Allusion

“I think we must quote whenever we feel that the allusion is

interesting or helpful or amusing.” ~ Cliff Fadiman

Essential Question

• How do I recognize allusions in print and non-print media?

Activator

• Watch Taylor Swift’s video, and read the lyrics on the next few slides.

• Identify references to literary works in the song “Love Story.”

Video

• We were both young when I first saw youI close my eyesAnd the flashback startsI'm standing thereOn a balcony in summer air

See the lightsSee the party, the ball gownsI see you make your way through the crowdAnd say hello, little did I know

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebblesAnd my daddy said stay away from JulietAnd I was crying on the staircaseBegging you please don't go, and I said

Romeo take me somewhere we can be aloneI'll be waiting all there's left to do is runYou'll be the prince and I'll be the princessIt's a love story baby just say yes

So I sneak out to the garden to see youWe keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knewSo close your eyesEscape this town for a little while

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letterAnd my daddy said stay away from JulietBut you were everything to meI was begging you please don't go and I said

Romeo take me somewhere we can be aloneI'll be waiting all there's left to do is runYou'll be the prince and I'll be the princessIt's a love story baby just say yes

Romeo save me, they try to tell me how to feelThis love is difficult, but it's realDon't be afraid, we'll make it out of this messIt's a love story baby just say yesOh oh

I got tired of waitingWondering if you were ever coming aroundMy faith in you is fadingWhen I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said

Romeo save me I've been feeling so aloneI keep waiting for you but you never comeIs this in my head? I don't know what to thinkHe knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring

And said, marry me JulietYou'll never have to be aloneI love you and that's all I really knowI talked to your dad, go pick out a white dressIt's a love story baby just say yes

Allusions

• An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, person, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication.

• Allusions are often literary or biblical, and call upon the history or the literary tradition that author and reader are assumed to share.

• Allusions can be identified in advertisements, art, movies, poems, songs, stories, and television shows.

“I came to a fork in the road that all mints must travel.

One road pointed to fresh breath, one to good taste.

I traveled both roads.

And that has made all the difference.”

What illusion is being made in this ad?

“The Road Not Taken” – Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how the way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

• In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, a three-headed dog guards the chamber in which the stone is housed.

• “Fluffy” alludes to Cerberus, the three-headed dog in Greek mythology who guards the underworld.

Spotting the Allusion

• "Christy didn't like to spend money. She was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities.”

•Did you spot the allusion to Scrooge? That name should bring to mind an image of someone who “pinches pennies” and hoards money with a passion. But the allusion only works if the reader is familiar with Charles Dickens' story “A Christmas Carol.”

Allusion Practice – Assessment Prompt

• Read the following examples and identify the allusions used by the author.

1. The restaurant was weird and I didn't know what to expect next. I wouldn't have been surprised if a little blonde girl jumped out and started tasting all of our soups to find one that was "just right."

You should have been able to spot the allusion to Goldilocks.

Practice – AP

2. He offered me the "forbidden fruit;" my

mom told me not to eat candy but I wanted it so bad!

This is an example of a biblical allusion. The “forbidden fruit” is a reference to the Garden of Eden. Here it is being used to show the strong temptation of the candy.

Practice - AP

3. "Marty's presence at the dance was definitely a 'Catch 22' situation; if he talked to Cindy she'd be mad at him, but if he ignored her, she’d be furious. His anger bubbled to the surface. He realized that by coming to the dance he had brought his problems with him like a Trojan Horse, and he could only hope he would be able to keep them bottled up".

•The first allusion is to the novel 'Catch 22' by Joseph Heller; this should suggest a situation where there is a problem with no right answer ... whatever you do will be wrong. If you have read Heller's novel, you know exactly how Marty is feeling!

•The second reference is to the Trojan Horse from Virgil's Aeneid, which chronicles the Greeks conquering Troy by giving a gift of a horse to their enemies and filling the belly of the horse with warriors. A vivid image ... if you recognize it.

Allusion vs. Illusion

• Be careful not to confuse allusion with illusion.

• An illusion is something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.

• Examples include mirages, hallucinations, and magic tricks.

• Think optical illusions.

Power Questions

1. Which sentence includes an allusion?

A. It was raining cats and dogs when the storm finally arrived

B. When Sydney awakened, she looked like Medusa; her hair was a writhing mass of tangled curls.

C. The lonely student wandered like a tumbleweed through the crowded cafeteria

D. She was angry as a wet hen.

Power Questions

1. Which sentence includes an allusion?

A. It was raining cats and dogs when the storm finally arrived

B. When Sydney awakened, she looked like Medusa; her hair was a writhing mass of tangled curls.

C. The lonely student wandered like a tumbleweed through the crowded cafeteria

D. She was angry as a wet hen.

Power Questions

2. Read the passage.

 

The two teams competed head to head, and the single A team fought with all of its might. The tournament ended to the chorus of cheers as the scrappy team scored the winning point, and the former triple A champions fell. David had, once again, defeated Goliath.

 •  

2. The allusion in the above passage most likely means

A. The triple A team was unexpected to win.

B.The triple A team was large.

C.The single A team was the weaker, unexpected winner.

D.A battle took place on the field.

2. The allusion in the above passage most likely means

A. The triple A team was unexpected to win.

B.The triple A team was large.

C.The single A team was the weaker, unexpected winner.

D.A battle took place on the field.

Assignment

• Listen to the song “19 Somethin’” by Mark Willis.

• Follow along with your lyrics sheet.

• Highlight all of the allusions you find in the song.

Summarizer

• Create two sample sentences using allusions.

• Illustrate your sentences.

• Explain the affect of the allusions in your passage.