AP English Literature & Composition Quiz

AP English Lit Quiz: Your Score and Study Recommendations

Answers

How many essays are on the AP English Literature & Composition Exam?

Answer: 3 essays, and 55 multiple choice questions

“As the perfume of jonquils, you come forth in the morning” is an example of

Answer: …simile, a comparison that uses the word “as.” You’ll need to know some basic terminology of literary criticism and form for this exam.

Grammatically, the phrase, “Were one not already the Duke De L’Omelette” establishes the

Answer: …subjunctive mood. When a sentence begins with “were,” it is subjunctive. Mood in this context refers to what a verb form indicates besides time. When you tell your annoying younger sibling to “Go away!”, go is in the present tense, but it’s also a command--it’s in the imperative mood. Don’t worry, you don’t need to do a grammar deep-dive to get a high score on the AP English Lit exam--The Princeton Review’s Process of Elimination can help you find the right answer, even when you’re not sure.

“Prove it when you will, you slow-spirited Saturnists, that have nothing by the pilferies of your pen to polish an exhortation withal…” is an example of

Answer: … alliteration. That means using the same initial consonant sound repeatedly in a line, as in “slow-spirited Saturnists” and “pilferies of your pen to polish.”

“Let me pour forth
My tears before thy face whilst I stay here,
For thy face coins them, and they stamp they bear,
And by this mintage they are something worth,
For thus they be
Pregnant of thee…”

The 4th line above can best be paraphrased as

Answer: My tears are worth something because they reflect your face. “They” refers back to “my tears” in line 2. The poet employs a metaphor in line 3 to say the tears are caused, or “coined”, by the face of the person the poet is addressing, which is reflected in those tears as a ruler’s face is stamped on a coin. The coin metaphor is extended forward by “mintage.”

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