Prototype lesson plan in English

1. 1. Lesson Plan in English 3 Allusion

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, at least 75% of the students are able to:
a. discuss and explain what allusion is
b. express orally the importance of being a well-read personand having prior
knowledge of what is being alluded to by the writer
c. write sentences or short paragraph that contain allusions.

Subject Matter Topic:

Allusion References: English Across Continents 3 by Loida Manalo Dumaguin
http://www.statergroup/allusions.com
http://codex.wordpress/allusions.pd

Materials:
DLP, power point presentation, tarpaulin, coupon band, chalk, chalkboard, laptop,
filthy pen, fact sheets.

2. 2. III. Procedure Student’s Activity Teacher’s Activity In cooperation with the class

A. Daily Routine beadle, the students will settle on Prayer their proper places and
prepare Checking of Attendance themselves for the class. Arrangement of chairs,
etc.

B. Review Class, what was your topic last meeting? The students will share to the class
The teacher will ask the students on what they have learned the previous they have
learned the previous day. meeting.Follow up questions will be raised. The teacher
should make sure that they have understood well the topic before moving on the next
one.

C. MotivationThe teacher will show pictures to thestudents. ( to be projected using the

DLP)(These pictures shows the famouscharacters that allude to popular moviesand
work of art) The picture reminds us of the movieClass, what do these pictures remind
you HARRY POTTER and STAR WARS .of?

3. 3. Teacher’s Activity Student’s Activity

How about the characters in the picture?

The characters as from the Simpsons and Family Guy. The teacher will ask questions Some
of the students will share to about the popular movies that they class their ideas about the
popular mentioned and about the famous movies and the characters that they characters
that they have depicted have seen in the picture.in the pictures.

D. Presentation of the Lesson Now, as what you have observed from the pictures that you
have seen, these animated characters(like The Simpsons and Family Guy) allude/ refer
indirectly to popular movies and famous works of art. What do you mean by the word Some
students will share to the class “allude”? their ideas about the word allude.

4. 4. Teacher’s Activity
You were able to decipher that those pictures allude to the movies HARRYPOTTER and
STAR WARS simply because you have seen those movies. So that’s how allusion works.
 Today, we are going to learn about allusion as a library device in writing the types of allusion
and other important notes about allusion.

E. Lesson Proper The teacher will discuss the following: Allusion is a figure of speech that
makes a reference to, or representation of people, places, events, literary work, myths or
work of art, either directly or by implication. The word is from late Latin “allusio” meaning“a
play on words” and is a derivative of the latin word “alludere” meaning “to play around” or “to
refer to mockingly”.

5. 5. Teacher’s Activity When using an allusion, the author assumes that the reader is familiar
with the item being alluded to, or mentioned. Most allusions are based on the assumption
that there is a body of knowledge that is shared by the author and the reader. Allusion allows
an author to make a powerful point without actually explaining it. When does allusion
become effective? If the reader is not familiar with the item being alluded to. In order to
understand allusions, one must have a good grasp on “well-known” works of literature, art,
music, pop culture, etc. Types of Allusion Biblical: referring to the bible or areligious work.
Classical: referring to classical literature Literary: referring to another literary work Historical:
referring to an event in history.

6. 6. Teacher’s Activity
Here are examples of a biblical allusion:
A “She was almost ready to go, standing before the hall mirror, putting on her hat, and his hands
behind him, appeared pinned to the door frame, waiting like St. Sebastian for the arrows to begin
piercing him” -Flanerry O`Connor, “Everything That Rises Must Converge” O`Connor compares her
character with the religious figure Saint Sebastian in order to call to mind the ideas of martyrdom
associated with the saints’ story.
B.“He was a remarkable Prime Minister with feet of Clay.” The reference here is to Daniel 2:31-
45, using the words “feet of clay”, which suggests that the Prime Minister has roots with common
people, with weaknesses just like all others.
C“Like the prodigal son, he returned to his home and was welcomed by all who knew him.

7. 7.  Romeo and Juliet has become a popular allusion to modern romantic stories where A
tragic love story is constantly alluded to bring Romeo and Juliet. What popular movie You
have seen that have tragic love story? Lion King is alluded from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
The classic fantasy, Cinderella has captured the hearts of students from a long time that the
theme has been alluded to in many notable works, namely ballets, operas and movies.

F. Engagement Activities o Drill 1 (Writing Sentences) You should now have a great
understanding of how allusion works. Below you will find some characters and descriptions
which might be referred to when writing something. Write only one sentence that contains an
allusion to one of the characters below.• Hamlet was a character from Shakespeare who had
a difficulty making a decision.

• Fallstaff was another of Shakespeare’s characters who was a large jovial man with a
• The Three Stooges were a comedy term of not-too-bright biffeons.
• Benedict Arnold was an American Traitor.
• The cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz was a coward
.• Judas betrayed Jesus.
• Mother Teresa was a nun who selflessly devoted her life to caring for the poor and sick
.• Don Quixote was a fictional hero, a dreamer who always

This drill is good for five minutes only. Start writing your sentences. Afterwards, the teacher
will call some names to write their sentences on the board. o Drill B (GAME)Description:
Some are considered ideal and effective teaching strategy touse with large classes And
enhances learning skills.
Mechanics: The class will be divided into seven (7) groups. Each group withalmost
eight (8)Members. They will be asked to identify the meaning of the person, event, historical
or literary figure being alluded to the following sentences/phrases or statements:
1. “to work one’s hand of it”
2. “ to be as old as Methiscalem”
3. My brother tricked me and ran like a road runner.
4. I’m afraid of spiders, but no cowardly lion.
5. He ran down the alley as the many shadows stalked him. Forced to turn acorner,
he found himself faced with more horrors. No amount of Taldaff wit could save him now.
6. Her beauty depicts Athena’s ways.
7. That guy was once her “ Achilles Heels”

The students are given 20 seconds to write their answers for each item. Once they
hear the bell, that’s the time they’re going to raise their papers and present/explain their
answers to the class. The group with the highest score will win the game. This activity is
good for ten minutes only.

G. Values Integration Strategy: Think/Plan/Share Description: Think/Plan/Share is

the most common cooperative learning and is one of the easiest to implement.
a.) The teacher will announce a discussion topic What is he importance of being a
well-read person and having prior knowledge of what is being alluded to y the author.
b.) The teacher will provide think time.
c.) After which, the teacher will ask to pair with an assigned partner to discuss about
the topic.
d.) The teacher will then call students to share their ideas with the class.

H. Generalization
Class, what have you learned from our discussion? The students will share with the
class the things that they have learned from the discussion. The teacher will “wrap-
up”/summarize the things that has discussed.

I. Evaluation
Direction: Write sentences or short paragraph that contains allusions. Write it on a ½
sheet of paper. IV. Agreement Assignment Tonight, watch television, read a poem or
listen to music. Write down any allusions you find and tell what do the allusions refer to.
Transcript of Greek Mythology Allusions in 4th Grade Literature
A look at heroes Greek Mythology Allusions in 4th grade Literature and Culture Allusions are a
reference to things commonly talked about in our society (examples: Cinderella, Shakespeare,
and Greek Mythology) (Muniandi) What are Allusions? They help us avoid long, roundabout
explanations Allusions help you get a visual image, because you can relate and understand.
Allusions just don't have to be words or phrases though, they can be entire story lines. Think
about how many different versions of Romeo and Juliet there are.... Where They Come From
Many allusions come from Greek fables. (Like King Midas) Many of the settings of the fables
though are real, like Ancient Greece. Steve Persall, a studier of allusions, says "Many hero
stories have great parallels to Odysseus, since it was essential the first "Hero" story." There can
be allusions of a plot development, character development, mythical creatures and many other
things. (Muniandi) Modern stories often have similar character development, hero who grow
through trials. Examples of Character Allusions made in Harry Potter Hermione in Greek
Mythology was the daughter of Aphrodite, an intelligent girl that was a good strategist. See the
parallels? ("Mythological") Harry, like Odysseus was looking for his home. He just wanted a
place to fit in.
"They [meaning the Ancient Greeks] want to find their proper places in life." (Leeming.) One of
the evils that Harry had to fight in one of his journeys were the merpeople at the bottom of the
school pond. Fashioned after the Sirens in Greek Mythology they distracted Harry, like
Odysseus, from his journey. ("Mythological") Harry Potter allusion examples everything from
Hermione, to turning people into ferrets. ("Mythological") The ghosts in Harry Potter also held
many parallels to the ones in the Odyssey. They advise about the future, and then leave. Many
are still sorrowful about their past. Odysseus talked to one of his men, and his mother. Harry
talked to Cedric and his parents, they appeared when he needed them the most. (Muniandi) Circe
was one of the witches in the Odyssey, but like the witches and wizards at Hogwarts, she didn't
always use her powers for good. Many kids are introduced to Greek Mythology in an early age.
From Monsters, Inc., to Shrek, many children's movies contain these allusions. (Suite 101) Kids
Cartoons The Little Mermaid "Circe shut them in a pigsty- body, voices, heads, and bristles all
[pig-like] now, though their minds unchanged.(Leeming 742) -Mermaids are derived from the
idea of Sirens. (Zimmerman) - Ariel's dad was Neptune, the Roman name for Poseidon.
(Zimmerman) -The idea of Ursala came from the Greek monster Scylla. (Zimmerman) Circe
could be helpful sometimes too. "Odysseus shares her meat and wine, she restores his heart" she
then gives him information to help him along his path. (Muniandi) There were so many allusions
in the Harry Potter series, I just gave it its own section... Star Wars "Luke fulfills a number of
characteristics you see in mythic heroes, like he has special abilities brought out by trying times."
says Steve Persall, Star Wars enthusiast. Sound familiar? Think: Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker,
and Odysseus... The Hunger Games In Greek Mythology there is a coined term of "Battle
Royale" a bloody fight to the death. The entire plot of The Hunger Games is the same as the
original battle. (Suite 101) There are so many more allusions that I didn't even mention... From
product names to music, Greek Mythology fills our lives. I think we use so many allusions in our
literature because we can relate to the trial the character must face. Steve Persall says,
"Ultimately, the hero must stand on his own, face the darkness and conquer it before returning to
reality" Plus, who doesn't like a happy ending? Work Cited ( I have 37 if anyone was wondering
:) )

Cinderella. By William Peed, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton S. Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Ben
Sharpsteen, Ub Iwerks, C. O. Slyfield, Donald Halliday, Al Teeter, Oliver Wallace, Paul J.
Smith, Mack David, Jerry Livingston, Al Hoffman, Joseph Dubin, Mac Stewart, Eric Larson,
Don Lusk, Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Brey Claire Du, Rhoda Williams, and
Rooten Luis Van. Distributed by Buena Vista Film Distribution Co., 1949. DVD.

Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. Vol. 2. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print.

"The Free Automatic Bibliography and Citation Maker."EasyBib. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
<http://easybib.com/>

Gnomeo & Juliet. Dir. Kelly Asbury. Touchstone, 2011. Film. "Greek Monsters." Greek
Monsters. PriorityDigital.com, 2008. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.greek-gods-and-
goddesses.com/greek-monsters.html>.

"God Names." INSPIRE. EBSCO Publishing Service, 1999. Web. Sept.-Oct. 2012.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=6&hid=119&sid=2cf6804f-f7a3-49ce-bef2-
ffae8ae1544b%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mih&AN=330663
98>.
"Greek Stories." INSPIRE. EBSCO Publishing Website, 1999. Web. Sept.-Oct. 2012.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=22&hid=119&sid=2cf6804f-f7a3-49ce-bef2-
ffae8ae1544b%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mih&AN=659633
65>.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Dir. Chris Columbus. Prod. David Heyman. By Steven
Kloves. Perf. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Richard Harris. Warner Bros.
Pictures, 2002. DVD.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Warner Bros., 2010.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Warner Bros., 2011. DVD. Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire. Dir. Mike Newell. Prod. David Heyman. By Steven Kloves. Perf. Daniel
Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon,
Miranda Richardson, Alan Rickman, and Maggie Smith. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2005. DVD.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Perf. Daniel Tadcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint.
Warner Bros. Pictures, 2009.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Perf. Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint.
Warner Bros, 2007. DVD.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Dir. Chris Columbus. Warner Bros, 2004. DVD.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Dir. Chris Columbus. 2001. DVD.

"List of Greek Mythical Creatures." INSPIRE. EBSCO Publishing Services, 1999. Web. Sept.-
Oct. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=12&hid=119&sid=2cf6804f-f7a3-49ce-
bef2-
ffae8ae1544b%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mih&AN=390226
48>.

The Little Mermaid. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc, 1989.

Monsters, Inc. 2001. DVD. Muniandi, Punitha. "Allusion In Literature : An Important Literary
Device in Writing." Suite101.com. N.p., 10 July 2010. Web. 21 Oct. 2012.
<http://suite101.com/article/allusion-in-literature--an-important-literary-device-in-writing-
a267646>.

"Mythological Allusions in Harry Potter." Mythological Allusions in Harry Potter. N.p., n.d.
Web. 21 Oct. 2012.
<http://gosps.net/faculty/ketheredge/Eng9/MythologyWebQuest/HarryPotter.html>.

Persall, Steve. "Move Over, Odysseus, Here Comes Luke Skywalker." Mythology in Star Wars.
N.p., 1999. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.folkstory.com/articles/petersburg.html>.

Peter Pan. Prod. Walt Disney. 1953. DVD.

"Prezi."Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://prezi.com/>.

Riordan, Rick.Percy Jackson. Hamburg: Carlsen, n.d. Print.

"The Free Automatic Bibliography and Citation Maker."EasyBib. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
<http://easybib.com/>

Shakespeare, William, and James N. Loehlin.Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP,
2002. Print.

Shrek. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2007. DVD.

Star Wars. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Mark Hamill. 1977. DVD.

Superman. Niles Film Products, 1941.

Zimmerman, John Edward. Dictionary of Classical Mythology. New York: Harper & Row,
1964. Print. (Prezi) (Peter Pan) Allusions Similarities Between People & Things Nor Real
Information About Stories, More Alternate Examples... & Definitions Plot Parallels Quotes
Bibliography
Allusion
An allusion is when a person or author makes an indirect reference in speech,
text, or song to an event or figure. Often the allusions made are to past events
or figures, but sometimes allusions are made to current famous people or
events.
The allusion does not give much detail about the reference-it does not describe
things in detail. Rather, because these events are momentous-significant
historically, culturally, or politically-the speaker or author expects that people in
general would understand the allusion without explanation.
Allusions are often used within a metaphor or simile. The comparison alludes
to an event or person of significance that everyone should understand.
Allusions often make reference to previous works of literature, especially
references to the Bible and Greek or Roman mythology.
Examples of Allusion:
Examples of Allusions:
1. Your backyard is a Garden of Eden. (Biblical allusion)
2. I guess I should see this message about a new job as my burning bush.
(Biblical Allusion)
3. When you feel betrayed by a friend, you can say, "You too, Brutus?" (allusion
to Julius Caesar-Brutus betrayed Caesar)
4. You're a regular Einstein. (allusion to a historical figure)
5. When your parents learn about your new plan to raise money, it's going to
sink like theTitanic. (allusion to a historical event)
6. You are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. (reference to
Atlas in myth)
7. That man is so narcissistic. (reference to Narcissus in mythology)
8. Don't be a Scrooge! (reference to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
9. Potato chips are my diet's Achilles heel. (reference to Achilles in mythology)
10. Many states have laws that protect Good Samaritan's. (reference to the
Bible)
 An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to a place, person, or something
that happened. This can be real or imaginary and may refer to anything, including paintings,
opera, folk lore, mythical figures, or religious manuscripts. The reference can be direct or
may be inferred, and can broaden the reader’s understanding.

Literary Allusions
There are several ways that an allusion can help a writer:
 Allusions engage the reader and will often help the reader remember the message or theme
of the passage.
 Allusions allow the writer to give an example or get a point across without going into a
lengthy discourse.
Allusions are contingent on the reader knowing about the story or event that is referenced.
Here are some examples that allude to people or events in literature:
 “I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio’s.” This refers to the story of
Pinocchio, where his nose grew whenever he told a lie. It is from The Adventures of
Pinocchio, written by Carlo Collodi.
 “When she lost her job, she acted like a Scrooge, and refused to buy anything that wasn’t
necessary.” Scrooge was an extremely stingy character from Charles Dickens’, A Christmas
Carol.
 “I thought the software would be useful, but it was a Trojan Horse.” This refers to the horse
that the Greeks built that contained all the soldiers. It was given as a gift to the enemy
during the Trojan War and, once inside the enemy's walls, the soldiers broke out. By using
trickery, the Greeks won the war.
 “He was a real Romeo with the ladies.” Romeo was a character in Shakespeare’s play,
Romeo and Juliet, and was very romantic in expressing his love for Juliet.
 “Chocolate was her Achilles’ heel.” This means that her weakness was her love of
chocolate. Achilles is a character in Greek mythology who was invincible. His mother dipped
him in magical water when he was a baby, and she held him by the heel. The magic
protected him all over, except for his heel.

Biblical Allusions
There are many biblical allusions that are used in our everyday language and in writing.
Here are a few examples:
 “He was a Good Samaritan yesterday when he helped the lady start her car.” This refers to
the biblical story of the Good Samaritan.
 “She turned the other cheek after she was cheated out of a promotion.” This comes from
teaching of Jesus that you should not get revenge.
 “This place is like a Garden of Eden.” The Garden of Eden was the paradise God made for
Adam and Eve.
 “You are a Solomon when it comes to making decisions.” This refers to King Solomon, who
was very wise.
 “When the volcano erupted, the nearby forest was swallowed up in dust and ash like
Jonah.” Jonah was a person who was swallowed alive by a whale.
 “It is raining so hard, I hope it doesn’t rain for 40 days and 40 nights.” This makes a
reference to the biblical story of Noah and the ark he built. He was told by God that it would
rain for 40 days and 40 nights and flood the land.

Understanding Allusions
Because allusions make reference to something other than what is directly being discussed,
you may miss an allusion or fail to understand it if you do not know the underlying biblical
story, literary tale or other reference point.
Fortunately, today it is easy to look these things up so when someone references
something you do not understand, you can easily turn to the Internet to learn enough to
grasp the allusion for yourself.


Read more at http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-

allusion.html#3Bq5dxDvP3Wdrrbg.99
For instance, you make a literary allusion the moment you say, “I do not approve of
this quixotic idea,” Quixotic means stupid and impractical derived from Cervantes’s “Don
Quixote”, a story of a foolish knight and his misadventures.
Allusion Examples in Everyday Speech
The use allusions are not confined to literature alone. Their occurrence is fairly common
in our daily speech. Look at some common allusion examples in everyday life:
 “Don’t act like a Romeo in front of her.” – “Romeo” is a reference
to Shakespeare’s Romeo, a passionate lover of Juliet, in “Romeo and Juliet”.
 The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora’s box of crimes. – This is an allusion
to one of Greek Mythology’s origin myth, “Pandora’s box”.
 “This place is like a Garden of Eden.” – This is a biblical allusion to the “garden of
God” in the Book of Genesis.
 “Hey! Guess who the new Newton of our school is?” – “Newton”, means a genius
student, alludes to a famous scientist Isaac Newton.
 “Stop acting like my ex-husband please.” – Apart from scholarly allusions we
refer to common people and places in our speech.
by DNSUnlocker
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Examples of Allusion in Literature
Let us analyze a few examples of the use of allusions in literature:
Example #1
Milton’s “Paradise Lost” gives allusions a fair share. Look at the example from Book 6
below:
“All night the dread less Angel unpursu’d
Through Heav’ns wide Champain held his way, till Morn,
Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand
Unbarr’d the gates of Light. There is a Cave
Within the Mount of God, fast by his Throne”
In the above lines “dread less Angel” is a reference to “Abdiel”, a fearless angel.
“Circling Hours” alludes to a Greek Myth “The Horae”, the daughters of “Zeus” and
“Themis” namely “Thallo (Spring), Auxo (Summer) and Carpo (Fall). “ With rosie hand”
Milton refers to Homer’s illustration of the “rosy fingered dawn” (Odyssey Book 2).
Example #2
Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” is replete with instances of allusions. Read the example
from Act III below:
“Learnèd Faustus, to find the secrets of astronomy
Graven in the book of Jove’s high firmament,
Did mount him up to scale Olympus’ top,
Where, sitting in a chariot burning bright,
Drawn by the strength of yokèd dragons’ necks,
He views the clouds, the planets, and the stars.”
Jove’s high firmament refers to the outer stretches of the universe. “Olympus’ top” is an
allusion to Greek Mythology where Mount Olympus is home of gods. Similarly, “a
chariot burning bright” refers to a Greek Myth of “god Apollo” who is said to drive the
sun in his chariot.
Example #3
In Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, “the two knitting women” whom Marlow sees alludes to
“Moirae” or Fates as visualized in Greek Mythology:
“The two knitting women increase his anxiety by gazing at him and all the other sailors
with knowing unconcern. Their eerie looks suggest that they know what will happen (the
men dying), yet don’t care”
The thread they knit represents human life. The two women knitting black wool
foreshadows Marlow’s horrific journey in the “Dark Continent”.
Example #4
We find a number of allusions in Keats’s “Ode to the Grecian Urn”. For example:
“Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fringed legend haunts about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?”
“Sylvan” is a goat-like-man deity of Greek mythology. “Tempe” alludes to the “Vale of
Tempe” in Greece, a place (from Greek mythology) frequently visited by Apollo and
other gods. Likewise, “the dales of Arcady” refers to the home of “Pan”, the god of rustic
music.
Function of Allusion
By and large, the use of allusions enables writers or poets to simplify complex ideas and
emotions. The readers comprehend the complex ideas by comparing the emotions of
the writer or poet to the references given by them. Furthermore, the references to Greek
Mythology give a dreamlike and magical touch to the works of art. Similarly, biblical
allusions appeal to the readers with religious backgrounds.
I. What is Allusion?
Allusion (pronounced ah-LOO-zhun) is basically a fancy word for a reference to
something else. It’s when a writer mentions some other work, or an earlier part
of the current work.
In literature, it’s frequently used to reference cultural works (e.g. by alluding to
a Bible story or Greek myth). Allusion also exists in other art forms – musicians,
for example, frequently “allude” to melodies used by other musicians.

The verb form of “allusion” is “to allude.” So alluding to something is the same
thing as making an allusion to it.
For example:

You’re acting like such a Scrooge!

Alluding to Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this line means that the person is being
miserly and selfish, just like the character Scrooge from the story.

II. Examples of Allusion

We see allusion all the time in everyday speech. For example, has anyone ever
told you that you were about to “open up Pandora’s box?” This is an allusion to
the Greek story of Pandora, the first woman, who accidentally released evil into
the world.

For example:

I didn’t have any bus fare, but fortunately some good Samaritan helped me out!
This is an allusion to the Biblical story of the good Samaritan, from Luke 10:29-
37 – a good Samaritan is someone who helps others in need, just as the
Samaritan does in the story.

Allusion is also found in nearly every work of great literature, as well as in

scholarly works and all kinds of non-fiction. Once you know what to look for,
you’ll see it everywhere! Just keep an eye out for moments when a writer or
speaker makes a passing reference to something else.
III. The Importance of Using Allusion
As we saw in the definition, allusion generally falls into one of two categories,
each with its own purpose.

External Allusion
This is an allusion to something outside the current document. It might be a
book, play, movie, historical event, or even just a common saying or proverb. All
that matters is that it has to be something the reader will already be familiar
with.
Internal Allusion
Internal allusion is often harder to catch. It’s when the author makes a
reference back to something that has come before in the work. Comedians do
this all the time – they’ll tell a joke, and then later on in the evening they’ll tell
another joke that uses a line or character from the first one.

IV. Examples of Allusion in Literature

Example 1
In the graphic novel Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi depicts a fallen soldier being
cradled by his mother, a woman in a veil. The image alludes strongly to images
of Jesus being taken down from the cross by Mary (external allusion). Later on
in the book, Satrapi uses an almost identical image to show a mother fainting
into the arms of her husband (internal allusion).
At rest on ocean’s brilliant dyes / An image of Elysium lies (Edgar Allan Poe, Serenade)
This is an allusion to the mythical afterlife of the Greeks, which was called
Elysium. In the poem, the “vision of Elysium” is the stars being reflected in the
ocean – so Poe is suggesting that the stars are really the Fields of Elysium,
where the Greeks believed heroes would go when they died.