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AP English Literature and Composition DBQ/Free Response
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AP English Literature and Composition DBQ/Free Response 361 Views


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AP® English Literature and Composition: DBQ/Free Response. Compare and contrast the perspectives on the subject at hand, as well as the different ways each poet gets their message out there.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

Here's your shmoop du jour, brought to you by Autumn.

00:07

So many bare trees, and not one of them feels an ounce of shame.

00:11

Okay, so we have a "dueling Emilys" situation on our hands here...

00:14

...one poem by Emily Bronte and one by Emily Dickinson.

00:18

They're both about the fall, they're both eight lines long, and neither one especially

00:22

makes you want to throw on a pair of swim trunks and head to the beach.

00:25

So... what are we supposed to do?

00:27

Well, our instructions are to compare and contrast the perspectives on the subject at

00:31

hand -- namely, autumn -- as well as the different ways each poet gets their message out there.

00:36

Okay, a starting point would be good...

00:38

Before we begin, we really need to delve into each poem and figure out what is significantly

00:43

different about the two.

00:44

Is one upbeat and the other pessimistic?

00:47

Does one approach the subject vaguely and the other paint a clear picture?

00:50

Is one pro-September and the other fiercely pro-October?

00:54

Okay, so now that we know what the prompt is...

00:56

prompting us for...

00:57

...it's time for some good old-fashioned analysis.

01:00

One of the main things we're looking for here are the literary devices at play.

01:04

Both authors have chosen the same topic, but they employ different techniques to portray

01:08

unique viewpoints of it.

01:10

So... what are those techniques?

01:12

No better place to start than with the title.

01:15

"Fall, Leaves, Fall" has a trochaic rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables.

01:23

Basically... it slows down the reading of the poem.

01:25

For example, you could probably zip your way through a random shopping list pretty quickly.

01:28

But if you have to read the lyrics to a song as quickly as possible...

01:32

you might have a tougher time.

01:34

It's because there's a natural melody, a rhythm, a beat to the language.

01:38

WHY would Bronte want to slow down the poem?

01:41

Well, probably because she wants the experience to feel something like her depiction of fall.

01:46

Slow, sad... and a bit painful.

01:49

Not surprising.

01:50

The Brontes were never really known for being "uppers."

01:53

See: Wuthering Heights.

01:55

Autumn has a rhythm as well... as does just about all poetry... but it's a much more familiar,

02:01

iambic rhythm, with a typical A-B-A-B rhyme scheme.

02:06

It flows from the lips -- or the brain -- with greater ease...

02:09

painting an entirely different picture of the season as

02:12

one that is soothing... calming... and painless.

02:16

Now... what about diction, or word use?

02:18

Look at the words Bronte uses: die, decay, drearier...

02:23

Aside from them all being "d" words, they're all...

02:26

depressing. Oh, look -- another "d" word.

02:29

In Autumn, Dickinson instead relies on word choices like "plumper" and "gayer."

02:34

No, she's not writing an ode to Bruce Vilanch.

02:37

In this instance, she means "gayer" as "happier."

02:40

Her word choices make us long for it to be autumn...

02:43

because we could use a little gaiety in our lives.

02:46

Dickinson also uses personification, which makes the season feel alive...

02:50

...while Bronte doesn't. So her depiction of fall is...

02:53

lifeless. Just the way she lives it.

02:56

Okay, now that we've determined the major differences between viewpoints and technique,

02:59

we can form a thesis and get this show on the road.

03:02

You could go a couple ways with this... either by focusing on the tone of each poem...

03:07

"While the speaker of Dickinson's poem rejoices in the evidence of life in autumn, the speaker

03:11

of Bronte's rejoices in the evidence of death"...

03:15

...or you could zero in more on the literary device angle...

03:18

"The speaker of each poem celebrates autumn, and the authors reveal the speaker's perspectives

03:23

through rhythm, diction, and figurative language."

03:26

Then, when writing the essay itself, be sure to both compare AND contrast...

03:30

...in other words, don't just talk about how the two poems are different and forget to

03:34

show how they're also SIMILAR.

03:36

Like... they both use the word "rose."

03:39

But... probably a little more in-depth than that.

03:41

Before you start a-writin'... or maybe after you're done...

03:44

check out this sample essay to get an idea of what those AP gurus are looking for...

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