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How to Write the AP Lit Prose Essay + Example

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What is the ap lit prose essay, how will ap scores affect my college chances.

AP Literature and Composition (AP Lit), not to be confused with AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang), teaches students how to develop the ability to critically read and analyze literary texts. These texts include poetry, prose, and drama. Analysis is an essential component of this course and critical for the educational development of all students when it comes to college preparation. In this course, you can expect to see an added difficulty of texts and concepts, similar to the material one would see in a college literature course.

While not as popular as AP Lang, over 380,136 students took the class in 2019. However, the course is significantly more challenging, with only 49.7% of students receiving a score of three or higher on the exam. A staggeringly low 6.2% of students received a five on the exam.

The AP Lit exam is similar to the AP Lang exam in format, but covers different subject areas. The first section is multiple-choice questions based on five short passages. There are 55 questions to be answered in 1 hour. The passages will include at least two prose fiction passages and two poetry passages and will account for 45% of your total score. All possible answer choices can be found within the text, so you don’t need to come into the exam with prior knowledge of the passages to understand the work.

The second section contains three free-response essays to be finished in under two hours. This section accounts for 55% of the final score and includes three essay questions: the poetry analysis essay, the prose analysis essay, and the thematic analysis essay. Typically, a five-paragraph format will suffice for this type of writing. These essays are scored holistically from one to six points.

Today we will take a look at the AP Lit prose essay and discuss tips and tricks to master this section of the exam. We will also provide an example of a well-written essay for review.

The AP Lit prose essay is the second of the three essays included in the free-response section of the AP Lit exam, lasting around 40 minutes in total. A prose passage of approximately 500 to 700 words and a prompt will be given to guide your analytical essay. Worth about 18% of your total grade, the essay will be graded out of six points depending on the quality of your thesis (0-1 points), evidence and commentary (0-4 points), and sophistication (0-1 points).

While this exam seems extremely overwhelming, considering there are a total of three free-response essays to complete, with proper time management and practiced skills, this essay is manageable and straightforward. In order to enhance the time management aspect of the test to the best of your ability, it is essential to understand the following six key concepts.

1. Have a Clear Understanding of the Prompt and the Passage

Since the prose essay is testing your ability to analyze literature and construct an evidence-based argument, the most important thing you can do is make sure you understand the passage. That being said, you only have about 40 minutes for the whole essay so you can’t spend too much time reading the passage. Allot yourself 5-7 minutes to read the prompt and the passage and then another 3-5 minutes to plan your response.

As you read through the prompt and text, highlight, circle, and markup anything that stands out to you. Specifically, try to find lines in the passage that could bolster your argument since you will need to include in-text citations from the passage in your essay. Even if you don’t know exactly what your argument might be, it’s still helpful to have a variety of quotes to use depending on what direction you take your essay, so take note of whatever strikes you as important. Taking the time to annotate as you read will save you a lot of time later on because you won’t need to reread the passage to find examples when you are in the middle of writing.

Once you have a good grasp on the passage and a solid array of quotes to choose from, you should develop a rough outline of your essay. The prompt will provide 4-5 bullets that remind you of what to include in your essay, so you can use these to structure your outline. Start with a thesis, come up with 2-3 concrete claims to support your thesis, back up each claim with 1-2 pieces of evidence from the text, and write a brief explanation of how the evidence supports the claim.

2. Start with a Brief Introduction that Includes a Clear Thesis Statement

Having a strong thesis can help you stay focused and avoid tangents while writing. By deciding the relevant information you want to hit upon in your essay up front, you can prevent wasting precious time later on. Clear theses are also important for the reader because they direct their focus to your essential arguments.

In other words, it’s important to make the introduction brief and compact so your thesis statement shines through. The introduction should include details from the passage, like the author and title, but don’t waste too much time with extraneous details. Get to the heart of your essay as quick as possible.

3. Use Clear Examples to Support Your Argument

One of the requirements AP Lit readers are looking for is your use of evidence. In order to satisfy this aspect of the rubric, you should make sure each body paragraph has at least 1-2 pieces of evidence, directly from the text, that relate to the claim that paragraph is making. Since the prose essay tests your ability to recognize and analyze literary elements and techniques, it’s often better to include smaller quotes. For example, when writing about the author’s use of imagery or diction you might pick out specific words and quote each word separately rather than quoting a large block of text. Smaller quotes clarify exactly what stood out to you so your reader can better understand what are you saying.

Including smaller quotes also allows you to include more evidence in your essay. Be careful though—having more quotes is not necessarily better! You will showcase your strength as a writer not by the number of quotes you manage to jam into a paragraph, but by the relevance of the quotes to your argument and explanation you provide. If the details don’t connect, they are merely just strings of details.

4. Discussion is Crucial to Connect Your Evidence to Your Argument

As the previous tip explained, citing phrases and words from the passage won’t get you anywhere if you don’t provide an explanation as to how your examples support the claim you are making. After each new piece of evidence is introduced, you should have a sentence or two that explains the significance of this quote to the piece as a whole.

This part of the paragraph is the “So what?” You’ve already stated the point you are trying to get across in the topic sentence and shared the examples from the text, so now show the reader why or how this quote demonstrates an effective use of a literary technique by the author. Sometimes students can get bogged down by the discussion and lose sight of the point they are trying to make. If this happens to you while writing, take a step back and ask yourself “Why did I include this quote? What does it contribute to the piece as a whole?” Write down your answer and you will be good to go.

5. Write a Brief Conclusion

While the critical part of the essay is to provide a substantive, organized, and clear argument throughout the body paragraphs, a conclusion provides a satisfying ending to the essay and the last opportunity to drive home your argument. If you run out of time for a conclusion because of extra time spent in the preceding paragraphs, do not worry, as that is not fatal to your score.

Without repeating your thesis statement word for word, find a way to return to the thesis statement by summing up your main points. This recap reinforces the arguments stated in the previous paragraphs, while all of the preceding paragraphs successfully proved the thesis statement.

6. Don’t Forget About Your Grammar

Though you will undoubtedly be pressed for time, it’s still important your essay is well-written with correct punctuating and spelling. Many students are able to write a strong thesis and include good evidence and commentary, but the final point on the rubric is for sophistication. This criteria is more holistic than the former ones which means you should have elevated thoughts and writing—no grammatical errors. While a lack of grammatical mistakes alone won’t earn you the sophistication point, it will leave the reader with a more favorable impression of you.

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Here are Nine Must-have Tips and Tricks to Get a Good Score on the Prose Essay:

Carefully read, review, and underline key instruction s in the prompt.
Briefly outlin e what you want to cover in your essay.
Be sure to have a clear thesis that includes the terms mentioned in the instructions, literary devices, tone, and meaning.
Include the author’s name and title in your introduction. Refer to characters by name.
Quality over quantity when it comes to picking quotes! Better to have a smaller number of more detailed quotes than a large amount of vague ones.
Fully explain how each piece of evidence supports your thesis .
Focus on the literary techniques in the passage and avoid summarizing the plot.
Use transitions to connect sentences and paragraphs.
Keep your introduction and conclusion short, and don’t repeat your thesis verbatim in your conclusion.

Here is an example essay from 2020 that received a perfect 6:

[1] In this passage from a 1912 novel, the narrator wistfully details his childhood crush on a girl violinist. Through a motif of the allure of musical instruments, and abundant sensory details that summon a vivid image of the event of their meeting, the reader can infer that the narrator was utterly enraptured by his obsession in the moment, and upon later reflection cannot help but feel a combination of amusement and a resummoning of the moment’s passion.

[2] The overwhelming abundance of hyper-specific sensory details reveals to the reader that meeting his crush must have been an intensely powerful experience to create such a vivid memory. The narrator can picture the “half-dim church”, can hear the “clear wail” of the girl’s violin, can see “her eyes almost closing”, can smell a “faint but distinct fragrance.” Clearly, this moment of discovery was very impactful on the boy, because even later he can remember the experience in minute detail. However, these details may also not be entirely faithful to the original experience; they all possess a somewhat mysterious quality that shows how the narrator may be employing hyperbole to accentuate the girl’s allure. The church is “half-dim”, the eyes “almost closing” – all the details are held within an ethereal state of halfway, which also serves to emphasize that this is all told through memory. The first paragraph also introduces the central conciet of music. The narrator was drawn to the “tones she called forth” from her violin and wanted desperately to play her “accompaniment.” This serves the double role of sensory imagery (with the added effect of music being a powerful aural image) and metaphor, as the accompaniment stands in for the narrator’s true desire to be coupled with his newfound crush. The musical juxtaposition between the “heaving tremor of the organ” and the “clear wail” of her violin serves to further accentuate how the narrator percieved the girl as above all other things, as high as an angel. Clearly, the memory of his meeting his crush is a powerful one that left an indelible impact on the narrator.

[3] Upon reflecting on this memory and the period of obsession that followed, the narrator cannot help but feel amused at the lengths to which his younger self would go; this is communicated to the reader with some playful irony and bemused yet earnest tone. The narrator claims to have made his “first and last attempts at poetry” in devotion to his crush, and jokes that he did not know to be “ashamed” at the quality of his poetry. This playful tone pokes fun at his childhood self for being an inexperienced poet, yet also acknowledges the very real passion that the poetry stemmed from. The narrator goes on to mention his “successful” endeavor to conceal his crush from his friends and the girl; this holds an ironic tone because the narrator immediately admits that his attempts to hide it were ill-fated and all parties were very aware of his feelings. The narrator also recalls his younger self jumping to hyperbolic extremes when imagining what he would do if betrayed by his love, calling her a “heartless jade” to ironically play along with the memory. Despite all this irony, the narrator does also truly comprehend the depths of his past self’s infatuation and finds it moving. The narrator begins the second paragraph with a sentence that moves urgently, emphasizing the myriad ways the boy was obsessed. He also remarks, somewhat wistfully, that the experience of having this crush “moved [him] to a degree which now [he] can hardly think of as possible.” Clearly, upon reflection the narrator feels a combination of amusement at the silliness of his former self and wistful respect for the emotion that the crush stirred within him.

[4] In this passage, the narrator has a multifaceted emotional response while remembering an experience that was very impactful on him. The meaning of the work is that when we look back on our memories (especially those of intense passion), added perspective can modify or augment how those experiences make us feel

More essay examples, score sheets, and commentaries can be found at College Board .

While AP Scores help to boost your weighted GPA, or give you the option to get college credit, AP Scores don’t have a strong effect on your admissions chances . However, colleges can still see your self-reported scores, so you might not want to automatically send scores to colleges if they are lower than a 3. That being said, admissions officers care far more about your grade in an AP class than your score on the exam.

Prose Examples in Literature

Prose is one of the major form of writing in different literary categories. Many written pieces depend on prose as their main structure. In contrast to poetry that depends on rhyme and meter, the prose features clear writing and natural flow.

Definition of Prose

Prose is a form of language that follows simple grammatical rules and natural speech rhythms. In contrast, the poetry is marked by fixed patterns. Prose represents the standard form of language for both writing and speaking.

It serves as a basis for numerous genres, such as short stories, novels and essays. By using complete sentences and arranging them into paragraphs, prose conveys concepts and tell stories without any restriction of formal poetic structure.

Types of Prose

Prose contains numerous forms and is categorized into many types, based on its purpose and approach. Here are the primary types of prose:

1- Narrative Prose

Narrative prose tells a story regardless of whether it is fictional or non-fictional. This category features various pieces of work, such as, novels, short stories, biographies and memoirs.

This kind of writing highlights figures in a structured scenario. For example: The classic work “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, illustrates narrative prose by interweaving themes of love and societal evolution.

2- Descriptive Prose

This genre highlights the colorful portrayal of situations and individuals to stimulate the senses and inspire the reader’s thoughts.

It appears within narrative writing to create environment. For Example: In “Moby-Dick”, the author uses descriptive prose to explore the vastness of the sea and presents the nuances of whaling endeavors.

3- Expository Prose

Expository writing reveals knowledge and discusses matters thoroughly. It usually presents in academic works and journalistic writing.

This form of prose centers on clarity and factual evidence. For example: In the essay “Self-Reliance” by Emerson, one finds clear points made through expository prose.

4- Persuasive Prose

This sort of writing intends to inspire the readers to accept a particular view or perform a particular action. It is found speeches, essays and advertisements. For example: The speech of King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” calls for civil rights and equality.

5- Prose Poetry

Prose poetry combines concepts from prose and poetry. In this type of prose, the paragraphs are used instead of verse.

It embodies poetic traits, such as vibrant visuals and emotional intensity. For example: In “Paris Spleen” by Charles Baudelaire, it contains prose poems that analyze city life with powerful visuals and poetic expression.

Common Examples of First Prose Lines in Well-Known Novels

First lines of novels are often iconic, setting the tone for the narrative that follows. Here are a few famous examples of first prose lines:

“Call me Ishmael.” (“Moby-Dick” by Herman Melville)

The narrator appears in this concise opening line and lays the groundwork for a grand narrative of obsession and vengeance.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” (“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen)

The line hints the core ideas of marriage and societal position in the story with a touch of irony.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” (“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens)

This celebrated introductory line illustrates the paradoxes and chaos of the French Revolution and delineates the narrative’s focus on complexity.

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” (“Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy)

Tolstoy reveals his clear perception of human nature and the complicated dynamics of familial bonds through this opening line.

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” (“1984” by George Orwell)

In Orwell’s novel the first line serves as a setup for the harsh existence within.

Examples of Prose in literature

“the great gatsby” by f. scott fitzgerald.

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’ He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that.”

The introductory passage of “The Great Gatsby” exemplifies narrative prose. Using the inner reflections of Nick Carraway, the author sets a deeply thoughtful mood in the narrative.

The prose here presents notions of status and assessment that serve to outline the novel’s investigation into wealth issues and social stratifications within the Jazz Age.

Nick’s character emerges as deliberate and insightful due to the straightforward and conversational structure of the language in the narrative.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.”

In the novel, Austen sets a satirical mood through a classy prose that introduces the narrative. The elegant and removed manner of the writing playfully comments on the societal standards of Regency England focusing on the obligation for women to marry wealthy individuals.

Austen’s prose exemplifies her ability to use irony to analyze community standards in this segment. The words are clear and calculated contrasting with the hidden laughter and insights on marriage in a social agreement.

See also: Examples of Protagonist in Literature

“Moby-Dick” by Herman Melville

“Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”

In the opening scene of Moby-Dick, Melville reveals the use of descriptive and philosophical prose. In rich language filled with vivid details Ishmael articulates his desperation and sense of existential hopelessness along with the atmosphere around him.

The elegant prose entertains with its elaborate structure and lengthy phrases which resonate with the narrator’s disjointed reflections while intimating broader ideas like destiny and the search for purpose.

In this passage, the language establishes the framework that the narrative will follow while examining the essence of personal psychology and existence at sea.

Difference Between Prose and Poetry

The difference between prose and poetry mostly lie in their composition and objective. Complete sentences in prose form paragraphs according to the natural rhythm of everyday conversation.

It aims to convey clarity along with extensive detail and simplicity, often seen in essays and novellas.

Poetry, on the other hand, is written in lines and stanzas and tends to employ rhyme, rhythm and meter. Through concise and figurative language, poetry seeks to convey emotions and ideas and frequently reinvents its structure to create meaningful images.

While prose seems straightforward in nature, poetry can also express ideas in a more abstract way.

See also: Elements of Play in Literature

How to Write a Prose Poem?

A prose poem blends the narrative flow of prose with the imaginative and figurative language of poetry. Here are some steps to writing a prose poem:

Choose a Theme or Emotion :

Typically prose poems concentrate on particular themes or emotions. Choose what heartfelt essence you desire to communicate.

Use Poetic Language :

Use poetic tools such as imagery and metaphors in your paragraphs. With these methods applied the prose can become a poetic work.

Write in Paragraphs :

Instead of employing traditional verse structure prose poems use a continuous paragraph. They bypass the verse pattern found in poetry and preserve the emotional richness therein.

Experiment with Rhythm and Sound :

Emphasize the structure and tone of your expression. Inspect the way the words unite and their voice when read out loud.

Be Concise and Reflective :

Prose poems regularly squeeze difficult ideas or emotions into a brief format. Concentrate on the soul of your content and study it in a quiet reflective manner.

Revise for Impact :

Rewrite your prose poem to improve clarity and emotional depth. All words must enhance the principal meaning and mood of the creation.

Prose Edda vs. Poetic Edda

The Prose Edda and Poetic Edda rank among the most significant compilations of Old Norse literature. They include key narratives and legends about Norse mythology.

Before the 13th century, Snorri Sturluson authored the Prose Edda as an instructional work on poetics and provides a narrative view of Norse mythology. This work uses simple language to convey the legends and protect them for future people.

Anonymous traditional poems make up the Poetic Edda and include tales of heroes and mythological figures. It is composed in verse and these poems reveal the elaborate poetic forms that represent their traditional oral transmission.

While the Prose Edda presents Norse mythology in a more organized and instructional way the Poetic Edda reveals it through poetic language.

See also: Literary Devices That Start With P

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, writing a prose essay.

I've got an assignment to write a prose essay, but I'm not exactly sure what that means. Can any of you help me understand the definition of a prose essay and maybe some tips on how to write one?

A prose essay is a type of essay written in prose, which is a natural, flowing form of language, as opposed to verse or poetry. Essentially, when you're asked to write a prose essay, you're being asked to write an essay in complete sentences, organized into paragraphs, that clearly communicates your thoughts and ideas.

To write a prose essay, follow these steps:

1. Understand the prompt: Read the essay prompt or question carefully and make sure you fully comprehend what is being asked of you. Ask your teacher if you're unclear about what the point of the question is.

2. Brainstorm and outline: Jot down your thoughts and ideas related to the prompt and begin organizing them into a logical structure. Create an outline to serve as the framework for your essay, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

3. Introduction: Start with an engaging opening line that grabs the reader's attention and introduces the topic. Provide some background information and outline the main points you plan to cover in the essay.

4. Body paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a single main point that supports your overall argument. Use evidence, examples, and analysis to back up your claims and explain how they connect to the essay's central theme.

5. Transitions: Smoothly transition between paragraphs and ideas with appropriate phrases and sentences. This will help improve the readability and flow of your essay.

6. Conclusion: Summarize the most important points made in the body paragraphs and restate the thesis or main argument. Offer some insight or thoughts about the implications of your analysis.

7. Edit and revise: Carefully review your essay for clarity, coherence, grammar, and spelling errors—even small typos may give your reader the impression that you don't care all that much about what you're writing about. Make necessary changes to improve readability and ensure that your essay effectively addresses the prompt. Reading your essay out loud can sometimes be a good way of identifying snag points.

Finally, remember to keep your language clear and concise, while still using a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary to make your essay more engaging. Good luck with your prose essay assignment!

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