In a typical AP free-response poetry prompt, there are several tasks that you need to address:
1. **Find the literary devices used by the author (your claims):**
- Look for figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification), sound devices (alliteration, assonance, consonance), imagery, symbolism, and other literary techniques employed by the poet.
- Provide specific examples from the poem to support your claims. For instance, if you identify a metaphor, quote the lines containing the metaphor and explain its significance in conveying the poet's message.
2. **Determine the setting of the poem:**
- Consider the time and place where the events of the poem take place.
- Look for descriptive details that hint at the setting. It could be a physical location, a specific time period, or even a symbolic setting.
- Explain how the setting influences the overall tone or mood of the poem and contributes to the poem's meaning.
3. **Identify the effect of the devices (your warrant):**
- Analyze how the literary devices identified in the first task contribute to the poem's overall meaning, tone, and message.
- Consider how these devices impact the reader's experience and emotional response to the poem.
- Support your analysis with evidence from the text to show how the devices enhance the reader's understanding of the poet's intentions.
4. **Identify the poet and the title of the poem:**
- Clearly state the poet's name and the title of the poem you are analyzing.
- Make sure to spell the poet's name correctly and provide the full title of the poem for accuracy.
By systematically addressing each of these tasks in your response to an AP free-response poetry prompt, you can effectively analyze the poem's literary elements, setting, and overall impact, demonstrating a deep understanding of the text.
