An allusion is a figure of speech that is a reference to a well-known person, place, thing, idea or event. Each of these concepts can be of historical, cultural, literary, religious or political significance. The referred thing can be real or imaginary. Allusion does not describe in detail the person, place or thing to which it refers. This is because the writer expects the reader to have enough knowledge to the allusion to figure out its meaning in a work.
Examples
- My friend has become a Good Samaritan in these days. This refers to the story of the Good Samaritan who was the only one to stop and help a man in need.
- The place we are going to visit is like a Garden of Eden. In the Book of Genesis, the Garden of Eden was the paradise that God made for Adam and Eve.
- These places are Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities are mentioned in Bible as cities of sin.
- That neighbour is a Solomon when it comes to making important decisions. This refers to the story of King Solomon, who was given great wisdom by God.
- I am your Romeo and you are my Juliet. It is a reference to Romeo and Juliet-passionate lovers of in “Romeo and Juliet”.
- Her life is a real Cinderella story. This refers to Cinderella who was mistreated by her stepmother.
Allusions are very important as they can convey a message in just a few short words without going into a lengthy discourse. This is because they make reference to something other than what’s directly being discussed. Readers may fail to understand it them if they don’t understand the underlying event, tale, or reference point.
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