"KOBE!"

Why might a student say this as he or she is throwing away a paper ball?

Why would a student specifically say "Kobe?"

"COVID!"

Someone says under his breath as he observes a woman cough at the grocery store.

Why would someone say that?

Both slides stated words that reference something or someone.

"Kobe" is a phrase that references famous basketball player, Kobe Bryant, and his skilled shooting form.

"COVID" is a phrase that references the Coronavirus, which has killed thousands of people, and is recognized for its symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

When a person is using a figure of speech to reference something without stating a definition outright, they are using an ALLUSION.

Allusions

Think of Allusions as inside jokes. You have to understand the reference to really understand what it might mean in a sentence.

There are many types of Allusions

• Historical - Referencing history

• Cultural - Referencing movies, music, and memories from a time period

• Shakespearean - Referencing plays and main characters within the plays written by William Shakespeare.

• Mythological - Referencing events, stories, or names from Greek myths and legends.

• Biblical - Referencing people and events from the Bible

• Literary - Referencing characters, events, or settings from classic literature (a select group of books that are seen as being above the rest).

An allusion can be a reference to anything, but in literature, the most common sources are...

• The Bible

• Shakespeare.

Examples

• His smile is like kryptonite to me. (Superman)

• She felt like she had a golden ticket. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

• I feel like I just tumbled down the rabbit hole. (Alice in Wonderland)

• This guy is young, scrappy, and hungry. (Hamilton)

• I wish I could be like Dorothy and click my heels to get out of here. (Wizard of Oz)

• My boss Jedi mind tricked me into working an extra shift. (Star Wars)

• I've got English class with he who must not be named. (Harry Potter)

Steps to Conquering Allusion:

1. Look up the word you don't know (it's generally capitalized as a proper noun).

2. Decide what type of Allusion it is based on the previous list.

3. Explain the meaning of the Allusions