Student Samples from the 2023 Exam Administration

2023

English Literature

and Composition

Sample Student Responses

and Scoring Commentary

Set 1

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Free-Response Question 1

 Scoring Guidelines

 Student Samples

 Scoring Commentary

AP® English Literature and Composition 2023 Scoring Guidelines

Question 1: Poetry Analysis 6 points

In Alice Cary’s poem “Autumn,” published in 1874, the speaker contemplates the onset of autumn. Read the poem carefully. Then, in a well-written

essay, analyze how Cary uses literary elements and techniques to convey the speaker’s complex response to the changing seasons.

In your response you should do the following:

• Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.

• Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.

• Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.

• Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

AP® English Literature and Composition 2023 Scoring Guidelines

Reporting

Category

Scoring Criteria

Row C

Sophistication

(0–1 points)

0 points

Does not meet the criteria for one point.

1 point

Demonstrates sophistication of thought and/or develops a complex literary

argument.

Decision Rules and Scoring Notes

Responses that do not earn this point:

• Attempt to contextualize their interpretation, but such attempts

consist predominantly of sweeping generalizations (“Human

experiences always include …” OR “In a world where …” OR “Since the

beginning of time …”).

• Only hint at or suggest other possible interpretations (“While another

reader may see …” OR “Though the poem could be said to …”).

• Make a single statement about how an interpretation of the poem

comments on something thematic without consistently maintaining

that thematic interpretation.

• Oversimplify complexities in the poem.

• Use complicated or complex sentences or language that is ineffective

because it does not enhance the student’s argument.

Responses that earn this point may demonstrate sophistication of thought or

develop a complex literary argument by doing any of the following:

1. Identifying and exploring complexities or tensions within the poem.

2. Illuminating the student’s interpretation by situating it within a broader context.

3. Accounting for alternative interpretations of the poem.

4. Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive.

Additional Notes:

• This point should be awarded only if the sophistication of thought or complex understanding is part of the student’s argument, not merely a phrase or

reference.

Romantic and hyperbolic imagery is used to illustrate the speaker's unenthusiastic opinion of the of the coming of

autumn, which conveys Cary's idea that change is difficult to accept but necessary for growth.

Romantic imagery is utilized to demonstrate the speaker's warm regard for the season of summer and emphasize

her regretfulness for autumn's coming, conveying the uncomfortable change away from idyllic familiarity. Summer,

is portrayed in the image of a woman who "from her golden collar slips/and strays through stubble fields/and moans

aloud". Associated with sensuality and wealth, the speaker implies the interconnection between a season and bounty,

comfort, and pleasure. Yet, this romantic view is dismantled by autumn, causing Summer to "slip" and "stray

through stubble fields". Thus, the coming of real change dethrones a constructed, romantic personification of

summer, conveying the speaker's reluctance for her ideal season to be dethroned by something much less decorated

and adored. Summer, "she lies on pillows of the yellow leaves,/ And tries the old tunes for over an hour", is

contrasted with bright imagery of fallen leaves. The juxtaposition between Summer's character and the setting

provides insight to the positivity of change--the yellow leaves--by its contrast with the failures of attempting to

sustain old habits or practices,"old tunes". "She lies on pillows" creates a sympathetic, passive image of summer in

reaction to the coming of Autumn, contrasting her failures to sustain "old tunes" According to this, it is understood

that the speaker recognizes the foolishness of attempting to prevent what is to come, but her wishfulness to counter

the natural progression of time.

Hyperbolic imagery displays the discrepancies between unrealistic, exaggerated perceptions of change and the

reality of progress, continuing the perpetuation of Cary's idea that change must be embraced rather than rejected.

"Shorter and shorter now the twilight clips/The days, as though the sunset gates they crowd", syntax and diction are

used to literally separate different aspects of the progression of time. In an ironic parallel to the literal language, the

action of twilight's "clip" and the subject, "the days", are cut off from each-other into two different lines,

emphasizing a sense of jarring and discomfort. Sunset, and Twilight are named, made into distinct entities from the

day, dramaticizing the shortening of night-time into fall. The dramatic, sudden implications of the change bring to

mind the switch between summer and winter, rather than a transitional season like fall--emphasizing the Speaker's

perspective rather than a factual narration of the experience. She says "the proud meadow-pink hangs down her

head/Against the earth's chilly bosom, witched with frost". Implying pride and defeat, and the word "witched", the

speaker brings a sense of conflict, morality, and even good versus evil into the transition between seasons. Rather

than a smooth, welcome change, the speaker is practically against the coming of fall. The hyperbole present in the

poem serves to illustrate the Speaker's perspective and ideas on the coming of fall, which are characterized by

reluctance and hostility to change from comfort.

The topic of this poem, Fall--a season characterized by change and the deconstruction of the spring and summer

landscape--is juxtaposed with the final line which evokes the season of Spring. From this, it is clear that the speaker

appreciates beautiful and blossoming change, but resents that which destroys familiar paradigms and norms. Fall,

seen as the death of summer, is characterized as a regression, though the turning of seasons is a product of the literal

passage of time. Utilizing romantic imagery and hyperbole to shape the Speaker's perspective, Cary emphasizes the

need to embrace change though it is difficult, because growth is not possible without hardship or discomfort.

Sample 1A

1 of 1

In Alice Cary's poem "Autumn," Cary uses precise diction to create contrasting imagery and the shift of the poem to

show her simultaneous dislike and appreciation of Winter, and her appreciation of the warmer seasons.

Throughout the poem, word choice creates the difference between the seasons. In stanza one, "twilight," "sunset,"

and "golden" depict the visuals of summer; this is continued in stanza two with words like "warmer." The transition

from Summer to Fall comes in one phrase: "yellow leaves" (line seven) which depicts imagery of leaves changing

color as they do in Fall, but the switch is foreshadowed in the phrase "warmer air deceives". The words used to

describe Summer and Fall all have a positive connotation: "Golden" suggests a regal nature to Summer, "sunset" is

often associated with beauty, and "yellow" is a warm color, and is often associated with joy or kindness.

After the shift of the poem in stanza four, the imagery made by word choice changes to something of dislike toward

Winter. Words with negative connotations like "red," "lost," and "frost" coupled with the contrast within line fifteen

between "proud" and "hangs down her head" creates a tonal contrast with earlier depiction of Summer and Fall with

Winter being more negative. Lines eighteen through twenty depict the loss of the robin's song, which is described as

"golden" (positive connotation), to the the "brown cricket;" in contrast with gold, brown is associated with dirt and

uncleanliness which suggests that Cary isn't happy that the robin's song was lost because of winter.

In the final stanza of the poem, Cry implies that even though Winter creates a "withered world," she still appreciates

it because it precedes Spring, hence the final line of the poem. Ultimately, Cary's diction and the contrast it creates

between the seasons illustrates her complex attitude toward the warm and cold times of a year.

Sample 1B

1 of 1

In "Autumn," Cary employs repetition and imagery in order to convey the speaker's complex response to the

changing seasons, ultimately demonstrating the distinct details that make each season their own.

ny sentences of this poem begin with the word "And." "And Summer from her golden collar slips...," "And,

stealing hopeful to some sheltered bower..." The repetition of the word "And" is used to describe each season. Since

each season consists of something different, repetition as well as imagery are incorporated to describe the difference

between them. "The rose has taken off her tire of red- The mullein-stalk it's yellow stars have lost..." This quote

utilizes imagery in order to demonstrate a season change from spring to winter. You are able to grasp this season

change from the imagery of the roses dying and the stars gone. Since winter takes flowers away and creates a dim

sky, the new season change would be winter.

n closing, all of the seasons have their differences and the complexity of seasons changing is well demonstrated

throughout this poem through repetition and imagery.

Sample 1C

1 of 1

English Literature 2023 Scoring Commentary

Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.

Question 1

Note: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain spelling and grammatical errors.

Overview

For Question 1, the poetry analysis question, students were asked to read Alice Cary’s poem

“Autumn” and respond to the following prompt:

In Alice Cary’s poem “Autumn,” published in 1874, the speaker contemplates the onset of

autumn. Read the poem carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Cary uses

literary elements and techniques to convey the speaker’s complex response to the changing

seasons.

In a timed writing situation and with an unfamiliar text, students were expected to complete three

tasks successfully. They were expected to:

• read the poem carefully;

• analyze the speaker’s complex response to the changing seasons; and,

• write a well-written response based on that analysis.

Reading the poem involves more than simply understanding individual words and describing what

happens. Students were expected to view the text specifically as a poem, recognizing literary elements

and techniques in the context of poetry, and then analyze how those techniques are used to shape the

poem and its meaning. For example, in “Autumn,” students might identify and explore a variety of

devices that impact meaning, including personification (“the sunset gates they crowd,” “strays through

stubble-fields, and moans aloud,” and “the warmer air deceives”) and imagery (“pillows of the yellow

leaves,” “Sits rustling in the faded boughs to-day,” and “the sun had kissed the topmost bough”),

which are frequently linked; how the poem uses parallel construction (“The wind,” “The rose,” “The

robin,” “The very cock [that] crows”) that nonetheless varies subtly in content; the presence of

gendered natural elements (“She lies,” “her tire of red,” “his cold and unsuccessful love”); and the shift

that occurs in the final stanza, signaled by an imperative statement (“Shut up the door”) and

conjunction (“but”).

Analyzing the poem means taking the relevant elements that students identified in their reading and

exploring how the parts function collectively to create the meaning of the work as a whole. In

“Autumn,” students needed to consider how the parts convey the speaker’s complex response to the

changing season. The word “complex” is central to the prompt, reminding students to look for and

explore the shifting, contradictory, or paradoxical aspects of the poem. For instance, students might

analyze the tension in how the speaker endures the “the withered world” and still finds pleasure in

“the poetry of Spring,” or they might explore the complexity of the cyclical nature of the seasons,

examining the relationships among the various elements the speaker identifies.

Writing a well-written response means demonstrating a variety of skills. Students were asked to

establish a thesis that shows understanding of the speaker’s complex response to the changing

seasons. They were asked to build this defensible interpretation with specific, relevant evidence

from the poem and through their own commentary that explains the connection between their

argument and the evidence. The more successful responses build a line of reasoning that connects

ideas and shows the relationships between them. A well-written response is more than

English Literature 2023 Scoring Commentary

Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.

Question 1 (continued)

grammatically correct writing, and it should be noted that students are not expected in a timed

writing scenario to write a polished, revised essay.

Sample: 1A

Score: 1-4-1

Row A: Thesis (0–1 points): 1

The essay responds to the prompt with a defensible thesis located in the introductory paragraph:

“Romantic and hyperbolic imagery is used to illustrate the speaker’s unenthusiastic opinion of the of

the coming of autumn, which conveys Cary’s idea that change is difficult to accept but necessary for

growth.” The essay earned 1 point in Row A.

Row B: Evidence and Commentary (0–4 points): 4

The response presents specific evidence from the poem and couples it with perceptive commentary to

build a line of reasoning that focuses on the speaker’s unhappiness about the arrival of fall. In

paragraph 2, the essay analyzes the speaker’s use of romantic imagery and presents lines from the

poem that portray summer as a woman who “‘from her golden collar slips/and strays through stubble

fields/and moans aloud.’” The commentary that follows argues astutely that through personification,

“the speaker implies the interconnection between a season and bounty, comfort, and pleasure.” Later

in the same paragraph, the essay argues that the image of summer as she “‘lies on pillows of the

yellow leaves,/ And tries the old tunes for over an hour’” creates “a sympathetic, passive image of

summer in reaction to the coming of Autumn.” Paragraph 3 considers the speaker’s use of hyperbolic

imagery which “displays the discrepancies between unrealistic, exaggerated perceptions of change

and the reality of progress.” The response presents the line “‘the proud meadow-pink hangs down her

head/Against the earth’s chilly bosom, witched with frost’” and follows with the commentary that

carefully considers the speaker’s use of the “the word ‘witched.’” The essay argues that it “brings a

sense of conflict, morality, and even good versus evil into the transition between seasons.” The

response provides aptly chosen evidence and commentary that consistently supports the line of

reasoning throughout the essay. In addition to its in-depth analysis of the imagery of the poem, the

essay considers Cary’s use of juxtaposition in paragraph 2: “The juxtaposition between Summer’s

character and the setting provides insight to the positivity of change—the yellow leaves—by its

contrast with the failures of attempting to sustain old habits or practices,’ old tunes’.” Additionally, an

example of enjambment is discussed in the essay’s observation that “the action of twilight’s ‘clip’ and

the subject, ‘the days’, are cut off from each-other into two different lines, emphasizing a sense of

jarring and discomfort.” The literary device is not named, nor is it necessary to do so. The essay

organizes and supports its argument as a line of reasoning composed of multiple supporting claims,

each one supported consistently with evidence that is clearly explained. This response earned 4 points

in Row B.

Row C: Sophistication (0–1 points): 1

The essay develops a complex literary argument by identifying and exploring the poem’s tensions and

contrasts (described as juxtapositions) in each block of evidence and commentary and through its in-

depth analysis of the imagery used throughout the poem. Furthermore, the response employs a style

that is consistently vivid and persuasive, such as this sentence at the beginning of paragraph 2:

“Romantic imagery is utilized to demonstrate the speaker’s warm regard for the season of summer and

emphasize her regretfulness for autumn’s coming, conveying the uncomfortable change away from

English Literature 2023 Scoring Commentary

Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.

Question 1 (continued)

idyllic familiarity.” Another example occurs at the end of the third paragraph: “The hyperbole present

in the poem serves to illustrate the Speaker’s perspective and ideas on the coming of fall, which are

characterized by reluctance and hostility to change from comfort.” The essay earned 1 point in Row C.

Sample: 1B

Score: 1-3-0

Row A: Thesis (0–1 points): 1

The essay presents a defensible interpretation of the poem through its thesis, “In Alice Cary’s poem

‘Autumn,’ Cary uses precise diction to create contrasting imagery and the shift of the poem to show

her simultaneous dislike and appreciation of Winter, and her appreciation of the warmer seasons,” that

appears in the introductory paragraph. The response earned 1 point in Row A.

Row B: Evidence and Commentary (0–4 points): 3

The essay blends evidence and commentary to support a line of reasoning that characterizes summer

as positive and winter as negative. The response directs attention to specific words and their effect.

For example, in paragraph 2, the essay considers the significance of the words “‘twilight,’” “‘sunset,’”

and “‘golden’” and argues that “‘Golden’ suggests a regal nature to Summer, ‘sunset’ is often

associated with beauty, and ‘yellow’ is a warm color, and is often associated with joy or kindness.”

Paragraph 3 turns its attention to the “imagery made by word choice changes to something of dislike

toward Winter.” This analysis focuses on words “with negative connotations like ‘red,’ ‘lost,’ and

‘frost’” found in the poem. The essay also points out the image of the “‘brown cricket’” and asserts

“brown is associated with dirt and uncleanliness which suggests that Cary isn’t happy that the robin’s

song was lost because of winter.” While the essay has built a clear line of reasoning, the response

does not consistently explain how all the evidence supports the line of reasoning. For example, in the

third paragraph of the response, the observation is made that some specific evidence “creates a tonal

contrast with earlier depiction of Summer and Fall with Winter being more negative.” The idea of

“tonal contrast” is not developed adequately. This response earned 3 points in Row B.

Row C: Sophistication (0–1 points): 0

The essay does not demonstrate sophistication of thought nor develop a complex literary argument. It

did not, therefore, earn the sophistication point in Row C.

Sample: 1C

Score: 1-1-0

Row A: Thesis (0–1 points): 1

This essay earned 1 point in Row A for its defensible thesis presented in the first paragraph of the

response: “In ‘Autumn,’ Cary employs repetition and imagery in order to convey the speaker’s complex

response to the changing seasons, ultimately demonstrating the distinct details that make each season

their own.”

Row B: Evidence and Commentary (0–4 points): 1

The response provides evidence that is largely general. For example, it points out the repetition of the

word “and” by quoting two lines that begin with the word. The commentary, “The repetition of the

word ‘And’ is used to describe each season,” does not explain how the repetition adds meaning to the

English Literature 2023 Scoring Commentary

Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.

Question 1 (continued)

interpretation of the poem. The essay provides two examples of imagery (“‘The rose has taken off her

tire of red- The mullein-stalk it’s yellow stars have lost ...’”), but the commentary provided (“You are

able to grasp this season change from the imagery of the roses dying and the stars gone”) does not

explain how the imagery supports the thesis. Although several literary devices are mentioned, a

minimal amount of explanation of their significance is offered. No line of reasoning is established

within the essay. It earned 1 point in Row B.

Row C: Sophistication (0–1 points): 1

The thesis oversimplifies the speaker’s response to the changing seasons (“all of the seasons have

their differences”) instead of exploring the complexity of the speaker’s response. The style of the essay

is not vivid or persuasive. Thus, the response did not earn the point in Row C.