Writing Assignments

9-8 These papers not only convey their authors’ keen understanding of the ways in which the Yeats’ poem influences the Updike poem, but also persuasively show how the two authors use a similar scene to convey a strikingly different response. They also convincingly illustrate how the literary elements of each poem effect this response. Well-conceived, well-developed, and well-organized, these papers are marked by frequent and accurate references to the text, by an admirable ability to synthesize thought, and by a mature control over the elements of composition. Though not perfect, they clearly indicate the students’ ability to read poetry skillfully and to show how the literary elements of the poem support the poem’s theme.

7-6 These essays exhibit a solid understanding of the ways in which the Yeats’ poem influences the Updike poem, but are less adept at responding to the question. This may be due to inconsistencies in textual understanding, to a lesser ability to show how the two authors use a similar scene to convey a strikingly different response, and/or to a lesser ability to illustrate how the literary elements of each poem effect this response. Though these essays reflect their writers’ abilities to convey their points clearly, they feature less fluency, development or cogency than 9-8 papers.

5 These papers respond to the question on the Yeats and Updike poems in superficial, formulaic, inconsistent or insufficiently supported ways. They may rely primarily on paraphrase, but may still convey an implicit understanding of the poems and the task. The papers are generally written in a satisfactory manner, with occasional errors in composition or mechanics that do not impede the readers’ understanding. Nevertheless, these essays lack the organization, persuasiveness, and development of upper-half papers.

4-3 These lower-half essays generally suggest and incomplete or overly simplistic understanding of the passage or task, an inability to perceive how the two poets use a similar scene to convey a strikingly different response, and/or a lesser ability to illustrate how the literary elements of each poem effect his response. Their arguments are often characterized by a misreading of the text, a failure to provide adequate support, or insufficient control over the elements of composition. In some instances they may consist entirely of paraphrase and/or feature acute problems in organization, clarity, fluency, or development.

2-1 These essays compound the shortcomings of 3-4 papers. They often contain many serious and distracting errors in grammar or mechanics that preclude any successful response toe the prompt. Though these essays may attempt to show how the two poets use a similar scene to convey a different response, they are severely limited to deficiencies in organization, clarity, fluency, or development.

AP Grade Conversion Chart