Definition and Examples of Allusion

The definition of allusion is a brief, usually indirect reference to another person, place, or event—real or fictional. Its use is a shortcut way of bringing extra meaning, clarity, or further explanation of an idea by referencing something that the audience already understands. Allusions may be historical, mythological, literary, pop cultural, or even personal. They can show up in literature, movies, television, comic books, video games, and ordinary conversations. Key Takeaways: Allusions An allusion is a reference to something else.A well-chosen allusion can pack a lot of meaning into very few words.The context of the reference needs to be understood by the audience, or not all of your meaning will be conveyed. The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion explains the techniques use this way: It is often possible to pack more meaning into a well-chosen allusion than into a roughly equivalent descriptive term from the general language either because an allusion can carry some of the  connotations  of the whole story from which it is drawn, or because an individuals name can be associated with more than one characteristic. (Introduction Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion, 3rd ed., edited by Andrew Delahunty and Sheila Dignen. Oxford University Press, 2010). An allusion is more subtle than a metaphor or simile, as a comparison. As a verb, the word is allude  and as an adjective, allusive. It is also known as an echo or a reference. Allusion in Literature Poetry often contains allusion, as every word in a poem carries lots of weight, so a simple allusive phrase in a poem can bring forth many additional layers of meaning. Prose and drama can carry allusions too. Rich sources of allusions include the literary works of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, and George Orwell (among many others). Literary works can refer to other works to make a point (like Shakespearean characters referring to Greek myths or common superstitions of the time), or pop culture can make allusions to famous literature. Call someone a Shylock or a Romeo, and youre referring to Shakespeare. Use the phrase catch-22 to describe a paradoxical situation, and youre actually referring to a novel by Joseph Heller, whether you realize it or not.  If someone refers to an Adonis or an odyssey, those are Greek allusions. If you talk about taking the road less traveled, youre alluding to a Robert Frost poem. Biblical Allusions Biblical allusions are everywhere because theyre so widely understood. Anytime anyone speaks of Noah, a flood, an ark, Moses, a prodigal son returning, money-changers, Adam and Eve, a snake (or serpent), Eden, or David conquering Goliath—those are all biblical allusions.   Warren Buffet was once quoted as saying, I violated the Noah rule: predicting rain doesnt count; building arks does. Allusion in Political Speech Politicians make allusions all the time. Anytime you hear versions of anyone speaking softly or carrying a big stick, or having a big stick policy that person is alluding to Theodore Roosevelts views on foreign policy or his breaking up monopolies. Another phrase often alluded to is one from John F. Kennedys inaugural address, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. Senator Obamas call to ask not just what our government can do for us, but what we can do for ourselves had an even more direct connection to the inaugural address of the first G.I. Generation president of the United States. (Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais, Millennial Makeover. Rutgers University Press, 2008) Or Abraham Lincoln—anytime people are counting in scores, theyre likely alluding to the Gettysburg Address, which starts four score and seven years ago. The location of Martin Luther King Jr.s I have a dream speech being by the Lincoln Memorial was no accident but an allusion. Also, widely used allusions to famous quotes  include the U.S. Constitutions We the people or the Declaration of Independences unalienable rights. Allusion in Pop Culture and Memes Pop culture allusions have a shorter shelf life, to be sure, but things that start out on social media do on occasion become part of the mass consciousness. For example, if you hear something referred to as a challenge, it could likely be referring to doing something seen in a video online—either to raise money for charity, as in the ice-bucket challenge that raised money for ALS, or something thats dangerous, like kids attempting to eat laundry detergent pods.   Memes that follow big news stories are also allusions. Following the news of the latter challenge, social media saw lots of memes making fun of the idiocy of anyone whod even think of eating laundry soap, like Back in my day, we had our mouths washed out with soap as punishment. It doesnt mention the pod challenge directly but alludes to it.   Comic books have become reference points in the most popular and the most esoteric fiction and art. Everyone understands a Superman allusion or a Batman joke.  (Gerard Jones,  Men of Tomorrow, Basic Books, 2005)

Our Ladys role in the Ballad of the White Horse - 700 Words

1. Our Ladys role in the Ballad of the White Horse as portrayed in books I, II, and VII. King Alfred of Wessex, ruler of southern England in ninth-century, is the main character in G.K. Chestertons compelling poem, The Ballad of the White Horse. During a time when the pagan Danes threaten to destroy the societal values Western Europeans had spent centuries building, Alfred, his chiefs, and his Christian armies receive inspiration to continue the battle for Christendom from Our Lady. For though Alfred and his armies strive to win the earthly battle with the Danes, they must also overcome the spiritual battle: abandoning the attitudes of doubt and despair, in order that they might trust in God for the strength Alfreds†¦show more content†¦Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse, Seton Literary Classics, Front Royal, Virginia. 2011. (I:137-145) all subsequent references will be parenthesized in the text. reveals herself to him through the nature on the island, which becomes m ore and more beautiful before his eyes. As she stands by the river in the tall grass before him, Alfred observes that the â€Å"very colors of her coat [are] better than good news,† and proceeds to question her on the outcome of his conflict with the Danes. Our Lady, however, warns Alfred that Christians must not attempt to predict their future as the pagans do. In contrast, those who are strengthened by the Blood of Christ are to whatever danger lies before them. Furthermore, she gives him no optimistic view of the future, and, in fact, declares that the â€Å"sky shall grow darker yet,† and the â€Å"sea rise higher.† And, although she gives him no hope of earthly victory, she does remind him that the gates of heaven are open to all; that anyone can look forward to eternal happiness with God. Henceforth, a newly transformed Alfred adopts a new attitude in place of the sorrow and despair he encountered earlier. Now filled with unfounded joy and a faith in the a bsence of hope, he is intent on winning the spiritual battle, even if he never defeats the Danes. Despair and hopelessness are

Egamova transfigered night Free Essays

The time of first World War, a young enthusiastic man enlists as a volunteer gunner in the artillery as he has reached an impasse and sees war as a remedy. In a bar he comes across his fellow soldier, a surgeon lieutenant for whom war is an impasse, as he is trying to avoid sober realization of detrimental consequences of his civic duty by getting drunk. A lot of problems can be observed in the passage, but the most evident and tricking one is the irretrievable effect the brutality and gore of the war produces on human psychic, which comes as a quite contradictory fact since the narrator presumes that the war saved his life. We will write a custom essay sample on Egamova transfigered night or any similar topic only for you Order Now To provide a profound feeling of that horrible days routine life the author inflates his text with parallel constructions, simple sentences and abundant use of lexical units representing negative connotation; these are (morbid despair, impasse, ferocious concentration, detest, etc. ) so it becomes clear that a war is by no means a remedy which the narrator was so desperately trying to find. What is more, when analyzing George’s discourse a reader realizes the ambiguous nature of a war as his character is quite dual – despite all the redundancy of negative description of his appearance (ill-looking, ugly, fairly drunk, hunched over) and the absolute hopelessness in his talk (l want to go somewhere cold and dark, God preserve me from sanity) George still possessed of sinners energy which indicates to the fact that he has something background to fight or and that gives him this very kind of energy to overcome all the harsher, brutality and intoxication of that odious war. In the light of all this, any reader must not be influenced only by the superficial sense of the text, but go deeper to reveal the genuine authors message, inasmuch as any war is not merely a succession of human dying but also a glorious ground of evoking patriotism and marvelous bases for tear-jerking love stories. How to cite Egamova transfigered night, Papers

Native Americans Essay Summary Example For Students

Native Americans Essay Summary Many times throughout history, specific events occur that explain why the existence of Native Americans are necessary for the Spanish and English colonists to survive. The Native Americans were like parents to the Spanish and English colonists. As a newborn baby is introduced to the new world, alike, the Spanish and English were introduced to a New World in which the Natives were already a part of. Their inhabitance of the land dates back to many thousands of years ago where they inhabited all regions of the Americas. When the Europeans arrived the Natives gave the colonists knowledge about the land. At times the Natives cared for them and supplied them with food and various other things. They also provided work for the colonists whether the Natives were slaves, servants or allied forces. Economically, the Natives were needed very much for anything the colonists would export to Europe. Throughout history, the colonists dependency on the Natives was clearly shown and the how the colon ists exploited the Natives in every possible way was also clear. We will write a custom essay on Native Americans Summary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now What the colonists needed most from the Natives was their knowledge of the land. Because the Natives lived in the Americas for thousands of years, they are familiar with the area and they know how to work with it. For example, when Cortez landed on the Mexican shores on 1519, he used the Aztecs for their gold. When he found out where the Aztecs were getting their gold from, he simply destroyed them after he used them for their knowledge. Spanish colonists also had to learn a lot from the Pima, Pueblo and Papagos to be able to continue their farming in the very dry Southwest. Another tribes knowledge the colonists needed for survival was the Hohokam. The Hohokam built and maintained the first irrigation system in America, channeling river water many miles to desert fields of maize, beans, squash, tobacco, and cotton. The Hohokams knowledge of the dry lands and irrigation was passed on to later tribes, which was ultimately acquired by the colonists. This type of knowledge is essential to survival of the colonists because you could imagine what would happen to these farmers when they are left in a desert with no assistance, they would die! Thus, the knowledge of the land that the Natives had was critical to the survival of the colonists. Yet, with all the knowledge they provided, it still wasnt enough. Not only were the colonists dependent on the knowledge the Natives provided, but they also needed their care and their supplies. At times, the colonists reached the shores of the New World and met harsh conditions that they were not prepared for, yet the Natives have adapted to. At times like these, the Natives would care for this unknown kind. For example, in 1608 when 144 people were sent to Chesapeake to begin the first permanent English colony (Jamestown) and the colonists survived the first year only with Powhatans material assistance.They were unable to support themselves. The same incident occurred on the island of Roanoke when the colony there, Was incapable of supporting itself†¦ the tribe leader did the hospitable thing. Another example where the Natives did the hospitable thing for the colonists was at Plymouth when the Natives fed and cared for the Pilgrims. The previous examples prove the Natives were needed for the colonists survival. Almost all of the English co lonies in the beginning would have perished if it werent for the Natives. The Natives are also responsible for Supplying the first European colonists in the south with rich harvests from their extensive fields . Its hard to believe that with all the violence that goes on between the two cultures, that the Natives would actually give their own addiction of tobacco to the colonists. The Natives taught the colonists how to grow these plants and they used the Natives fertile, mild soil around the Mississippian River. As well as that, English colonists on the northeast shores of the U.S. farmed maize on the same land and fished in the same waters as the Algonquian tribe. There is an unending amount of examples of where the Natives provided care, supplies and life for the colonists. If the Natives were not there to provide these things, the colonists would not survive. .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd , .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .postImageUrl , .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd , .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:hover , .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:visited , .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:active { border:0!important; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:active , .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufe667d80555762265c9f86b164e897fd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: What Is Premarital Sex EssayWork was another reason why the Natives were necessary to the survival of the colonists. Work can include of two different things: 1. Slaves or servants or 2. Being an ally in combat. Cortez (coming back into the picture) actually commits to using both types of work. When he reaches the shores of Mexico, he forms allies with the tribes neighboring the Aztecs, which were in check by the Aztecs. Obviously, these tribes want to bring down the Aztecs because of, The many native peoples who lives under Aztec oppression . Thus, the allied forces of the Spanish and the Natives will overthrow the Aztecs. On top of that, Cortez will use the leftover Nati ves as slaves to work on the mines and fields or as servants. Also, in the Spanish New World Empire, There they supervised Indian or African workers in mining, ranching, or agriculture. The Spanish New World Empire and Cortez definitely show that some form of Native slavery or Native servants was used. If the Natives were not available to mine the gold, plow the fields and do all other sorts of jobs, the goals of the New World would either be delayed for a long period of time or perish. Therefore, the survival of the colonists depended on the existence of the working Natives. Lastly, the Natives were needed for the economic survival of the colonists. In Europe, things were not going very well economically. There was a shortage of resources and much conflict that messes up the whole matter. Well, in the New World there are abundant resources and many people can trade with the Natives as well as using their agriculture. For example, the Intercontinental Exchange. The export of goods from the New World to Europe was immense and it was very good for the European economy. Precious metals and Miracle Crops provided abundant food sources that went a long way outward ending the persistent problem of famine in Europe. The type of trade and exporting that was occurring in the New World was very good for Europe and the Natives were behind it all. The Natives provided the tobacco growing knowledge, land and resources. The Natives provided the work that went into mining out precious metals such as gold and silver. And in the end, the colonists benefit from it, but n ot without the Natives. In conclusion, the Natives were necessary for the survival of the Spanish and English colonists for four main reasons. They had knowledge of the land and this helped them greatly. Where to grow what and how to grow it, more importantly according to the weather. Although the Natives were massacred every time at the end, the hospitality and supply for food and agriculture they provided for the colonists was definitely a factor for their survival. Theyre work as slaves, servants or allies was another reason as to the colonists survival. Lastly, the Natives were necessary to the economical survival of the colonists. Where they create the goods to export back to Europe. These reasons clearly identify what the colonists purpose was to the New World (Mercantilism) and that it is impossible for the colonists to be able to achieve their goal without the aid of Native Americans.