What is an Allusion?

A reference to a person, place, event, or work of literature in a literary work.

Allusions: The Secret Language of Writers

When writers reference a person, place, event, or work of literature, they are making an allusion. Allusions can be direct or indirect, and often provide deeper meaning or significance to the text. The Great Gatsby, for example, is full of allusions to popular culture and literature of the time, from T.S. Eliot to Rudyard Kipling.

Allusions serve as a kind of shorthand for readers who are 'in the know.' Readers who recognize the allusion can quickly make connections between the text and the referenced work, adding layers of understanding to the reading experience. But allusions are not just a tool for writers to show off their knowledge; they can also help to create mood and tone, add humor, or emphasize themes or motifs.

Allusions are a testament to the interconnectedness of literature and culture throughout history. By weaving in these references, writers can tap into a shared cultural heritage and create a sense of continuity between the past and present.

From Shakespeare to Rowling: Two Examples of Allusion in Literature

Allusions can be found in a variety of literary works, from classic literature to contemporary young adult novels. Here are two examples of allusions in literature and what they add to the texts:

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Hamlet is full of allusions to the Bible, Greek mythology, and other works of literature, but perhaps the most famous is the 'To be, or not to be' soliloquy, in which Hamlet references sleep and death:

'To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd.'

Here, Hamlet alludes to a passage in the Bible's Gospels of Mark and Luke, where Jesus asks his followers to stay awake and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. By comparing death to sleep, Hamlet laments the suffering and hardship of life and contemplates the value of ending it all.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, allusions to mythology, folklore, and literature abound. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the character Neville Longbottom loses his toad, Trevor:

'Oh, no,' Neville whispered, his bottom lip aquiver. 'Trevor. Trevor.'

This is an allusion to Tennyson's poem 'In Memoriam A.H.H.,' which tells the story of a man mourning the loss of his friend, Arthur Hallam. The line 'The wish, that of the living whole
No life may fail beyond the grave,
Derives it not from what we have
The likest God within the soul?'

Here, Neville's grief over Trevor is compared to the speaker's mourning for his friend, highlighting the bond between Neville and his pet.