AP English Literature & Composition

In order to further prepare for the Honors English IV and AP Literature class, students will also be expected to create flashcards that contain the information specified below. Please pay close attention to the requirements. Flashcards will be collected on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, MONDAY AUGUST 25, 2025. 

FLASHCARD REQUIREMENTS:

• Flashcards should be created on 5x8 size note cards.

• Each card should only present 1 term with its appropriate information. Please see below for each set’s requirements.

  1. Allusions - For all note cards on allusions, please write the allusion on the front of the card. On the back include the following information:

     • The origination/definition of the allusion

     • An example in LITERATURE — This may require some research — although you can find many examples in How to Read Like a Professor. Your example can be simply the use of the word, or your example can be a situation that mirrors the event from which the allusion originated.

     • An explanation of how your example and the allusion relate — how does the allusion create meaning within the text?

             Assigned Allusions are:

• • • 1. Faustian Bargain

      2. Oedipus Complex

      3. The Holy Grail

      4. Hamlet’s predicament - to be or not to be

      5. The Fall from Grace

      6. Icarus

      7. Pillar of Salt

      8. Sisyphus

      9. Prometheus

      10. The Four Horsemen

2. Literary Periods - **Make sure as you research these movements, you clarify your search by adding the word “literature” to your Google search bar. ** For your note cards on literary periods, please write the period on the front and include the following information on the back:

• • • 5 characteristics of writing during this movement

    • Themes or Societal Questions of focus

    • 4 popular authors

    • Time period

              Assigned Literary Movements are:

• • • 1. English Renaissance

      2. Romanticism

      3. Modernism

      4. Postmodernism

3. Literary Archetypes: For your note cards on literary archetypes, please write the archetype on the front and include the following information on the back:

• • • Figurative or symbolic meaning within literature.

    • Example from literary text - prose or poem

    • Visual representation — an original illustration or printed image

             Assigned Literary Archetypes are:

• • • 1. Water

      2. Spring/Nature’s blooming

      3. Aphrodisiacs - provide examples

      4. Group dinners - a gathering to eat

      5. The Christ Figure

      6. Eyes or Light

      7. Storms/Fog

      8. Heat 

      9. The Journey

      10. Figurative Death and/or Rebirth

We promise knowing these terms will only serve beneficial throughout your studies in Honors English IV. The more detail you provide, the more prepared you will be during conversation and future assigned readings. We look forward to a productive and successful year!