What the exam asks
This topic covers AP skills 5.A (distinguishing literal and figurative meanings of words and phrases) and 5.B (explaining the function of specific words and phrases in a text), aligned with essential knowledge statements FIG-1.L through FIG-1.N.
- In Section I (Multiple Choice): Expect questions such as “In context, the phrase ‘granite silence’ (line 14) primarily serves to...” or “The speaker’s use of the word ‘thrifty’ in line 8 conveys a tone of...” Wrong options (distractors) often trap you into choosing the purely literal dictionary definition when the context requires the figurative meaning, or vice versa.
- In Section II (Poetry Analysis Essay): To score 3 or 4 points in Row B (Evidence and Commentary), you cannot just label a device (“The poet uses hyperbole in stanza two”). You must explain function: how the specific connotations, modifiers, or exaggerations develop the speaker’s complex attitude or perspective.
Core ideas
Literal vs. figurative meaning and polysemy
- Literal meaning (denotation): The explicit, surface-level dictionary definition of a word or phrase, free from imaginative association.
- Figurative meaning: The imaginative, associative, or conceptual meaning that extends beyond the literal facts.
- Multiple meanings (polysemy): Poets frequently select words that operate on both levels at once, or words with two distinct definitions that both apply in context. When a word carries multiple meanings simultaneously, it adds nuance and complexity—allowing a speaker to express mixed or contradictory feelings in a single syllable.