Allusions

Two basic sources from which writers, especially poets, draw

allusions and create metaphors, are the Bible and the ancient classical
writings. A knowledge of the characters and stories contained in the
Bible and in the body of myths and legends will add appreciably to the
enjoyment of good literature of all kinds. From the very beginning of
our literature, writers have borrowed characters, plots, and themes
from these sources. Thus, Biblical and mythological characters have
become through the years synonymous with certain human qualities,
and their names and stories are commonly used to represent
counterparts in modern literature.

I. The Bible
a. The following selections from the Old Testament, grouped
as literary types, are part of our heritage in English
literature. Since these selections are frequently alluded to
and used as subject matter, you should read them as
literature.
Narratives

Genesis Rescue of the Child David and

The Garden of Eden Moses Bathsheba
Cain and Abel The Parting of the
Noah and the Flood Red Sea Kings
The Tower of Babel The Burning Bush Solomon’s Wisdom
The Destruction of The Plagues of Solomon’s Temple
Sodom Egypt The Queen of
Abraham and Isaac Sheba
Jacob’s Dream Judges
Jacob and Esau Samson and the Job
Rachel and Leah Philistines
Joseph and his Daniel
Brothers Ruth Nebuchadnezzar’s
Joseph in Egypt Dream
The Marriage of Samuel Daniel in the Lion’s
Isaac David and Goliath Den
Absalom’s The Firey Furnace
Rebellion The Writing on the
David and Jonathan Wall
Exodus

b. You should also be familiar with the New Testament, especially the
Gospels and the Book of Revelation.
Gospels Luke
Matthew John
Mark
 Revelation
Prophecy

A concordance, found in the back of most Bibles, can give you the specific
verses for these passages.
II. Classical Writings

You need to be familiar with the most famous of Greek and Roman mythological
stories and hero tales. The following is a good list with which to start. Even if
you “know” the myth, it’s worth your time to reread it.

1. Cupid and Psyche 21.Apollo and Cassandra

2. Orpheus and Eurydice 22.Castor and Pollux
3. Pygmalion and Galetea 23.The Sword of Damocles
4. Daphne and the Laurel Wreath 24.Selene and Endymion
5. The Amazons 25.Europa and Zeus
6. Echo and Narcissus 26.Alexander the Great and the
7. Damon and Pythias Gordian Knot
8. Jason and Golden Fleece 27.Demeter and Persephone
9. Atlas and the World 28.Hero and Leander
10.Paris and the Golden Apple 29.Jason and Medea
11.Hera and Io 30.Perseus and Medusa
12.Baucis and Philemon 31.Niobe and Leto
13.Arachne and Athena (Minerva) 32.Phaedra and Hippolytus
14.Adonis and Aphrodite 33.Procrustes
15.Dido and Aeneas 34.Romulus and Remus
16.Perseus and Andromeda 35.Odysseus and the Trojan Horse
17.Daedalus and Icarus 36.Phaeton and Zeus
18.Midas and the Golden Touch 37.Pandora’s Box
19.The Twelve Labors of Hercules 38.Nessus and Heracles (Hercules)
20.Bellerophon and Pegasus

Helpful Resources:

Lass, Abraham H., David Kiremidjian, and Ruth M. Goldstein. The Dictionary of
Classical, Biblical, and Literary Allusions. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal,
1987.

What Is Mythology? Greenfield, Massachusetts: The Channing L. Bete Co., Inc.,

1978.