ALLUSION01/14/16

What does the following phrase mean to you?

“ART IMITATES ART”

Allusion: What is it?

A literary device A reference to a famous person, event,

song, literary work, etc It’s often BRIEF and without explanation

(When an author uses allusion, what does he/she assume about the audience?)

Why would writers use allusion? To display knowledge or cleverness Add historical depth to a piece of

literature ??? (what do you think?)

Five Major Types of AllusionMythologicalBiblicalLiteraryHistoricalPop Cultural

Mythological Allusion References/cites Greek or Roman

mythology Most often references Zeus, Hercules, his

family members, etc

Example:“Achilles Last Stand” – Led Zeppelin

Biblical Allusion References scenes, themes, verses, or

people from the Bible (Old and New Testament)

Example:We're just three MCs and we're on the goShadrach, Mesach, Abednego

“Shadrach” – Beastie Boys

Biblical Allusion ContinuedExample:

Though I walk through the valley of deathI shed so many tearsIf I should die before I wakePlease God walk with meGrab a n---a and take me to Heaven“So Many Tears” – Tupac

*note: mentioning God or Heaven is NOT biblical allusion

Historical Allusion Refers to major

historical events or figures

Example:“The Battle of San Romano” - Uccello

Literary Allusions References authors, their characters,

situations from books, etc

Example:“I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye. Yes, it was this.”

“Ol’ Evil Eye” – Insane Clown Posse

When I am king, you will be first against the wallWith your opinion, which is of no consequence at all.What’s there? (I may be paranoid, but no android.)

“Paranoid Android” – Radiohead

The entire song is an allusion to Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The Paranoid Android mentioned in the title harkens back to his character Marvin.

Literary Allusions continued “Someday I’ll have a disappearing

hairline.Someday I’ll wear pajamas in the daytime.Oh, afternoons will be measured out –Measured out, measured with –Coffeespoons and T. S. Eliot.”

“Afternoons and Coffeespoons” – Crash Test Dummies

Pop Cultural Allusion References

famous people who have existed in pop culture

Includes sampling other people’s music, works, etc

Pop Cultural Allusions“Life of the partyAnd she swears that she’s artsyBut you could distinguishMiles from Coltraine”

“Comfortable” – John Mayer

What type of allusion?

Allusion in songs “That you were Romeo, you were

throwing pebbles, and my Daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet’…” (Taylor Swift)

What type of allusion?

Allusion in songs… I’ve heard there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the

Lord But you don’t really care for music, do

you?

What type of allusion?

Dear mama don't cry, Your baby boy's doin' goodTell the homies I'm in heaven and it ain't got hoodsSeen a show with Marvin Gaye last nightIt had me shook Drinking peppermint schnapps with Jackie Wilson and Sam CookThen some lady named Billie Holiday sangSittin there kickin it with Malcolm till the day game

What type of allusion?

ALLUSION?“I met this girl, when I was ten years oldAnd what I loved most she had so much soul” “I Used to Love Her” – Common (1994)

“I met this girl when I was 3 years oldAnd what I loved most she had so much soul”“Homecoming” – Kanye West (2008)

Allusion Mini QuizWhat type of allusion? A) BiblicalB) Mythological C) LiteraryD) HistoricalE) Pop Cultural