Diving further into AP Lit, it has become clear that there are many important things that I need to learn and perfect for the test coming in May. It seems that to do well on the test we must master the basics first. First off was learning all about DIDLS. DIDLS seems to be one of the most important things that we have done in this class. Diction, imagery, details, figurative language, and syntax are the elements to look for when answering the AP Lit magic question. In the past few weeks we have been using DIDLS to annotate many different pieces of work. Looking for these techniques has made me look even further to what I am reading. I must now be more attentive to what the meaning of the piece is and how that meaning is achieved. Now what exactly is important for annotating on the AP Lit test? That would be the closed readings and essay. After spending a whole class period learning about how to read the directions for the close reading, it became apparent to me just how important it is to read the directions carefully. In that same period, we looked at the passage that would be analyzed with the question, The Century Quilt. Using DIDLS it was easy for me to pick out what the prompt was looking for in the essay. I used diction heavily in my annotations, this helped me pick up on the repetition of colors throughout the poem. This colors were not only what the quilt was made of, but the colors of the family itself. This idea ties into the symbolism of the quilt representing the family.
To further my ability to annotate, we learned about the several different types of critical lenses that you can use when looking at a piece of working. Looking at this presentation helped me realize that certain pieces of literature require the use of different criticism and that by choosing the right type it can help me more fully answer the prompt. After looking at this presentation, we studied several different Biblical and mythological stories and how they can be represented in an allusion. I found this piece very helpful. I have noticed when I read a piece of work that I can tell that it is an allusion to something but I was never sure exactly what. But now after learning about the allusions in class, I believe that they will be easier to pick out in pieces of work that we reading.
I agree that it is extremely crucial to first master the basics in AP English in order to do well on the AP Exam in March. I also thought that DIDLS helped to answer the questions being asked throughly. I like how you specifically explained using diction to pick what the repetition of colors mean in "The Century Quilt."
ReplyDeleteLearning about the different criticisms in class was something that I also found useful in class. I think you response would be stronger if you were to tie in an example of a book that requires a certain type of critical lense over another.
Nor for one nit-picky grammar thing. The last word should be "read" instead of "reading." Overall, great job!
I agree with all you said. I think the DIDLS is extremely important and after all of the emphasize we have placed on it in class I am sure it is crucial. I agree with Saloni that a few examples may further enhance your post. I am not quite sure how to give to much feedback though since this is all an opinion post! I think you did a great job including most of what we did in class. So from a rubric standpoint, nice job :).
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