“Shaving” by Richard Blanco
Total time-2 hours 3 Questions
Question 1 (Suggested time-40 minutes.
This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)
In Richard Blanco’s poem “Shaving,” published in 1998, the speaker writes about the act of shaving.
Read the poem carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Blanco uses literary elements and techniques to develop the speaker’s complex associations with the ritual of shaving.
In your response you should do the following:
Respond to the prompt with a topic 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.
