Literary
Terms
Allusion
Allusion is basically a reference to something
else. It’s when a writer mentions some other work, or refers to an earlier part
of the current work. It is a reference, typically brief, to a person, place,
thing, event, or other literary work with which the reader is presumably
familiar. As a literary device, allusion allows a writer to compress a great
deal of meaning and significance into a word or phrase. However, allusions are
only effective to the extent that they are recognized and understood by the
reader, and that they are properly inferred and interpreted by the reader. If
an allusion is obscure or misunderstood, it can lose effectiveness by confusing
the reader. Allusion is also found in nearly every work of great literature, as
well as in scholarly works and all kinds of non-fiction.
Allusion
generally falls into one of two categories, each with its own purpose.
External
Allusion
This
is an allusion to something outside the current document. It might be a book,
play, movie, historical event, or even just a common saying or proverb. All
that matters is that it has to be something the reader will already be familiar
with.
Internal
Allusion
Internal
allusion is often harder to catch. It’s when the author makes a reference back
to something that has come before in the work.
Types of Literary Allusion
Self-reference
– when
a writer references another work of their own.
Single-reference
– when
a writer connects their work to another through allusion.
Causal-reference
– when
an allusion is made but it is not essential to the story.
Corrective-reference
– when
a writer references another work that is in opposition by comparison.
Apparent-reference
– when
a writer alludes to a specific source but in a challenging way.
Multiple-references
– when
a writer uses a variety of allusions.
Examples
of allusions
His
smile is like kryptonite to me. (Superman’s weakness)
She
felt like she had a golden ticket. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
That
guy is young, scrappy, and hungry. (Hamilton)
I
wish I could just click my heels. (The Wizard of Oz)
If
I’m not home by midnight, my car might turn into a pumpkin. (Cinderella)
She
smiles like a Cheshire cat. (Alice in Wonderland)
His
job is like pulling a sword out of a stone. (King Arthur Legend)
Is
there an Einstein in your physics class? (Albert Einstein)
My
math teacher is he who must not be named. (Voldemort from the Harry Potter
series)
I
want to sound like Queen B. (Beyoncé)
Today
might be the Ides of March. (Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar)
Now might
be a good time to sit in my thinking chair. (Blue’s Clues)
I
have a caped crusader costume. (Batman)
Does
it count if we were on a break? (Friends)
I’m
listening to the king. (Elvis Presley)
A
single grain of rice can tip the scale – one man may be the difference between
victory and defeat. [Cut to an image of Mulan picking up a single grain of rice
with her chopsticks.]
Ah,
Krusty – this is your Waterloo! (Sideshow Bob, The Simpsons)
Examples
of Allusion to Classical Mythology
Achilles’
heel (alluding to the one weakness of Achilles)
arrow
of love (allusion to Cupid)
carrying
the weight of the world on your shoulders (allusion to Atlas)
pushing
a boulder uphill every day (allusion to Sisyphus)
hot
as Hades (alluding to the god of death/king of the underworld)
looking
like Venus (alluding to the goddess of beauty)
Herculean
effort (alluding to the strength of Hercules)
opening
Pandora’s box (alluding to Pandora’s myth of letting trouble into the world)
can’t
stop staring at himself (allusion to Narcissus)
Examples
of Biblical Allusion
I
didn’t have any bus fare, but fortunately some good Samaritan helped me out! (Biblical
story of the good Samaritan, from Luke 10:29-37 – a good Samaritan is someone
who helps others in need)
garden
(Eden, creation)
Snake
(serpent, Satan)
flood
(Noah’s Ark)
apple/fruit
(tree of knowledge, temptation)
cross
(Christ, crucifixion)
great
patience (Job)
fraternal
competition (Cain and Abel)
betrayal
(Judas)
generosity/philanthropy
(Good Samaritan)
slingshot/stone
(David and Goliath)
Examples
of Allusion in Sentences
He
seems to be a Cupid during his love affair with the girl even if it was on the
stage.
My
Friend is the Shakespeare of this school, for he has worked very hard on his
plays.
He
has traveled so much and removed so many obstacles from his voyages, he seems a
new Columbus.
Most
of the time Muslims recall the Ottoman Empire just to satisfy themselves as
they have no such a powerful state now.
Seething
with shame and anger, he recalls his old days as if he has lived in paradise in
Sweden.
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