1. Allusions Making the Connection

2. Familiar Allusions  “They’re more in love than Romeo and Juliet.” “Oh, you’re just crying wolf.” “Sign your John Hancock right here.” © 2003 clipart.com National Archives (NARA)

3. What Is an Allusion?  An allusion is a reference to a statement, a person, a place, or an event from literature, the arts, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, or science.

4. Recognizing Allusions  Writers expect their readers to understand what the allusions are referring to. Recognizing allusions allows you to  connect your knowledge of one text or situation to another  respond emotionally to the reference, connecting these emotions to the text  Writers expect their readers to understand what the allusions are referring to. Recognizing allusions allows you to  connect your knowledge of one text or situation to another  respond emotionally to the reference, connecting these emotions to the text

5. How to Recognize Allusions  As you read, you should look for direct references.  direct quotations from speeches, works, or people  titles of books, songs, paintings, sculptures, and other works  names of people, places, and events  As you read, you should look for direct references.  direct quotations from speeches, works, or people  titles of books, songs, paintings, sculptures, and other works  names of people, places, and events Theresa is such an Albert Einstein. © Bettman/CORBIS

6. How to Recognize Allusions  You should also look for indirect references. My cousin is too curious for her own good. She always pokes around where she shouldn’t, opening up a box of trouble. paraphrased statements from speeches, works, or people descriptions of people, places, or events © 2002-2003 clipart.com

7. Researching Allusions To understand fully an allusion and how it relates to the text, you may need to do some additional research. Check for footnotes that contain more information about the allusion. Refer to dictionaries, encyclopedias, or other reference books. Ask others—teachers, librarians, family, and friends.