Find and analyze two or more themes; objective summary of the text: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2 - AP English Language and Composition

The third paragraph sees a turn, from a discussion of storytelling in general and Bartleby the scrivener in particular, to a broader, more personal (for the narrator) discussion of the narrator's "profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best," and the ways in which this conviction has put him into direct contrast with most of his "energetic and nervous" profession. The narrator directly frames himself as an "eminently safe man," asserting that safety, or caution, is his first priority. The narrator goes to great lengths to frame himself as a cautious person, in contrast to other more passionate and possibly ambitious lawyers. But, the introduction of the figure of John Jacob Astor, reveals that the narrator is, in fact, quite ambitious and vain, not only about his cautious nature but his professional accomplishments as well. "Social class and its tense relationship with the professional world of lawyers" is a tempting option, except that there is no "tension" obvious in the narrator's description of this relationship, he unambiguously seems to feel proud of it. Since he has bragged about both is lack of passion and his professional success, we can eliminate the option that frames a lack of passion as leading to failure. In spite of the narrator's profession there is literally no mention of justice anywhere in the passage.

The only answer that accurately reflects the theme introduced in the paragraph is "caution and its relationship to ambition." Important to note here is that this is an answer that, in addition to mentioning the two main ideas introduced here, makes no ambitious claims about the relationship between these ideas, merely that such a relationship exists.

The central message of the poem is reliant on the interrelation of the two themes mentioned in the question "seasonal re-birth and death." Seasonal re-birth is a common trope in poetry, notably in pastoral poetry, and death is obviously a dominant force towards which are all inexorably progressing each day, and as such is a common subject of poetic verse.

In typical pastoral poetry, springtime and the seasonal re-birth it brings are treated as exclusively positive, regenerative forces. The imagery of spring is rarely associated directly with death, that is usually reserved for winter poems. This poem goes against this trope, asserting that the sense of new life that is associated with springtime is ultimately an illusion, and that death is certain.

As the poem states, the coming of springtime "is not enough" to compensate for impending death.

The message of the poem is not that one should "seize the day" or that life is meaningful and precious, because life is ultimately considered to be nothing (see 13-15), regardless of how it is lived. It cannot be said that the rebirth of spring proves that life overcomes death, because the writer gives concrete evidence of the finality of death in lines 11-12. For the same reason, there is little support for the idea of immortality in the poem.

Outside of seeing the specific textual evidence directly supporting the correct answer, you could have selected it based on an accurate understanding of the overall tone and language of the poem. This is a negative, dark poem, not a hopeful or inspiring one. A thorough, accurate reading of the literal content of this poem was enough to answer this question accurately, as was a closer reading of the imagery.

The third paragraph sees a turn, from a discussion of storytelling in general and Bartleby the scrivener in particular, to a broader, more personal (for the narrator) discussion of the narrator's "profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best," and the ways in which this conviction has put him into direct contrast with most of his "energetic and nervous" profession. The narrator directly frames himself as an "eminently safe man," asserting that safety, or caution, is his first priority. The narrator goes to great lengths to frame himself as a cautious person, in contrast to other more passionate and possibly ambitious lawyers. But, the introduction of the figure of John Jacob Astor, reveals that the narrator is, in fact, quite ambitious and vain, not only about his cautious nature but his professional accomplishments as well. "Social class and its tense relationship with the professional world of lawyers" is a tempting option, except that there is no "tension" obvious in the narrator's description of this relationship, he unambiguously seems to feel proud of it. Since he has bragged about both is lack of passion and his professional success, we can eliminate the option that frames a lack of passion as leading to failure. In spite of the narrator's profession there is literally no mention of justice anywhere in the passage.

The only answer that accurately reflects the theme introduced in the paragraph is "caution and its relationship to ambition." Important to note here is that this is an answer that, in addition to mentioning the two main ideas introduced here, makes no ambitious claims about the relationship between these ideas, merely that such a relationship exists.

The central message of the poem is reliant on the interrelation of the two themes mentioned in the question "seasonal re-birth and death." Seasonal re-birth is a common trope in poetry, notably in pastoral poetry, and death is obviously a dominant force towards which are all inexorably progressing each day, and as such is a common subject of poetic verse.

In typical pastoral poetry, springtime and the seasonal re-birth it brings are treated as exclusively positive, regenerative forces. The imagery of spring is rarely associated directly with death, that is usually reserved for winter poems. This poem goes against this trope, asserting that the sense of new life that is associated with springtime is ultimately an illusion, and that death is certain.

As the poem states, the coming of springtime "is not enough" to compensate for impending death.

The message of the poem is not that one should "seize the day" or that life is meaningful and precious, because life is ultimately considered to be nothing (see 13-15), regardless of how it is lived. It cannot be said that the rebirth of spring proves that life overcomes death, because the writer gives concrete evidence of the finality of death in lines 11-12. For the same reason, there is little support for the idea of immortality in the poem.

Outside of seeing the specific textual evidence directly supporting the correct answer, you could have selected it based on an accurate understanding of the overall tone and language of the poem. This is a negative, dark poem, not a hopeful or inspiring one. A thorough, accurate reading of the literal content of this poem was enough to answer this question accurately, as was a closer reading of the imagery.

The third paragraph sees a turn, from a discussion of storytelling in general and Bartleby the scrivener in particular, to a broader, more personal (for the narrator) discussion of the narrator's "profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best," and the ways in which this conviction has put him into direct contrast with most of his "energetic and nervous" profession. The narrator directly frames himself as an "eminently safe man," asserting that safety, or caution, is his first priority. The narrator goes to great lengths to frame himself as a cautious person, in contrast to other more passionate and possibly ambitious lawyers. But, the introduction of the figure of John Jacob Astor, reveals that the narrator is, in fact, quite ambitious and vain, not only about his cautious nature but his professional accomplishments as well. "Social class and its tense relationship with the professional world of lawyers" is a tempting option, except that there is no "tension" obvious in the narrator's description of this relationship, he unambiguously seems to feel proud of it. Since he has bragged about both is lack of passion and his professional success, we can eliminate the option that frames a lack of passion as leading to failure. In spite of the narrator's profession there is literally no mention of justice anywhere in the passage.

The only answer that accurately reflects the theme introduced in the paragraph is "caution and its relationship to ambition." Important to note here is that this is an answer that, in addition to mentioning the two main ideas introduced here, makes no ambitious claims about the relationship between these ideas, merely that such a relationship exists.

The central message of the poem is reliant on the interrelation of the two themes mentioned in the question "seasonal re-birth and death." Seasonal re-birth is a common trope in poetry, notably in pastoral poetry, and death is obviously a dominant force towards which are all inexorably progressing each day, and as such is a common subject of poetic verse.

In typical pastoral poetry, springtime and the seasonal re-birth it brings are treated as exclusively positive, regenerative forces. The imagery of spring is rarely associated directly with death, that is usually reserved for winter poems. This poem goes against this trope, asserting that the sense of new life that is associated with springtime is ultimately an illusion, and that death is certain.

As the poem states, the coming of springtime "is not enough" to compensate for impending death.

The message of the poem is not that one should "seize the day" or that life is meaningful and precious, because life is ultimately considered to be nothing (see 13-15), regardless of how it is lived. It cannot be said that the rebirth of spring proves that life overcomes death, because the writer gives concrete evidence of the finality of death in lines 11-12. For the same reason, there is little support for the idea of immortality in the poem.

Outside of seeing the specific textual evidence directly supporting the correct answer, you could have selected it based on an accurate understanding of the overall tone and language of the poem. This is a negative, dark poem, not a hopeful or inspiring one. A thorough, accurate reading of the literal content of this poem was enough to answer this question accurately, as was a closer reading of the imagery.

The third paragraph sees a turn, from a discussion of storytelling in general and Bartleby the scrivener in particular, to a broader, more personal (for the narrator) discussion of the narrator's "profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best," and the ways in which this conviction has put him into direct contrast with most of his "energetic and nervous" profession. The narrator directly frames himself as an "eminently safe man," asserting that safety, or caution, is his first priority. The narrator goes to great lengths to frame himself as a cautious person, in contrast to other more passionate and possibly ambitious lawyers. But, the introduction of the figure of John Jacob Astor, reveals that the narrator is, in fact, quite ambitious and vain, not only about his cautious nature but his professional accomplishments as well. "Social class and its tense relationship with the professional world of lawyers" is a tempting option, except that there is no "tension" obvious in the narrator's description of this relationship, he unambiguously seems to feel proud of it. Since he has bragged about both is lack of passion and his professional success, we can eliminate the option that frames a lack of passion as leading to failure. In spite of the narrator's profession there is literally no mention of justice anywhere in the passage.

The only answer that accurately reflects the theme introduced in the paragraph is "caution and its relationship to ambition." Important to note here is that this is an answer that, in addition to mentioning the two main ideas introduced here, makes no ambitious claims about the relationship between these ideas, merely that such a relationship exists.

The central message of the poem is reliant on the interrelation of the two themes mentioned in the question "seasonal re-birth and death." Seasonal re-birth is a common trope in poetry, notably in pastoral poetry, and death is obviously a dominant force towards which are all inexorably progressing each day, and as such is a common subject of poetic verse.

In typical pastoral poetry, springtime and the seasonal re-birth it brings are treated as exclusively positive, regenerative forces. The imagery of spring is rarely associated directly with death, that is usually reserved for winter poems. This poem goes against this trope, asserting that the sense of new life that is associated with springtime is ultimately an illusion, and that death is certain.

As the poem states, the coming of springtime "is not enough" to compensate for impending death.

The message of the poem is not that one should "seize the day" or that life is meaningful and precious, because life is ultimately considered to be nothing (see 13-15), regardless of how it is lived. It cannot be said that the rebirth of spring proves that life overcomes death, because the writer gives concrete evidence of the finality of death in lines 11-12. For the same reason, there is little support for the idea of immortality in the poem.

Outside of seeing the specific textual evidence directly supporting the correct answer, you could have selected it based on an accurate understanding of the overall tone and language of the poem. This is a negative, dark poem, not a hopeful or inspiring one. A thorough, accurate reading of the literal content of this poem was enough to answer this question accurately, as was a closer reading of the imagery.