceforth he plotted to
kill Claudius and return life to its natural order.
This quest consumed Hamlet. While Hamlet did eventually kill Claudius, many
others were killed as well. He lost the love of his life, Ophelia. He lost his own mother,
Gertrude. Even more, he lost his very own life accomplishing the deed. So while he did
accomplish his goal, the question arises of whether or not it was actually worth it. It
appears to the audience at the end of the play that it was not; Denmark lost a great man
and future king who himself had lost his family. When Hamlet does kill Claudius, it is
debatable about whether this was to revenge his father, or for the anger of actually having
to revenge his father in the first place. Hamlet became consumed with a shroud of anger
and indecisiveness, and it is quite possible Hamlet’s goal of killing Claudius was to kill
this shroud of despair.
Therefore, the unsuccessful struggle with revenge causes Hamlet to never gain the
meaning he was looking for. His failure with the loss of his life is what actually gives the
work its meaning. The audience is able to see that this work is about the pointlessness of
revenge; revenge consumes a person and destroys their way of life. The reader sees that
although Claudius is in the wrong as well, that taking the law into one’s own hands
consumes a person. One must work within an established system to accomplish their
goals, not attempt to fulfill Hammurabi’s Code of old. While many consider Hamlet’s
hubris of indecisiveness as his downfall, that reason and logic is what actually kept him
alive. One must be sure of one’s choices before acting, not act out of blind rage and
emotion. Had Hamlet been even more decisive, he might have been able to realize the
error in his ways. Revenge became the most important thing in Hamlet’s life; taking
away someone else’s life was more important than living his to the fullest. In the play
Hamlet, Shakespeare shows that revenge consumes a person’s life, as shown through
Hamlet’s failure, and is all in all the wrong act to do.
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