Letter To the AP

Dear College Board,

It has come to my attention that “Let Her Go” by Passenger does not appear on your AP Literature Exam! But it does not have to be that way anymore, in fact you should decide to put that poem in as early as next year! You are probably wondering, is “Let Her Go” even literary? Well it is. The poem choice is literary for a couple of reasons. First, the first poet Chelotti said that people read poems for “understanding and love and timing.” In the song “Let Her Go” the artist does just that! He talks about losing a love and finding out why you lost it. The major theme of the song is not knowing what you have until you lose it. Which is what Chelotti argues. The author poet Warren says “a poem… a hazardous attempt at self-understanding.” That is exactly what this song does, the artist comes to understand why he lost what he lost and why. The biggest question that this poetry answers is why something was lost. Therefore, this song is literary defined by both poets. You may wonder then what kind of question would I even ask? I have another answer for you, “Choose a theme of the poem that the artist wants to convey to the audience. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the theme and discuss how literary devices contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.” Once again college board, there is currently NOT a better literary poem than “Let Her Go” and it should make an appearance on one of your exams, not just because it’s a classic literary work. But, for the students to also learn what quality poetry looks like.

Thank you,

Jake and Cecelia