SAT2：English Literary
- Knowledge of basic
literary terminology, such as irony, stanza, image, tone, alliteration and
speaker (highly specialized terms are not covered).
- Understanding of
the following literary concepts:
oOverall meaning,
including effect and theme
oForm, including
structure, genre and organization
oUse of language,
including word choice, imagery and metaphor
oMeanings and
connotations of specific words in context
oNarrative voice,
including tone and attitude
oCharacterization in
narrative and dramatic selections
Questions cover topics emphasized in most high school courses. Because of course differences, most students will find that there are some questions on topics with which they are not familiar. You may not be able to complete all the questions in the time given, but it is not necessary to get every question correct to get a high score or even the highest score on the test.
Skills Covered
- Interpret themes and meanings of a text
- Understand both denotations and connotations of words in context
- Recognize the structure of a text, including genre, development, and organization
- Respond to a writer’s use of language, including diction, imagery, and figurative language, and to its effects on the reader
- Analyze aspects of narration, including narrative voice, tone, and point of view
- Analyze poetry in terms of speaker, audience, occasion, and purpose
- Understand characterization in narrative and dramatic selections
Recommended Preparation
- There is no suggested reading list to prepare for the Literature Subject Test. We recommend:
- Close, critical reading of English and American literature from a variety of historical periods and genres
- Reading of complete novels and plays, not just excerpts
- Understanding of basic literary terminology, such as speaker, tone, image, irony, alliteration, stanza
- Three or four years of literary study at the collegepreparatory level Independent, critical reading of poetry, prose, and drama
About 60 multiple-choice questions Six to eight reading selections followed by sets of four to 12 questions Source of Questions
English literature 40%–50% American literature 40%–50% Other literature written in English 0%–10%
Chronology Renaissance and 17th century 30% 18th and 19th centuries 30% 20th and 21st centuries 40% Genre Poetry 40%–50% Prose 40%–50% Drama and other 0%–10%
*The distribution of passages may vary in different versions of the test. The chart above indicates typical or average content. | 
