What’s going on here?

Friends, New Yorkers, students! Lend me your ears.

He was the Lennie to my George, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

Her dog is as ugly as a Bugger.

Allusion• definition: allusion means a reference to a work of

literature, art, etc. • it is a meaningful reference• almost all allusions are made to works which belong to

a canon – that is, a group of works which are near-universally known – because:

• allusion requires prior knowledge of the work referenced in order to understand what is being said.– ex. the phrase “He was a real Scrooge” has no meaning for

someone who doesn’t know “A Christmas Carol”– works frequently alluded to include the Bible, epic poems,

classic plays

Why allude?• One reason: it gives authority to a written work.– If you allude in your writing, it shows your reader that

you are knowledgeable about other works of literature, and able to work them into your writing in a seamless way

• Another reason: it links two texts together. – ex. If you want to portray a pair of lovers as tragic,

referencing them as ‘a true Romeo and Juliet’ causes readers to recall Shakespeare’s tragedy and gives authority to your piece of writing – you know what you’re talking about when it comes to tragic lovers.

Allusion in MLK

• many Biblical allusions, which demonstrate King’s consideration for his audience; also lent divinity to his purpose

• How do you recognize allusion if you don’t get the reference?– Look for clues: if an author references a phrase or

name but does not explain further, it may be an allusion.

– A good reason to become familiar with great works of literature, but also:

– Thank goodness for the Internet!