An allusion is a reference to a piece of work in a
current piece of work, which could be a person,
place, thing, event, or quote.
It must be well-known and identified by a
large group of people.
Allusion means REFERENCE
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A brief, symbolic reference to a wellknown or familiar:
person
place
event
literary work
author
work of art
historical event
musical work
film or movie
Literary - References literature (books, poems, fairy tales,
nursery rhymes)
Historical - References history (war
Religious - References religion (Bible, creation, other
religion or religious texts)
Classical - references Mythology (Greek, Roman, etc)
Modern - reference pop-culture (celebrities, athletes,
movies, news,
politics)
• “I was surprised his nose was not growing like
Pinocchio’s.”
• This refers to the story of Pinocchio, where his
nose grew whenever he told a lie.
Purpose
We, as readers, need to know what allusions are
so we can identify them in our reading.
We need to be able to recognize allusions
in the books we read because they are usually
important in our overall understanding of the
book.
Why do writers and musicians use
allusion?
• A quick allusion can create a mood in just a
few words, rather than using a long
explanation.
• Allusions help writers and musicians relate to
their audiences.
• Combinations of allusions can contribute to a
certain THEME. For example, a musician may
use a number of Biblical allusions to make a
statement about his own religious beliefs.