GRE VOCAB: Literature 101

Allusion (n)

the act of referring to something — often a literary text— without mentioning it directly

Catch-22 (n)

a situation that is characterized by absurdity, or impossible to get out of because of conflicting conditions.

Dramatic Irony (n)

the condition in which the reader’s understanding of a character’s situation is more accurate than the character’s own understanding of his or her situation; also called situational or tragic irony

Faustian (adj)

done without regard for future consequences

In German legend, Johann Faust is a magician and alchemist who sells his soul to the devil in return for power and knowledge. A common use of the term today is in the term “Faustian bargain.”

Gargantuan (adj)

huge

Hyperbole (n)

an extreme exaggeration for dramatic effect

Lilliputian (adj)

trivial or small

In Johnathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver travels to many strange places, one of which is Lilliput, an imaginary country inhabited by people who are six inches tall.

Machiavellian (adj)

characterized by deceit, cunning, and bad faith

Niccolo Machiavelli was a philosopher, political advisor, and writer. He wrote The Prince, a political treatise in which he advocates cruelty, fraudulence, and the idea that the end justifies the means.

Metaphor (n)

figure of speech likening two dissimilar things

Orwellian (adj)

relating to or similar to works of George Orwell, particularly with respect to a vision of a totalitarian future

Paradox (n)

a literally false statement that only has meaning if interpreted figuratively

example: less is more.

personification (n)

the attribution of human qualities to something that is not human

example: the yellow fog rubs its back upon the windowpanes

Pygmalion (n)

a character, particularly a man, who creates a person to fit his liking

Pygmalion was a mythical king of Cyprus who carved a statue of ivory that was so lovely, he prayed to Aphrodite to make it come alive. The term also refers to a type of story in which a similar plot plays out, such as My Fair Lady and The Taming of the Shrew.

Quixotic (adj)

idealistic to the point of being impractical

This word is derived form the novel Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. The title character is a low-ranking member of Spanish nobility who— after reading too many tales about knights and their noble endeavors— decides to journey the countryside looking for adventures and righting wrongs. His actions are well-intentioned but often end in disaster— hence, the meaning of the word quixotic.

Satire (n)

a form of writing, usually involving irony, which makes fun of people or events in order to bring about social or political change

Simile (n)

figure of speech using “like” or “as” to draw a comparison

Siren Song (n)

an enchanting appeal, especially if it is deceptive and will lead to a bad result

Sirens were mythical creatures in The Odyssey who enticed sailors to their island by singing a luring song. The island had rocky cliffs, though, and sailors who attempted to land were always dashed upon the rocks and drowned. Odysseus overcame this by plugging his sailors’ ears with wax and having them tie him to the mast, so that he could hear the siren song but would be unable to succumb to it.

Stygian (adj)

very dark

The River Styx in Greek mythology is the river that leads to the underworld, or Hades. Naturally, it’s pretty dark, and that is the origin of the word stygian.

Verbal irony (n)

the use of words to express something other than their literal intent

Example: How brilliant do you have to be to lock your keys in the car twice in one day?