Allusion: A super-sly way to show how smart you are. (And give your art more meaning!)

First of all… it’s ALLUSION not ILLUSION

So what is ALLUSION? A reference in a literary or artistic work to a person, place, or thing from another work of art or literature. A reference in a literary or artistic work to a person, place, or thing from another work of art or literature.

What does that mean? The artist or writer is connecting their work to another work to make it more meaningful. The artist or writer is connecting their work to another work to make it more meaningful. Let’s look at an example:

What was the allusion? Morpheus talks about ‘Wonderland’ and the ‘Rabbit Hole,’ then instructs Neo to choose which pill to take- all allusions to Alice and Wonderland. Morpheus talks about ‘Wonderland’ and the ‘Rabbit Hole,’ then instructs Neo to choose which pill to take- all allusions to Alice and Wonderland.

Why use allusion? Just like with metaphors, allusions let the writer suggest a lot of qualities or ideas, without having to spell it out. Just like with metaphors, allusions let the writer suggest a lot of qualities or ideas, without having to spell it out. Allusions are kind of like ‘in jokes’- if you get them, they add a lot of meaning to the story, song or movie. Allusions are kind of like ‘in jokes’- if you get them, they add a lot of meaning to the story, song or movie.

Can you think of any allusions in movies, songs or books that you know?

One example of Allusion in Haroun: Haroun al-Rashid was a caliph in the 1 st century, famous for being a patron of the arts. He is also a character in some of the stories from The Thousand and One Arabian Nights. His name translates to “the one following the right path.” Haroun al-Rashid was a caliph in the 1 st century, famous for being a patron of the arts. He is also a character in some of the stories from The Thousand and One Arabian Nights. His name translates to “the one following the right path.”