Table of Contents
Allusion Definition
Allusion refers to a brief reference to a historical or literary figure, setting, or occasion, or to a different literary work or section, without providing a clear identification.
Example
T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land describes a women sitting on the table as:
“The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Glowed on the marble.”
This description of women is achieved by imitating Shakespeare’s exact words of the description of Cleopatra’s beautiful boat in Antony and Cleopatra:
“The barge she sat in, like a burnish’d throne,
Burn’d on the water”
This reference to Shakespeare’s description of Cleopatra serves as an allusion.
Allusion pronunciation
Allusion is pronounced as: uh-loo-zhn
Phonetic Transcription of Allusion
/əˈluː.ʒən/
Difference Between Allusion and Reference
Directness
An allusion is unobvious and requires the audience to have prior knowledge to understand the connection, while a reference is direct and straightforward.
Purpose of Allusion
Allusion is often employed in a text for associations and deeper meanings, while references provide clarity and context of what is being said.
Audience Engagement
Allusion engages readers by inviting them to make connections, whereas references provide information that is immediately accessible.
