What is Allusion?

An allusion in a literary text is a reference to a personal place or event or to another literary work or passage. It does not have clear identification, that is, it does not tell directly what it stands for.

In many literary text we find that the writer have used allusion which make the literary texts we find that the literary texts better and tasteful. Allusion is a passing reference, without explicit identification, to a literary or historical person, place, or event or to another literary work or passage. An author’s use of this device tends to presuppose that readers in general will possess the knowledge to recognise the allusions, but sometimes allusions are used in such a way that only few can understand. Allusions are used to enrich meaning or broaden the impact of a statement because of the connotations they carry.

Most literary allusions are intended to be recognized by the generally educated readers of the author’s time. Some modern authors like Joyce, Eliot etc often include allusions that are specialized, or else drawn from the author’s private reading and experience.

Published on 17 Nov. 2013 by Kedar Nath Sharma