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Essential Vocabulary for the GRE - All About Literature

Here you will learn some English words about literature, such as "novella", "limerick", "depict", etc. that are needed for the GRE exam.

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Essential Words Needed for the GRE
novella
[noun]

a work of fiction with an intermediate length, which could be considered a short novel

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epic
[noun]

a long poem in narrative form giving an account of the extraordinary deeds and adventures of a nation's heroes or legends

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chronicle
[noun]

a historical account of events presented in chronological order

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ode
[noun]

a lyric poem, written in varied or irregular metrical form, for a particular object, person, or concept

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parody
[noun]

a piece of writing, music, etc. that imitates the style of someone else in a humorous way

Ex: The theater troupe performed parody of a well-known Shakespeare play , adding comedic twists and contemporary references to the dialogue .
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fable
[noun]

a short story on morality with animal characters

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parable
[noun]

a brief symbolic story that is told to send a moral or religious message

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haiku
[noun]

a Japanese poem with three unrhymed lines that have five, seven and five syllables each

Ex: She recited haiku about the fleeting cherry blossoms .
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epigram
[noun]

a short poem or phrase that expresses a single thought satirically, often ending in a clever or humorous way

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saga
[noun]

a long story of heroic actions and bravery in old Norse or Icelandic in the Middle Ages, or a modern narrative resembling such a narrative

Ex: The saga captivated readers with its tales of valor and conquest .
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epigraph
[noun]

a short quotation or phrase that is written at the beginning of a book or any chapter of it, suggesting the theme

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limerick
[noun]

a humorous poem of five anapestic lines with a rhyme scheme of AABBA

Ex: The book was filled limericks that brought joy to readers of all ages .
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lyricism
[noun]

the creative and imaginative expression of powerful feelings in art, poetry, music, etc.

Ex: lyricism of the poem painted vivid images and stirred the reader 's imagination .
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prose
[noun]

spoken or written language in its usual form, in contrast to poetry

Ex: The author 's mastery prose evoked vivid imagery and emotional resonance , immersing readers in the world of her storytelling .
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oeuvre
[noun]

the collection of artistic or literary works produced by a particular painter, author, etc.

Ex: As a scholar of literature , she dedicated her career to studying oeuvre of Jane Austen , uncovering new insights into her timeless novels .
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motif
[noun]

a subject, idea, or phrase that is repeatedly used in a literary work

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the way in which characters in a movie, book, etc. are created and represented by a writer

Ex: characterization of the antagonist was particularly compelling , as the writer explored the motivations behind his actions and revealed the humanity beneath his villainous exterior .
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villainous character who strongly opposes another person or thing

Ex: Throughout the story , the protagonist 's struggle against antagonist served as a metaphor for larger themes of good versus evil and the resilience of the human spirit .
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the main character in a movie, novel, TV show, etc.

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to make a book, play, etc. short by omitting the details and including the main parts

Ex: For the anthology , abridged the lengthy essay to highlight its main arguments .
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to depict
[Verb]

to describe a specific subject, scene, person, etc.

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addendum
[noun]

a section of additional material that is usually added at the end of a book

Ex: The manuscriptaddendum contained supplementary information not covered in the main chapters .
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foreword
[noun]

a short introductory section at the beginning of a book, usually written by someone other than the author

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afterword
[noun]

a part at the end of a book including some final words that may not be written by the author

Ex: She read afterword to understand the editor ’s perspective on the story .
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stanza
[noun]

a series of lines in a poem, usually with recurring rhyme scheme and meter

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verse
[noun]

a set of words that usually have a rhythmic pattern

Ex: The poem 's verse set the tone for the rest of the piece .
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sonnet
[noun]

a verse of Italian origin that has 14 lines, usually in an iambic pentameter and a prescribed rhyme scheme

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gripping
[Adjective]

exciting and intriguing in a way that attracts one's attention

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concise
[Adjective]

giving a lot of information briefly and clearly

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canonical
[Adjective]

(of an author or literary work) accepted as highly acclaimed authors or pieces of literature, which are collectively referred to as the literary canon

Ex: The student 's thesis explored themes of identity and power canonical literature , examining how these works have shaped cultural narratives over time .
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flowery
[Adjective]

(of writing or speech) full of literary or complicated words and phrases

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mannered
[Adjective]

behaving in an artificial way that is too formal, trying to impress others

Ex: The diplomatmannered politeness felt overly formal and insincere .
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raunchy
[Adjective]

sexually explicit or morally obscene

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highbrow
[Adjective]

scholarly and highly interested in cultural or artistic matters

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sequel
[noun]

a book, movie, play, etc. that continues and extends the story of an earlier one

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codex
[noun]

an ancient book, written by hand, especially of scriptures, classics, etc.

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an author whose work is published under someone else's name

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humorist
[noun]

someone who is known for writing or telling humorous stories or jokes about real people and events

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tragedian
[noun]

a playwright who writes tragedies

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a male literary author or scholar

Ex: He aspired to be man of letters, dedicating his life to literature and scholarship .
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satirist
[noun]

a person who writes or uses satires in order to criticize or humor someone or something

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