Your final exam will be composed of three sections: one for fiction, one for poetry, and one for drama.
For the fiction portion, you will be asked to write a short essay relating to how two to three specific literary devices/elements are used by one of the fiction authors we have read this semester. You can choose from any of the stories we have read or in the textbook, providing it is not the same story you wrote about in your fiction essay. Since this is an essay, so you will need to have an introduction, multiple body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You must have a clear claim about how the author uses specific literary devices and provide sufficient textual support in the form of analysis.
For the drama portion, you will be asked to write a short essay relating to a common idea/theme explored in one of the plays we have read (not just watched) this semester. Again, you can choose from any of the plays in the text, providing it is not the same piece of drama you wrote about for your research essay. Again, this is an essay, so you will need to have an introduction, multiple body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
*For both the fiction and drama portions of the exam, you will be graded on both content and composition so prepare accordingly.
For the poetry portion, you will be given a poem to analyze that we have not discussed in class. For your analysis, you should focus on identifying at least three poetic devices being used in the poem and discuss what you think the poet is using the devices in order to accomplish. Remember: if you are analyzing the poet’s use of diction, you must identify specific word choices and explain the relevance of those particular word choices. If you are analyzing the poet’s use of imagery, it is not enough to say that the poet uses imagery in order for the reader to picture or see what is going on. Again, you must analyze WHY the poet selected a particular image and explain, for example, how it relates to an important idea or concept in the poem. Since knowing the devices we studied in class is the only way to prepare for this section and you will need time to read and analyze the poem before you can write about it, this section will be graded on content only, not composition.
Please note: aside from a small quote or two from the text you are analyzing, all essays/answers should be written in your own words. Any portion of your work taken directly from another secondary or online source will not receive credit.
