AP Summer Reading Assignment

Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition! If you are a lover of literature and writing, you will find the next twelve months a rewarding and enriching experience; we hope you discover a few new favorite authors along the way. Many of the works we will read next year were written by poets, novelists, and playwrights who studied the classics before their time. And many of these authors allude to these timeless tales and images in their own works: A wooden horse presented to the apparent victors; the temptation of a manipulative serpent; the declaration of love between two young lovers atop a balcony. This use of allusion in literature enhances the significance and power of the essential texts studied at the AP and college level.

Due to the advanced and fast-paced nature of the course, students are expected to begin the year with a prior knowledge of some of these essential literary texts. During your summer break, you will be required to read and familiarize yourself with the following selections from the McDougal and Littell World Literature textbook:

Literature of the Ancient World

Selections from The Epic of Gilgamesh: Pages 32-46

Selections from The Hebrew Bible: Pages 63-73

The Classical Age of Greece and Rome

Selections from The Iliad: Pages 178-222

Selections from The Aeneid: Pages 356-379

Selections from The Metamorphoses: Pages 398-402

Europe in Transition: Literature of the Middle Ages

Selections from The Song of Roland: Pages 696-706

Selections from The Inferno: Pages 732-756

Detailed note taking is strongly encouraged while reading as we will refer back to these texts throughout the school year. Students should expect an assessment on the summer assignment during the second week of class. The Assessment will be open notes, but not open book!