There will be one or two ‘literary’ passages on the SAT — usually the fiction passage, or possibly one of the social studies passages.
Literary writing, whether in the form of a story or essay, makes use of metaphor, narrative, and other rhetorical methods to an extent that simple informative writing does not. There is greater artistry put into the writing, which in turn requires a little more imagination on the part of the reader. One of the guiding principles of literary writing is “show, don’t tell.” This kind of writing tries to appeal to readers’ emotions or imaginations at least as much as to their intellects. The writer will likely make his or her point indirectly, and so it is necessary for you to infer that meaning from something else expressed in the passage.
Here are some literary techniques for you to look out for as you interpret texts of this sort. You won’t need to know any of these ideas by name, but it’s helpful to be aware of them so you can better analyze texts that use them:
1. Figurative language occurs when words are used in something other than the literal sense. Literal language just states things as they are. Figurative language tries to express things through comparison or other indirect means.
Some examples of figurative language:
✓ Simile: Comparing two things using “like” or “as” (“Love is like a red, red rose.”)
✓ Metaphor: Referring to one thing by mentioning another thing (“All the world’s a stage.”)
✓ Allusion: Referring to something indirectly in order to call it to mind without mentioning it explicitly (“The Romeo of his hometown, Alex was never without a love interest.”)
✓ Hyperbole: Exaggeration to make a point (‘If I study any longer, my head will explode.’)
✓Personification: Describing a non-personal thing as if it were a person (“O that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!”)
2. Imagery comes from descriptive passages that appeal to the senses in order to add reality to the work.
For example: “The examination room felt like the inside of a meat locker: its walls were silvery white and its air silent, cold, and full with the scent of something like freshly butchered mutton.”
3. Point of view concerns the narrator’s relation to what is being expressed.
There are two main points of view that can be relevant for the SAT:
✗ In the ‘first person’ point of view, the narrator writes using the ‘I’ pronoun and, in a story, is included in the events relayed. This often results in a more personally involved accounting of the events or facts in question.
✗ From the third person point of view, the narrator writes solely using pronouns such as ‘he,’ ‘she,’ and ‘they,’ and assumes a less involved relation to the events relayed.
4. Tone has to do with the narrator’s attitude toward what is being discussed or the audience to whom the narration is addressed.
✗ Tone can be positive or negative. Is the author offering praise or criticism?
✗ Tone can be formal or informal. Does the author seem very personable and casual in the way she speaks, or does she write in a more proper and emotionally neutral way?
✗ Tone can express many other emotions or attitudes as well. The tone of a text can be comic or serious, angry or sarcastic, or just about anything else.
5. Narratives are sequences of interrelated events that tell a story, whether real or fictional. Some passages, such as the fictional excerpt that you will read first on the SAT, will be entirely narrative; others may use a short passage of narrative to make a point.
Some aspects of narrative:
✓Setting — When and where do the events occur?
✓Character — Who is involved?
✓Plot — What happened and how? Usually, understanding plot requires you to identify the following:
✗ Premise (problem)
✗ Protagonist (main character)
✗ Antagonist (opposition to the protagonist)
✗ Conflict (between protagonist & antagonist)
✗ Climax and resolution (outcome of the conflict)
✓Theme — What does it all mean?
