Christopher Gilbert’s free verse poem “Marking Time” proved to be a very accessible subject for an analytical essay on the 2026 operational portion of the AP Exam. Most responses were able to discuss the speaker’s reflections, even if they missed some of the deeper connections (i.e. the grief over the sister). Overall, there was a noticeable increase in the number of essays that attempted reader response, and several connected the act of running/jogging to personal experience. Yet, those who offered a balance between what the speaker describes and why it is important proved the most successful.
What students did well
Most students were able to say something about the simile and imagery. The responses likened the downed trees and the pear tree to the speaker’s relationship and/or contrast with the speaker’s age and struggle with the run. The responses readily mentioned how the passage of time impacted the speaker both physically and emotionally. Understanding “immaterial” and “ephemeral” made a huge difference in the understanding of the poem as a whole.
Stronger essays often found something to say about the use of the colon and semicolon. In a poem where traditional punctuation is used sparingly if students understand how these marks are used grammatically (typically colons introduce while semicolons link ideas), some can make the leap into an analysis of why the poet used them in that particular placement and how that influences the meaning of the poem.
Higher scoring essays typically were better able to embed quotes from the texts inside of their own words instead of quoting a huge chuck of the poem. Teaching students to sprinkle quotes (our suggested length is no more than 9 words in a row) is time well spent. Another strength the responses demonstrated was with transitions. Rather than simply using them as space or time shifts (e.g. “first,” “next,” “in addition”), the stronger responses used the transitions to guide the reader in their thinking. Many essays also attempted to discuss more complex ideas, such as syntax and enjambment. Unfortunately, several responses continue to name-drop a poet’s choices without discussing how these choices contribute to meaning in the immediate moment or overall poem.
Where students can improve
Although students who could write about poetic syntax as part of the analysis often earned higher scores, many students only identified that the poem was “choppy” or “a long run-on sentence” without connecting this observation to meaning. However, students who saw the short line lengths (and the hyphens) as representations of each breath or potentially the runner’s stride were on their way to analysis of how form connects to meaning.
Readers’ response style essays were generally not successful. While contemporary poet Brian Turner’s idea that “the poem finishes in the reader” remains true, for this style of analysis when the essay focuses on the reader instead of the speaker, there is a problem. Students would discuss how jogging offered physical and mental health benefits, or responses focused on their personal experiences in track/athletics. This moved away from discussing the poem, offering contextual evidence with little evidence of the poet’s choices.
The lower scoring essays also incorporated awkward or random adjectives, like “naturalistic imagery.” These adjectives attempted to flatter the poet, calling Gilbert’s choices “thoughtful” or “intentional.” This is similar to responses that rely on the stable language, calling the speaker’s reflections “complex” without ever discussing that nuance. Many responses also included random formatting, using bold, italics, etc. This was often more distracting than helpful as it seemed to draw attention to ideas or citations without actually discussing those points or evidence.
Final thoughts on sophistication
When I saw my first 1-3-1 in training, I felt like the M&M’s commercial that runs at Christmastime when both the M&Ms and Santa say “They do exist!” The 1-3-1 does exist! I admittedly do not score many essays in my own classrooms with this elusive score, but that may change moving forward. Most essays that I saw earning the sophistication point did so through pathway one on the rubric (identifying and exploring complexities or tensions within the poem) or four (vivid and persuasive writing). On the other hand, when students tried to force pathway two (situating [the student’s interpretation] within a broader context) was less successful and often felt forced. Examples of this might be focusing on the historical impact of the 1900s (yes, the whole century) for a poem written in 1984 or a comparison to a work of fiction that deals with brothers and sisters. –Adrian
One primary area where I will adjust my instruction is on content-specific vocabulary. Several essays used more general terms (i.e. description or shift) rather than attempting to discuss how the implied comparison of a metaphor hinted at the speaker’s conflicting feelings. The responses that understood volta, assonance, meter, etc. often demonstrated more awareness about the poet’s intentional moves. These responses had an understanding not only of the definition of these terms but also their impact on meaning. Although the multiple-choice section of the exam has moved away from disparate questions that identify devices, I know that my students can benefit from explicit vocabulary instruction and application, hopefully helping them build toward that “vivid and persuasive” sophistication point. –Melissa
Adrian Nester teaches AP Lit and Lang at Tunstall High School in southern Virginia. She has been an AP reader since 2016 and spent her fourth year as a table leader “Marking Time.” She loves her family, books, travel, and sports…mostly in that order.
Melissa Tucker teaches AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, and American Literature at Rock Hill High School in Rock Hill, SC. As a National Board-certified 25-year veteran teacher, Melissa is passionate about the thinking and learning that happens with her students each day, encouraging them to explore language as an art form. In addition to classroom teaching, Melissa has been a reader for the AP English Literature and Composition exam since 2018, and she enjoys collaborating and working with teachers when she hosts AP summer institutes and 2-day AP workshops. Melissa also serves on the board of the South Carolina Council of Teachers of English, the state NCTE affiliate.
