Transcript Allusion - Lebanon City Schools

Allusion
English II
Lebanon High School
Allusion
• Allusion: a reference to a well-known
person, place, event, literary work, or work
of art.
Allusion versus Illusion
Do not confuse allusion with
the word illusion.
An illusion is something that
gives a false sense of reality
(Think David Blaine) .
Examples of Allusion
• As the cave’s roof collapsed, he was
swallowed up like Jonah.
– Who is Jonah and what happened to him?
Examples of Allusions
• Jonah was a biblical
figure that was swallowed
by a whale and then spit
out; this saved his life.
• Why would the speaker
use this allusion?
• How does it help you to
better understand his or
her point?
Examples of Allusions
• Sandy didn’t like to spend money. She
was no Scrooge or anything, but she only
bought the bare necessities.
• Who was Scrooge, and where did we
meet him?
Examples of Allusions
• Scrooge was a character
in A Christmas Carol, a
novel by Charles
Dickens.
• When you call someone a
“Scrooge”, what are you
saying?
• How does this help
someone better
understand what you are
trying to say?
Examples of Allusions
• Listen to and follow along with the lyrics to
this popular Byrds’ song…
• Can you recognize the allusion?
“Turn, Turn, Turn”
The Byrds
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To everything, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones A time to gather stones together A time of love,
a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace A time to refrain from embracing
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew A time of love,
a time of hate A time of peace,
I swear it's not too late
Allusions
• It is an allusion to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8…
– And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Allusions
• “By the Waters of Babylon”, a short story
by Stephen Vincent Benet, is an allusion
to Psalm 137 in the Bible.
– Turn to page 500 in your literature book—read
the introduction to the story to better
understand allusion.
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.
7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"
8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.