Page 156 - 2023-bfw-IdeasLit-TE-1e.indd

200 Unit 2 ■ Analyzing Comparisons and Representations

INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS ➔ Step Four: Develop Your Commentary
Even after you have included evidence to support your thesis, your analysis will
Step Four: Develop Your Commentary In later be incomplete until you explain how all of the evidence connects to the idea and
units, students will work more specifically on insight stated in your thesis. You can begin by including a sentence following your
developing insightful commentary for their evidence to explain how the evidence functions. Review these basic sentence stems:
evidence. In Unit 2, teachers should guide
students to use the templates to write at least • By using these examples, the author reveals . . .
one sentence of explanation for each piece of • The author includes the metaphor to illustrate . . .
evidence using the provided sentence stems on • This specific word choice suggests . . .
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs were used with this sample chapter.
this page.
• The simile explores the connection between . . .
• The repetition of emphasizes . . .
In Unit 3, you will begin to write these explanations, also known as commentary,
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
that not only identify the link between your evidence and make your reasons clear but
also make the connection to the unifying idea clear to your reader. Your goal is to offer
insight into your interpretation of the passage and explain your line of reasoning.

®
AP EXAM PRACTICE
The following is an example of a poetry analysis free-response question. Practice
the skills you learned in this workshop to write a thesis statement and a paragraph
that includes evidence in response to the prompt.
Remember to follow the four steps:
• Step One: Annotate the passage based on a unifying idea
• Step Two: Write a defensible thesis statement
• Step Three: Choose relevant evidence
• Step Four: Develop insightful commentary

®
TRM Scored Student Sample AP Essays
Prompt:
In the following poem “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo (published in 1994), the
speaker describes a variety of human events that take place around the kitchen table. Read the
poem carefully.
Write a paragraph in which you make a defensible claim regarding how Harjo uses the
kitchen table as a metaphor to convey a complex understanding of the human experience. In your
paragraph, you should incorporate evidence from the text to support your claim.
In your response you should do the following:
• Respond to the prompt with a claim that presents a defensible interpretation
• Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning
• Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument

03_williamlit1e_46174_ch02_116_207.indd 200 22/09/22 9:47 AM
DIFFERENTIATION
®
Preparing for the AP Exam
In these earlier units, students will likely need
more “We Do” time to practice analysis. Teachers
may wish to explore more poetry analysis
prompts like the ones suggested for this unit and
have students work together in groups to
determine a unifying idea, annotate for the idea,
and develop a thesis and line of reasoning
together. To help students get at a line of
reasoning, have students review the table on
page 198 and identify at least two author
techniques in the text. Next, students should list
elements they would choose to illustrate those
techniques. This activity will help students.

200 Unit 2 Analyzing Comparisons and Representations

03_williamlitte1e_47545_ch02_116_207_3pp.indd 200 08/12/22 5:49 PM