what are some good allusions

Here are some allusion examples to know in these categories:

• Hercules (or Herculean) — Often used to emphasize strength
• Pandora's Box — Describes big (and usually unexpected) consequences or a possible source of trouble
• Cupid — God of love; used to describe someone romantic or in love
• Garden of Eden — Used to discuss paradise, beauty, and/or downfall
• Noah/Noah's Ark — Used to talk about big or nearly impossible tasks

Full Answer

What are the five types of allusion?

• Four types of allusion are biblical, historical, cultural and literary
• Malapropisms, anachronisms and puns are used to create humor
• Allusions will help in an argument or a formal essay
• Malapropisms, anachronisms and puns will most likely, but not always, be used in informal writing
• Malapropisms and anachronisms are usually accidental

What are some examples of allusion in literature?

Literary Allusions

• Moby Dick by Herman Melville. In Moby Dick, the 19th-century whaling ship is named Pequod. ...
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare. In Act 3, Scene 4 of this Shakespearean play, the title character of Hamlet describes a portrait of his late father while alluding to three Greek ...
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. ...

What are some examples of classical allusions?

Here are some famous examples of Biblical allusion:

• 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)

What are some examples of biblical allusions?

What are some examples of Biblical Allusions? Give me at least 3 or 4. The Book of Job: "How I sympathized with Job I did not deny the existence of God, but i doubted His Absolute Justice." Babylon: "Here came the Rabbi, his back bent, his face shaved, his pack on his back. His mere presence among the deportees added a touch of unreality to the ...

What is the most common allusion?

The most common form of allusion is a religious allusion, but there are also historical, mythological, and literary allusions.Historical – An allusion to a historical event or period. ... Mythological – An allusion to a mythological figure or story. ... Literary – An allusion to a literary text or figure.More items...

What are some modern allusions?

Nike Sportswear: Nike alludes to the winged greek goddess of victory. The Nike swoosh represents the wings of the goddess. Trident Gum: Trident gum alludes to the greek god of the sea Poseidon. Poseidon is know for carrying around a three pointed trident and the gum has three enzymes that fight cavities.

What is an example of allusion in a book?

For example: You're acting like such a Scrooge! Alluding to Dickens's A Christmas Carol, this line means that the person is being miserly and selfish, just like the character Scrooge from the story.

What is an effective allusion?

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.

What is a famous allusion?

"Chocolate cake is my Achilles heel." The allusion here is to "Achilles' heel," or the Greek myth about the hero Achilles and how his heel was his one weakness. In this case, the speaker's "weakness" is chocolate cake. "He's a cool guy, but he becomes a lovesick Romeo every time he's around her."

What is a good allusion sentence?

Allusion in a Sentence 1. The author's new book contains an allusion to mythological gods. 2. While the president's speech seems original, it contains an allusion to a speech made by another world leader.

What is a allusion example for kids?

An allusion is when we hint at something and expect the other person to understand what we are referencing. For example: Chocolate is his Kryptonite. In the this example, the word “kryptonite” alludes to, or hints at, the hero Superman.

What is allusion in a short story?

allusion, in literature, an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text. Most allusions are based on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge that is shared by the author and the reader and that therefore the reader will understand the author's referent.

Can an allusion be a quote?

The term “allusion” comes from a Latin verb that means to refer or to quote. Allusions can be direct or indirect references to people, events, and ideas outside of the text such as when Shakespeare might use quotes from other plays in his work without mentioning them by name.

How do you write your own allusion?

You can create your own allusions by bringing up words or images from earlier in your work (internal allusion) or by bringing them in from an outside source (external allusion).

How do you write an allusion in a story?

When we use allusion in our writing, we may hint at something or casually mention something, but we never go into details or specifics. Instead, we leave it up to the readers to make a connection to the implied reference.

What are allusions in reading?

Allusions are generally regarded as brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature.

What is allusion in 21st century literature?

Put simply, an allusion is a reference to something outside the moment in which your scene, song, or statement takes place. An external allusion (which most allusions are) refers to something outside your story but familiar to your reader.

Is Nike an allusion?

Other Allusions The shoe and sports equipment company Nike, Inc. is named after the Greek goddess Nike. Since Giuseppe Cassioli's design of the 1928 Summer Olympics, the front face of every Olympic medal bears Nike's figure holding a palm frond in her right hand and a winner's crown in her left.

How do allusions work in modern literature?

allusion, in literature, an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text. Most allusions are based on the assumption that there is a body of knowledge that is shared by the author and the reader and that therefore the reader will understand the author's referent.

What are examples of allusions in movies?

Examples of Allusions Based on FilmIt was like she had received a golden ticket. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)I wish I could just click my heels. (The Wizard of Oz)She smiles like a Cheshire Cat. (Alice in Wonderland)My math teacher is he who must not be named. ... I have a caped crusader costume.

What is Allusion?

Put simply, an allusion is a reference to something outside the moment in which your scene, song, or statement takes place.

What is an allusion in poetry?

Allusions in poetry can either be brief references or extended parallels that continue throughout the piece — or for a significant part of it.

What is internal allusion?

An internal allusion refers to something earlier in your story, which you hope your reader noticed.

Why does Shakespeare use mythological allusions?

Shakespeare uses mythological allusions to show Hamlet’s admiration for his murdered father — comparing the latter to three gods in Roman mythology.

Why do storytellers use allusions?

Storytellers use allusions all the time and have for centuries. If they can trigger a memory in their reader, they can draw them more deeply into the scene.

Is the Bible the source of allusions?

The bible is actually the source of numerous allusions we use in everyday speech.

Do allusions to the Bible retain their potency over time?

And in some cases – like allusions to bible stories or to Roman or Greek mythology – the references retain their potency over the years.

What are some examples of allusions?

As mentioned before, Biblical allusions, as well as allusions to Greek and Roman mythology, are common in Western texts. Here are some allusion examples to know in these categories: 1 Hercules (or Herculean) — Often used to emphasize strength 2 Pandora's Box — Describes big (and usually unexpected) consequences or a possible source of trouble 3 Cupid — God of love; used to describe someone romantic or in love 4 Garden of Eden — Used to discuss paradise, beauty, and/or downfall 5 Noah/Noah's Ark — Used to talk about big or nearly impossible tasks 6 David and Goliath — Describes a battle or face-off between two in which the weaker one, or underdog, might actually have a better shot at winning 7 Tower of Babel — Often used to describe the crumbling or tragic end of something

What Is Allusion?

An allusion is when an author or poet makes an indirect reference to some idea, figure, other text, place, or event that originates from outside the text. It could also refer to something that happens earlier in the text; this is often called an "internal allusion" (as opposed to a regular, or "external," allusion).

What is the quote from To Kill a Mockingbird?

This quotation from Harper Lee's renowned novel To Kill a Mockingbird contains an allusion to the "crash," that is, the Stock Market Crash of 1929, which resulted in the Great Depression .

How often do people use allusions?

People use allusions every day, often without even realizing it. Here are some allusion examples you might've heard (or even said yourself!) in everyday conversation.

What is the verb form of "allusion"?

The verb form of the noun "allusion" is "allude, " so you could state that a writer "alludes to" or "makes an allusion to" something. For instance, it's particularly common for writers from the West to make allusions in their works to the Bible and Greek or Roman mythology.

Why is April cruel?

Immediately in this poem, Eliot thrusts an allusion at us: the mention of April being "the cruellest month" sharply contrasts with the opening of medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which describes April as a cheerful, lively month filled with stories, pilgrimages, and "sweet-smelling showers." To Eliot, April is exceptionally cruel because of the pain associated with the regeneration of life.

What does "allusion" mean?

Meaning. A character, event, or place that represents a real-world problem or occurrence. An indirect reference to something that originates from outside the text (or something from earlier in the text) An indirect reference to something that will occur later in the text. Now that you know what an allusion is, let's take a look at some allusion ...

What are some examples of allusions?

Typically, these allusions are in reference to popular culture, including movies, books, music, public figures , and so on. Here are some common examples of allusion in everyday speech, along with the source material to which they reference: His smile is like kryptonite to me. (Superman’s weakness)

What are the different types of allusions?

Here are some common types of allusion for a writer to consider when using this literary device: 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.

How does an allusion work?

Allusion is a very effective literary device in all forms of literature. Writers can use allusions for character development by associating them with other well-known and familiar characters or archetypes. Literary allusions can also provide context for the reader through comparison or contrast to another literary work.

How do literary allusions help the reader?

Literary allusions can also provide context for the reader through comparison or contrast to another literary work. In addition, allusion can provide exposition for a story by referring to the plot and/or character of another work that helps the reader understand more about the story’s events or character motivations.

How is allusion used in literature?

As a literary device, allusion is used for context in a literary work through reference to a well-known or familiar person, place, event, or other work of literature. In this way, allusions help develop a relationship between a writer’s creation and its association with something else that the reader would recognize.

What is an allusion?

Definition of Allusion. An allusion 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 ...

What is Morrison's use of allusion to Dick and Jane?

Morrison’s use of allusion to Dick and Jane as a literary device is effective in that it is widely recognized and understood by readers, and gives meaning to the meaninglessness Pecola finds in the primer’s words.

What is an allusion?

Allusion Examples. Allusion. An allusion is when a person or author makes an indirect reference in speech, text, or song to an event or figure. Often the allusions made are to past events or figures, but sometimes allusions are made to current famous people or events. The allusion does not give much detail about the reference-it does not describe ...

What is an allusion in a simile?

Allusions are often used within a metaphor or simile. The comparison alludes to an event or person of significance that everyone should understand.

Does an allusion give much detail?

The allusion does not give much detail about the reference-it does not describe things in detail. Rather, because these events are momentous-significant historically, culturally, or politically-the speaker or author expects that people in general would understand the allusion without explanation.

What is an allusion in literature?

Here’s a quick and simple definition: In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas, and they do so in order to layer associations and meanings from these sources onto their own work.

Why is it so hard to understand allusions?

Cultural or historical familiarity: A reader's ability to understand a given allusion depends strongly on their cultural background. For this reason, it can be particularly difficult to identify and understand allusions in texts that are from different historical periods or other cultures. So an allusion that would have been easy to understand for readers who lived two-hundred years ago in China may be exceedingly difficult for a modern American reader to grasp without the help of an editor's footnote.

How Are Allusions and References Different?

There's a lot of confusion, particularly online, about what kinds of references count as allusions, and which are merely references. There are two different ways that people draw a distinction between allusions and references:

What is the intertextual allusion to Hamlet?

For example, in his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," T.S. Eliot makes an intertextual allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Prufrock, the narrator of Eliot's poem, speaks at length about his own emotional paralysis, but in this passage he makes a decisive shift and declares himself to be different from Hamlet, who is a famously conflicted and indecisive character. Prufrock then compares himself to one of the play's "attendant lords," who are presented as figures with seriousness and a sense of purpose.

Why is allusion important in speech?

Allusion in Speeches. Allusion is a powerful tool for speechwriters, because the device creates a sense of community between the speaker and their audience. Many of the most persuasive speeches make listeners feel that they have shared experience with a speaker, who seems to be speaking "their language.".

What does it mean when you say "allusion"?

Allusions can be direct or indirect, meaning that they might explicitly state the name of the thing they're referring to, or they might hint at it in other, subtler ways.

How does King allude to Lincoln?

Rather than mention Abraham Lincoln by name, King alludes to him by imitating the opening of the historic "Gettysburg Address" ("Four score and seven years ago..."). Through this use of allusion, King establishes a link between his vision of liberty and Lincoln's, and he suggests that he and his fellow Americans are taking a step that is connected to and as equally historic as Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Why do we use allusions?

Second—and I think, more importantly—using allusions allows the reader to do quick and subconscious deduction, which involves them more in what they are reader and may even give a sense of cleverness.

What is an allusion?

To make sure we’re on the same page, the definition of allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. ( Allusion)

What is an allusion in literature?

Allusion in literature usually means a reference within one literary text to another literary text or artistic representation; the reader is expected to recognize the reference, the purpose of which is to convey something more economically or to render the text more significant. For instance, in a short story by Hardy, ‘A Tragedy of Two Ambitions’, a character receives a piece of unwelcome news, which does not, however, seem immediately threatening. The following sentence is ‘It was the cloud no bigger than a man’s hand.’ This is a biblical allusion, to 1 Kings 18.44, where the little cloud is interpreted by Elijah as the sign of an impending rainstorm. Hardy thus suggests, by means of an allusion familiar to his readers, that the apparently not very significant news will have dire consequences—as indeed it does. T. S. Eliot’s poetry makes frequent allusions to other works of literature or art, for various purposes, one of which is sometimes to highlight by contrast the futility of the modern life he is describing. So it can be a very powerful technique.

What is an allusion to Donald Trump?

An allusion is an indirect reference to someone or something. If I mention a “world leader with a strange haircut” many people would recognize this as an allusion to Donald Trump.

What is the allusion to Luke's father?

A common allusion is that of mystery parenthood, for example in Star Wars, Luke’s father is a mystery and has been “killed” by Vader. The allusion (made by Ben Kenobi) is in the multiple meanings you can proscribe to the word “killed”.

What Greek myth is Venus and Adonis?

Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis alluding to the Greek myth, Narcissus.

Is there a most common device in literature?

There are no “most common” devices in literature, especially not with something like an allusion, which by its nature is affected by both the object and the subject. It would be next to impossible for me to identify a specific allusion and say that that is the most common.

Why do allusions make sense?

Whether it’s in a poem, novel, or part of a casual/scintillating conversation, allusions sneak into our weave of words, making sense almost immediately because of their hidden, yet obvious meanings. When adding an allusive word or phrase to a sentence, be sure that it makes sense in the literal manner (of your sentence construct). Let’s take a look at some of the Bible’s most famous allusions.

Why do writers use allusions?

The purpose of using an allusion is to indirectly suggest a certain reference that is reminiscent of a particular place, event, or historical figure.

Why did Judas kiss Jesus?

Judas kisses Jesus’ hand to reveal his identity to the soldiers; he was paid 30 pieces of silver to betray him. Reference: The phrase ‘Judas kiss’ is used to label people who come across as well-wishers and those with good intentions, only to be the deceitful kind with a hidden agenda.

Why did God punish Adam and Eve?

Punishments by God after Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden, for eating the forbidden fruit. Reference: Adam’s punishment is relatable to us in this day and age, where one has to earn a living through hard work.

Who was asked to sacrifice his only son?

Abraham and Isaac. The story of how Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son, but is stopped just in time when God witnesses this act of faithful submission. Reference: This highlights how one must be willing to sacrifice anything without asking why – for the Lord – out of obedience.

Definition of Allusion

Common Examples of Allusion in Everyday Speech

Examples of Allusion to Classical Mythology

Famous Examples of Biblical Allusion

• The Bible is another frequently referenced source for writers utilizing allusion as a literary device. Here are some famous examples of Biblical allusion: 1. garden (Eden, creation) 2. Snake(serpent, Satan) 3. flood (Noah’s Ark) 4. apple/fruit (tree of knowledge, temptation) 5. cross (Christ, crucifixion) 6. great patience (Job) 7. fraternal compet...

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Writing Allusion

Examples of Allusion in Literature