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The Art of Allusion: Understanding Cultural References

Discover the world of allusions - figures of speech that draw upon well-known persons, events, and more. Learn to recognize and interpret common allusions from literature to history. Expand your knowledge and understanding of cultural references.

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The Art of Allusion: Understanding Cultural References

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  1. ALLUSION THE ART OF A REFERENCE

  2. allusion-----alluding---alluded--- Allusion is a figure of speech, reference/representation of/to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

  3. from literature, religion, history

  4. or another field or branch of culture

  5. Allusion is a figure of speech that draws upon the emotions or ideas a person has already associated with a topic. • So…only someone with prior understanding of the topic is going to understand an allusion!!

  6. Don’t worry, you’ll understand most allusions, because they are usually a well-known quotation, event, person, or cultural reference

  7. Here are some examples: • 15 Minutes of Fame Andy Warhol, a twentieth-century American artist, (most famous for his pop-art images of Campbell Soup Cans and MarilynMonroe) commented about the 1960’s explosion of media coverage by saying, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."

  8. Today, when a person receives a great deal of media attention for something silly or unimportant, and he or she is said to be enjoying “..15 minutes of fame”, this allusion is to Andy Warhol's famous saying.

  9. “Cassandra” “Cassandra” In Greek mythology, Cassandra, the daughter of the Trojan king Priam, was loved by Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy….the ability to foretell the future

  10. The Trojan Horse Cassandra later angered Apollo, and in his rage, he cursed her so that her prophecies would continue to be true, but people would not believe her. Not too long after this, Cassandra warned her people about impending the destruction of Troy but they did not believe her…..and Troy was destroyed!

  11. TODAY….. a “Cassandra” is someone who predicts disasters or negative consequences…but whose predictions of doom are ignored.

  12. Catch-22 This phrase comes from the novel, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. • Catch 22 is set on an Army Air Force base during World War II. • “catch-22” refers to an Air Force regulation. It states that if an airman requests to be taken off flight duty, that request can only be granted if he is judged to be insane. • However, anyone who does not want to fly dangerous missions is obviously sane. So, there is no way to avoid legally flying the missions. • A “Catch-22” has come to mean, an absurd or no-win situation.

  13. Many allusions come from famous speeches: Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1775 contained a line which has become a very famous allusion-- “Give me liberty or give me Death!”

  14. Here are some more….. • “Ask not what your country can do for you…..” (but what you can do for your country.”) -President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address, 1961

  15. “To Meet Your Waterloo” Refers to the French Emperor Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo (a small town in Belgium) in 1815 by the English Duke of Wellington. It was one of the most decisive defeats in European history!

  16. Do not confuse “allusion” with “illusion”! An illusionis a false impression or trick of your imagination, as in “optical illusion”

  17. And now you know….. “All’s well that ends well!” -”As You Like It” by William Shakespeare “…..the rest of the story.” - Paul Harvey, radio commentator • “Never, never, never give up.” - Winston Churchill, statesman

  18. produced by Paddy O’ Studios, Staunton, Virginia -2008

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