Allusion is when “...a writer intentionally references persons, places, or things outside of the work itself, usually without specifically explaining them,” (Harris. Rooks. Stegall. 86.). There is straightforward, brief, complex, extended, Biblical, literary, historical, and cultural allusion. Extended allusion is allusion that is expressed more than once throughout the story, and brief allusion is the opposite of extended allusion. Brief allusion is conveyed less in a story. Rudyard Kipling’s “Cupid’s Arrows” contains extended allusion because it refers to the Trojan War throughout the whole story. An example of a straightforward, brief allusion could also be found in the title of this short story. The title, “Cupid’s Arrows” is a reference …show more content…
It helps the readers make a connection with the writer by using past works of literature. Lost Paradise by John Milton has literary allusion. In book six there is an example of literary allusion. Milton says “ Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand,”. In this line Milton is alluding to “ Homer’s illustration of the ‘rosy fingered dawn,” according to literarydevices.net. This allusion creates the connection with the reader by adding understanding through the use of allusion to Homer's work. Historical allusion is another kind of allusion which is a reference to historical events, stories, and times. Historical allusion uses history to make the link between the reader and the writer by making the work of literature more relatable, real, and it causes better understanding. The potency of the allusion depends on the reader and his/her understanding on what the writer is alluding to. In Edgar Allan Poe’s tale, “The Masque of the Red Death”, historical allusion is found. It is referencing to The Black Death, which was a disease that swept throughout Europe in the 1300s.
On the other hand, there is cultural allusion, which is the reference to things such as celebrities, athletes, movies, and music in modern day culture. For example, in “Outta My