SAT Literature Subject Test Terms to Know Essays

SAT Literature Subject Test Terms to Know Essays SAT Literature Subject Test Terms to Know Paper SAT Literature Subject Test Terms to Know Paper Essay Topic: Literature allegory A story with underlying symbols that really represent something else. A character can be allegorical. alliteration Repetition of a consonant sound for emphasis. allusion A reference to something or someone, usually literary. anachronism Placing a person or object in an inappropriate historical situation. It can be deliberate or unintentional. analogy Comparing something to something else. anecdote A short narrative, story, or tale. antagonist The major character opposing the protagonist. Usually the villain. anthropomorphism Assigning human attributes, such as emotions or physical characteristics, to nonhuman things. Often used for attributing human characteristics to animals. Similar to personification, but usually is applied to animals, while personification is applied to all types of things. argument A summary or short statement of the plot or subject of a literary work. diction The authors choice of word and sentence structure, taking into account correctness, clearness, and effectiveness. Typically, there are four levels: formal, informal, colloquial, and slang. elegy A mournful and melancholy poem or song, usually to pay tribute to a deceased person. emphasis Special forcefulness of expression that gives importance to something singled out. fable A story that has a moral, usually involving animals as the main characters. figurative language Language characterized by figures of speech such as metaphors and similes as well as elaborate expression through imagery. hyperbole A deliberate exaggeration. imagery An authors use of descriptive and figurative language used to create a picture in the readers minds eye. indirect dialogue Language that communicates what was expressed in the dialogue, without using a direct quotation. irony An expression of meaning that is opposite of the literal meaning. meaning Something that one wishes to convey, especially by language. metaphor A comparison like a simile, without the use of like or as. Its a little subtler. Its important to note, however, that in literary criticism, the word metaphor is frequently used when, strictly speaking, the term simile applies. meter The rhythm of a poem. The most common is iambic. narrative A literary representation of an event or a storythe text itself. onomatopoeia A word intended to simulate the actual sound of the thing or action it describes. oxymoron A phrase in which the words are contradictory. paean An expression of joyful praise. parable A story that has a moral. paradox This is a phrase that appears to be contradictory but actually contains some basic truth that resolves the apparent contradiction. parallelism The repetition of sounds, meanings, or structures to create a certain style. parody A literary work in which the style of an author is imitated for comic effect or ridicule. pastoral A work that deals with the lives of people, especially shepherds, in the country or in nature (as opposed to people in a city). pathos Something that evokes a feeling of pity or sympathy. personification Assigning human attributes to something nonhuman. perspective The viewpoint from which the narrator or character sees things. point of view The vantage point from which a story is presented to a reader. protagonist The main character, usually the hero. rhyme scheme The way that a poems rhymes are arranged. satire Ridicule of a subject, usually as a social criticism. simile A comparison of two things using the words like or as. stanza The divisions in a poem, like a paragraph to prose. structure The framework of a work of literature; the organization or overall design; often provides clues to character and action. style The authors unique manner of expression; the authors voice. syntax The ordering of words into meaningful patterns such as phrases, clauses, and sentences; poets often manipulate syntax, changing traditional word order in an attempt to draw attention to particular words or phrases. theme The central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work; theme provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized. tone Style or manner of expression.