1. Allusion English II Lebanon High School

2. Allusion Allusion: a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

3. Allusion versus Illusion Do not confuse allusion with the word illusion. An illusion is something that gives a false sense of reality (Think David Blaine).

4. Examples of Allusion As the cave’s roof collapsed, he was swallowed up like Jonah. –Who is Jonah and what happened to him?

5. Examples of Allusions Jonah was a biblical figure that was swallowed by a whale and then spit out; this saved his life. Why would the speaker use this allusion? How does it help you to better understand his or her point?

6. Examples of Allusions Sandy didn’t like to spend money. She was no Scrooge or anything, but she only bought the bare necessities. Who was Scrooge, and where did we meet him?

7. Examples of Allusions Scrooge was a character in A Christmas Carol, a novel by Charles Dickens. When you call someone a “Scrooge”, what are you saying? How does this help someone better understand what you are trying to say?

8. Examples of Allusions Listen to and follow along with the lyrics to this popular Byrds’ song… Can you recognize the allusion?

9. “Turn, Turn, Turn” The Byrds To everything, turn, turn, turn There is a season, turn, turn, turn And a time for every purpose under heaven A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones A time to gather stones together A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace A time to refrain from embracing A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time of love, a time of hate A time of peace, I swear it's not too late

10. Allusions It is an allusion to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8… –And a time for every matter under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate, A time for war, and a time for peace.

11. Allusions “By the Waters of Babylon”, a short story by Stephen Vincent Benet, is an allusion to Psalm 137 in the Bible. –Turn to page 500 in your literature book— read the introduction to the story to better understand allusion.

12. Psalm 137 1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. 7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!" 8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us- 9 he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.