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What's the definition of allusion? How Should You Utilize It In Your Writing? Blog

Mar 30, 2022

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It happens all the time with friends, in which we introduce a phrase by saying "This is like that time when," and then make an evocation of an inner story only our friends can be privy to. It's a popular communication strategy and allows two parties to relate through a reference to something that they have in common. This is a method that is effective. Utilize it in literary works, and this practice becomes the art of allusion. Yes, by using the letter "A." In the realm of art in general, allusions move above metaphor, and presume that the viewer or reader understands the reference you make to an earlier work. But what separates an allusion from a plain reference? And how do be you using it to spice up your writing? Here is a guide to mastering literary allusion.

What's the Allusion?

An allusion is a reference that is often indirect to a person, place, event, or literary work that the reader could already be familiar.

If you've heard of the expression "Cheshire cat grin" it refers to the fictional cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. There is no such thing as an actual Cheshire cat, obviously, which means that any reference to Cheshire cats Cheshire cat needs to be a reference to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland--at least, for the people who know there's a Cheshire cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

And that's what makes the definition of an allusion differs from traditional references. An allusion is an assumption of familiarity. Your audience should already know enough about the reference in question so they can make sense of the rest of your message.

A few examples of Allusions

Achilles' Heel

"Don't bring those chocolates near me," you may say. "They're my Achilles"heel." This common reference can also be a reference to classic literature, whether you know it or not.

According to Greek mythology tells that we should, Achilles' mother Thetis washed him in the River Styx as an infant. But she held him by his side and left him dry and therefore mortal, in only one place. In the Trojan War, Achilles proved himself the greatest warrior among the Greeks but his vulnerability eventually led to his demise.

We use the phrase "Achilles' heel" today as an allusion for that fatal flaw of the otherwise heroic character, or as a matter of fact, the weakness that causes us to fall. In fact, we often use "Achilles' heel" and "kryptonite" interchangeably--Superman's one weakness. This, too, is an allusion since it requires an understanding of the Superman tale.

The Old Man and the Sea

The 1950s novella by Ernest Hemingway told a simple story of an elderly man who was trying to capture a huge marlin. It was so straightforward and straightforward that many critics have attempted to find deeper meanings since its release. Many believe Hemingway gave a hint of its meaning in the following quote:

  "Ay," he said in a loud voice. There is no translation for this word and perhaps it's just a sound like a person might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood.

Even though Hemingway does not ever mention "crucifixion," notice the belief that the readers will know what nailing someone's hands in wood is about. The allegorical reference has theological overtones by drawing attention to specific aspects regardless of the fact that Hemingway does not explicitly state: "Santiago represents Jesus here."

Moby Dick

What's the risk in using an allusion? It could go beyond our comprehension if do not know the original story, either. Again, a "Cheshire cat's grin" doesn't mean anything to someone who isn't familiar of Lewis Caroll. Fortunately, you don't have to reference fiction to make an allegorical reference.

Consider the Pequod which is the name given to the whaling ship in Moby Dick. This allusion often goes over the heads of readers today. However, in the 1800s many readers might have known about the legend of Pequot, the Native American tribe the Pequot. The Pequot New England tribe had been eliminated and because of that its name ship instantly evokes a feeling of foreboding for anyone aware of the (true) background of the name of the ship.

Examples of Allusions in Poetry

Emily Dickinson

Poetry is filled with numerous allusions that you can totally miss a poem's meaning unless we investigate them. Take this example from Emily Dickinson:

  All overgrown by cunning Moss  
  The entire page is interspersed with weed,  
  The small cage from "Currer Bell"  
  In quiet "Haworth" laid.  

If you don't know "Currer Bell," there's no way to decipher what's happening. However, knowing that Currer Bell was the pen name of the author Charlotte Bronte changes things considerably. Now the reader has to think about what the "cage" represents, rather than letting it slip through.

T. S. Eliot

Want some allusion reading practice? T.S. Eliot's famous poem "The Wasteland" is full of poetic allusions. Take a look at just one the famous opening lines:

  April is the cruelest month  

It could seem like a strange concept that goes against the expectations we have of spring being an enjoyable time of the year. But there's more to uncover in this article. The Chaucer tale The Canterbury Tales starts with these words:

  Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote  

Eliot is preparing us for the vision of April. This doesn't sound very soothing.

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Types of Allusion

Clear

Eliot is well within his the right to utilize April as a metaphor without it being an allusion to the work of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. However, given the other medieval poetry references in The Wasteland (Eliot often references the Dante's Divine Comedy) as well as the obvious positioning of April in the very first line, readers are confronted with an obvious allusion.

The apparent allusion which evokes an individual source but also appears to be taking a different position. This is exactly the case with what Eliot uses in his novel, The Wasteland instantly referring to Chaucer's idea of a pleasant and happy spring.

Random Referral

A reference can occur without the author having deep, metaphorical intent. In the example above, if a person is seen to have an "Cheshire cat's grin" it doesn't mean that the character is meant to symbolize Cheshire cats throughout the book. It may simply be an opportunity to employ allusion to get across what the character's general appearance is like. smile in question.

Single Reference

This is the most obvious and evident way to allude. The examples above--the crucifixion from the novel The Old Man and the Sea as well as Achilles' heel--both form single references that have one meaning and the different. However, you can distinguish one reference from the casual one by looking for authorial intent.

In this case, for instance, if Hemingway was trying to say additional things about his novel The Old Man and the Sea by using a religious allusion that opens up entirely new possibilities that has hidden meanings in the book.

Self-Reference

Let's forget references to literature for a second. When Alex DeLarge walks through a modern-day music store in Stanley Kubrick's The Clockwork Orange, you are able to hear the music from 2001: A Space Odyssey as background. Why is this self-reference? Kubrick directed both of the films.

A self-referenceallusion is any allusion you make to something you've done already. You'll see it in many directors' work: in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a scene in Area 51 briefly shows the place of the lost ark that was the theme of 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark. The films of Quentin Tarantino include a wealth of self-references for example, brand names (Red Apple Cigarettes, anyone?) which only exist in his universe.

Multiple References or Conflation

What happens when you use many allusions simultaneously? Fortunately, the fabric of time doesn't break. It's not too complicated. But, "conflation" or "multiple references" allusions are rare because these are much more challenging to accomplish.

Corrective Allusion

An allusion that is corrective is exact same as a single-reference allusion, except it reverses the sequence. Instead of creating an allusion which clarifies the what it means, a correctional allusion may be in opposition to it.

This was a frequent technique within the HBO series The Sopranos, in which the television writers sought to draw attention to the hypocritical character of the protagonists. For example, Tony Soprano often complains about the demise of the "strong silent type" from American society, which includes characters such as Gary Cooper. That's an easy allusion to grasp. But the writers go one step further in showing that Tony's character that is full of anger and rage. In spite of his protestations, he is anything notthe tough, quiet type.

Become a Master Allusionist

Allusions are highly potent tools for your toolkit. They allow you to tell your readers "Hey, this is like that one time," as if you were talking to old friends. You might be telling a new story, but by pointing to the older story, your ideas will make more sense.

Be sure to dress your allegorical musings in a subtle manner so that you'll have no problem getting your themes through. When done right, it can conjure more magic than the most skilled illusionist. It will be an expert illusionist.

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