Great Allusion Examples Rarely Seen in Writing (Not to Skip)

An allusion is a reference to an outside source of information without explaining how it occurred. However, with a plethora of allusion examples available, writers are confused about which example could help them in everyday speech, literature, and writing. That’s where we came to save your day with our great example of allusion you may have rarely seen in writing.

What is an Allusion

The allusion is an indirect way of bringing something to the reader’s mind without explicitly mentioning it.

“The Trump administration may remind me of a Republican administration of 45 years ago, yet Trump’s admirers think that they are looking forward, not back.”

The above statement will remind the American reader of the era of Richard Nixon’s administration. The fact is that Nixon was forced to resign under the threat of impeachment. But as you can see from the allusion examples, we didn’t say any of these things. We simply use hidden words that help our readers draw the lines connecting them.

What are Some Examples of Allusion?

Here are good examples of allusions compiled by college paper writers for beginners and experts. These unique examples can support a story’s theme in everyday speech, literature, and writing.

Allusion Examples with Everyday Speech

• They both love each other, like Romeo and Juliet(Literary allusion to Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”)
• The boss’s new plan was a ‘Pandora’s Box‘ – once it opened, a flood of problems emerged. (Greek myth where pandora box releases evils to the world)
• The party seemed like a “Garden of Eden”; everything was beautiful and perfect. (biblical allusion where Garden of Eden alludes to paradise)
• After the big scam, his reputation was like a “broken mirror” that can’t be repaired ever. (Allusion to the idea of a broken mirror representing a damaged image)
• When I saw my score for scholastic aptitude test writing & language, I felt like I had just “fallen down a rabbit hole.” They were too bad and disappointing. (A literary allusion from Alice in Wonderland)

Allusion examples in literature

1st literary allusion example: Wants to learn what is allusion in literature? Pick up “Lord of the Flies,” one of the best books with allusions, where you can find a lot of examples of literary allusion.

The pig’s head in the novel represents Satan

While Simon is portrayed as Jesus.

2nd literary allusion example: Another one with good literary allusion examples is “The Love Song of Alfred J Prufrock.” T.S. Eliot sketches a famous literary reference:

No! I am not Prince Hamlet

nor was I meant to be;

I am an attendant lord,

one that will do.”

This poem also has a biblical allusion to Lazarus, who appears to return from death.

Allusion with Examples in Poetry

1st Allusion example in poetry: Walt Whitman’s poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is entirely based on allusion. It alludes to the image of a bloody captain, which references the gunshot wound that killed President Abraham Lincoln.

2nd allusion example in poetry: An example of allusion in “The Waste Land” is the line:

“Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,

Forgot the cry of gulls and the deep sea swell

And the profit and loss.”

These lines reference a drowned sailor from Madame Sosostris’ tarot cards, symbolizing the theme of death and decay.

Allusion Examples in Songs

1st allusion example in the song: “One Call Away” by Charlie Puth alludes to Superman in the line,

“I’ll be there to save the day/Superman’s got nothing on me.”

This line shows one person’s commitment to the other person.

2nd example of allusion in song: The song “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel has allusion in literally every line.

Vintage tee, brand new phone

High heels on cobblestones

When you are young, they assume you know nothing

Sequin smile, black lipstick

Sensual politics

When you are young, they assume you know nothing

This song has more than 115 allusions, and the lyrics are consistently rapid-fire with references.

Famous Biblical Allusion Example

The poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou contains a biblical allusion in the line:

You may trod me in the very dirt.

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

By stating that she is like dust, the author shows her full humanity and depicts her as a creation of God, like anyone else.

Remember the Tip about Allusion!

However, graduate vs undergraduate writers need to understand that the allusion examples will only work if the audience is familiar with the person or event being referenced.

Suppose you allude to a specific literature that is only well familiar to the American reader, but a person from another country has no idea about that literature. As a result, it may alienate readers or make the writer seem like a showoff.