Allusions
• Definition: An allusion is a
reference within a work to
something famous outside of it,
such as a well-known person,
place, event, story or work of art,
literature, music, or pop culture.
More About Allusions
• An allusion IS a type of metaphor.
• What is the purpose of an allusion? It
allows the reader/viewer understand
new information, characters, plot,
setting, or other element by
connecting it to something already
known.
Common “Problems” with Allusions
• Allusions are not to be confused with
ILLUSIONS
• In order to understand allusions, the reader
must have prior knowledge of literature, art,
music, pop culture, etc. So, being well-read is
important to understanding allusions.
• Allusions are NOT references to
someone/something only a small group of people
know. “His smile is similar to my dad’s smile” is
NOT something well-known – although it is a
comparison.
Purpose of Allusions
Whenever you come across an allusion ask yourself…

What does the writer want me to understand about the
elements of literature such as character, setting, plot, or
other element by connecting it to something with which I am
already familiar?

What is the author’s purpose in using this allusion?
*Does it create the same feeling/mood as the original work?
*Is it for comedic effect?
*Does it show the character’s motives or traits?
Allusion Example
• Sally had a smile that
rivaled that of Mona Lisa.
• Since everyone is familiar
with the painting, they can
imagine what Sally’s smile
looks like.
Allusion Example
The Karate Kid
Disney’s Hercules
Hercules alludes to The Karate Kid when Hercules is training. Disney uses
this allusion so the viewer thinks of The Karate Kid, and after training in
the sunlight, Daniel wins the big match. The allusion is used to
foreshadow that Hercules will also be successful in his big match.
Most Popular Works used as
Sources for Allusions
The Bible
Shakespeare
Mythology
So, what does that tell you?
---You must be well-read in order to
understand most allusions!
Mythology Allusion Example
Achilles’ Heel
When Achilles was a baby, it was
foretold that he would die in battle
from an arrow. Naturally, his
mother did not want her son to
die. So she took Achilles to a
magical river which was supposed
to offer powers of invincibility and
dipped his body into the water.
But, as his mother held Achilles by
the heel, his heel was not washed
by the water of the magical river.
Achilles grew to be a man of war
who survived many great battles.
But one day, an arrow shot at him
lodged into his heel, killing him
instantly. Achilles was still
remembered as one of the
greatest fighters who ever lived.
Modern Day Allusion
When someone wants to
discuss one’s weak
characteristic, one will refer to
it as the person’s “Achilles’
Heel,” meaning that he is
strong in all areas except for
that one tiny spot.
Biblical Allusion Example
In the poem, Runagate, Runagate, the poet Robert
Hayden describes the Underground Railroad, an
organization that helped runaway slaves escape
to the North. He references Harriet Tubman,
known for her work in the underground
railroad:
“Wanted Harriet Tubman alias The General alias
Moses Stealer of Slaves
In league with Garrison Alcott Emerson
Garrett Douglass Thoreau John Brown”
(lines 54-57)
Here Tubman is
compared to
Moses in the
Bible, who led the
Hebrew slaves
out of Egypt.
Shakespeare Allusion Example
“Love Story”
Lyrics by Taylor Allison Swift
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes
And the flashback starts
I'm standing there
On a balcony in summer air
See the lights
See the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
And say hello, little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwing
pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don't go, and I said…
Taylor Swift’s song is a direct
allusion to Shakespeare’s play,
Romeo and Juliet. It is about two
young lovers who were prohibited
by their parents from seeing each
other.
What’s the allusion?
"Who Wrote Holden Caulfield" by Green Day
“Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to 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
Allusion Answers
• The red apple on the cover alludes to the
apple from the Garden of Eden in the
Bible; it represents evil and its potential.
• Holden Caulfield is the main character in
the novel The Catcher in the Rye.
• The text for the song by The Byrds (a folk
music group popular in the 1960’s and
70’s) comes from the Bible book
Ecclesiastes.
Keep Looking for Allusions:
They are All Around You!