Review of Allusions
ALLUSIONS Definition: a brief or indirect reference to something assumed to be known Purpose: to get across a connection or idea quickly, to help the reader make connections between texts, to provide shared cultural reference points, to describe meaning without having to take up literary space with excessive explanation or description Types of allusion: Mythological, Biblical, Historical, Literary, Popular Culture
Types of allusions
Mythology References to the gods, characters and events from various mythologies: Greek, Roman, Norse, Aztec, Native American, etc. Also closely related are references to legends or folktales
Mythical: Algebra has always been my Achilles’ heel.
Bible References to stories, people, or scripture from the Old Testament or New Testament in the Christian Bible Also relates to sacred texts other than the Bible, such as the Torah and the Qur’an
Religious: I know most people hate the bugs, but the northwestern woods have always been my Promised Land.
History References to people, places, events or even buildings that have a significant role in history.
Historical: I can’t believe my sister pulled a Benedict Arnold and told my mom that I snuck out last night!
Literature References to characters, places, events, from literature. Sources can be novels, poetry, short stories, or drama.
Literary: My boyfriend was so Peter Pan that I had to dump him.
Popular Culture References to something from popular songs, movies, TV shows, video games, fads, etc.. These are things that most people have some understanding of because of their popularity.
Popular Culture: Good luck on your finale and “may the odds be ever in your favor.”
Art References to famous paintings, sculpture, architecture, dance, music, or photography
Familiar Allusions She is like a Medusa. She has a Mona Lisa smile. Chocolate is my kryptonite. NOTE: Family Guy, The Simpsons and other like-minded cartoons are NOTORIOUS for using literary allusions!
Allusions in Popular Music
From Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” “Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom hold dear. How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air. T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair. But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah”
Source and explanation Source: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings – Literary allusion Mordor—the dwelling place of the dark lord Sauron Etymology: Old English morðor, which means “mortal sin” or “murder”
Mordor suggests a place of darkness and evil. Connotation Mordor suggests a place of darkness and evil.
Effect In the song, the allusion to Mordor creates a sinister feeling, suggesting darkness and shadows, especially in contrast to the “fair girl.” The songwriter used the allusion to give a hint as to why the girl disappears.
Find the allusion “You consider me the young apprentice Caught between the Scylla and Charybdis Hypnotized by you if I should linger Staring at the ring around your finger” “Wrapped Around Your Finger” –the Police
Source and explanation Scylla and Charybdis: Two sea monsters of Greek mythology, situated on opposite sides of a strait. They were located close enough together that they proved inescapable to passing sailors. Moving far enough to avoid one, meant getting close enough to be caught by the other.
Find the allusion “So I sneak out to the garden to see you We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew So close your eyes Escape this town for a little while” “A Love Story” by Taylor Swift
Source and explanation The allusion is implied, “sneak out to the garden” and “we’re dead if they knew” suggests a Romeo and Juliet type romance, Shakespeare’s tragic love story about two starred-crossed young lovers.
Why use an allusion when an explanation will do? Allusions: are more concise are more poetic are a traditional means of communication (like metaphor and symbol) add layers of meaning establish an emotional connection establish ethos