Some of you may hit upon the website during the summer, and although I will be posting no requirements for AP between now and class (you have them already), I will try to keep you on your toes. Here's the heads up lit-wise. In addition to the summer and fall reading, we'll focus on at least eight major works, in addition to glimpses into Beowolf, the Canterbury Tales and the poetry of Blake, Shelley, Byron and Donne. The other works will include: Wuthering Heights, Gulliver's Travels, The War of the Worlds, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, A Room With a View, Macbeth and Othello.


I'll offer periodic glimpses of what I'll expect, but more importantly what to expect from the AP test in May. Remember, much more so than in 11th grade, this is a literature/reading test and a well-rounded and profound knowledge of the materials is expected.

You'll notice the variety of works from Monsters and Aliens to Giants and Knights, but with the exception of The Martial Chronicles over the summer, the literature is exclusively British. I may change that as we go along and for those of you getting a jump on this, you may want to think about The Awakening by Kate Chopin as something I may add.

Have a great summer. Drop me a line or a comment, and stop back periodically for updates.

In the meantime I leave you with the most famous of William Blake's poems for your pondering. This poem is one of the first works we will do in class*:

Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

*For a dramatic rendition of this poem in song, download Emerson, Lake and Palmer's version of "Jerusalem" from the album Brain Salad Surgery.