ALLUSION: EXAMPLES O F HOW TO USE IT IN

YOUR WRITING
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Allusion is one of many stylistic devices you can use in your writing. Learning to use these writing techniques
can help your writing become more interesting and engaging. Today we’ll take a look at understanding the
definition of allusion along with some of the ways you can use it your writing.

W H AT I S AL L U S I O N ?
Allusion is an implied or indirect reference to a person, place, event or circumsta nce in your writing. With
allusion you don’t ever specifically say what the reference may be. Instead, you hint or suggest at what you may
be referencing.

When we use allusion in our writing, we may hint at something or casually mention something, but we n ever go
into details or specifics. Instead, we leave it up to the readers to make a connection to the implied reference.
H E R E I S T H E D E F I N I T I O N O F AL L U S I O N :
allusion: an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or
passing reference.

Some of the synonyms for allusion are: to reference, mention of, suggestion of, remark on, hint to, imitation of,
comment about.

The best way to understand this technique is to look at some different examples of allusion.

COMMON EXAMPLES OF ALLUSION

The best way to really understand allusion is to look at different examples of how it is used. This stylistic device
has been used as a writing technique in books, news articles, and even speeches.

In fact, one of the most famous examples is a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered at the March on
Washington in 1963.
F AM O U S AL L U S I O N E X AM P L E : I H AV E A D R E AM B Y M AR T I N
LUTHER KING, JR.
The Martin Luther King speech I Have a Dream begins like this:

“Five-score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation
Proclamation.”

The use of “Five-Score years ago” in the first sentence alludes to another popular speech by President Abraham
Lincoln nearly 100 years earlier.

Lincoln’s speech The Gettysburg Address was an important speech during the time of The Civil War and the
abolition of slavery.

Here is how the speech by Lincoln begins:

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty,
and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

This is a great example. Note how Martin Luther King simply says “Five-score years ago, a great American…” –
he does not say “100 years ago, Abraham Lincoln …”

In the speech, it is a reference to Lincoln, but does not directly say this. This use of this technique makes the
speech all that much more powerful.

OTHER F AM OUS EX AM PL E S OF AL L USION

Another popular example may be the use of the phrase, “Bah, Humbug!”, alluding to the famous book A
Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This is often used to suggest or imply someone does not have much of the
“Christmas spirit” and is a grouch during the holidays.

Many people often reference Shakespeare in their writing. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo was
actually courting a different person before falling madly and deeply in love with Juliet. Calling someone a
Romeo often suggests they are passionate for multiple women.

Disney often also has many examples of making subtle references in many different movies. For example, King
Triton in The Little Mermaid closely resembles Poseidon. This is an example of how a writer might use allusion
in character development.

By creating a reference for your characters to a person of history or significance, it’s easier for readers to relate
to the character. Readers may already have some familiarity with the character you are referencing to. When you
reference another character, it is easier for the reader to associate with the character.

Often times, writers reference biblical or mythological characters. The Bible is a very common work that many
writers allude to. One example is the fairy tale Snow White.

Have you ever wondered why the evil queen in Snow White tries to trick Snow White with an apple? Th is is a
Biblical reference of the story of Adam and Eve, where Eve is tricked by the snake in the garden to eat an apple.
E X AM P L E S O F S U B T L E S U G G E S T I O N
Of course, not all examples of allusion are as famous or easy to spot. Many times we use this literary d evice and
may not even be aware we are using it!

In every day situations, we often may allude to something without actually ever saying it. Asking someone “Was
traffic bad?” could be an example of indirectly asking why someone is running late.

This can be a very powerful technique when you are writing a novel. In fiction, it is an excellent way to show, not
tell in your writing.

If you write any type of mystery or crime thriller novels, allusion may help the audience piece together the story
while they read.

W H Y AN D H O W T O U S E A L L U S I O N I N Y O U R W R I T I N G
Allusion has many practical applications. Whether you are writing a novel or writing an editorial news article,
there actually are a lot of benefits to using this literary style in your writing!

HERE ARE SOM E OF THE RE AS ONS YOU M IGHT W AN T TO USE

AL L USION IN YOUR WRI TING:
1. Stronger Connection to Your Audience: When your audience is able to catch a reference you make, they
will automatically feel connected to a greater sense of you as a writer, your characters, and even an entire
community or culture.

2. It Builds Authority and Trust: When you refer to something indirectly that is common about a certain
topic or industry, it can show to your audience that you are knowledgable and experienced. Being able to suggest
different references shows familiarity with a topic.

3. Add Meaning and Symbolism: Using indirect hints in your writing can help give your work added
meaning and symbolism. In the Martin Luther King example we shared above, alluding to The Gettysburg
Address makes the work all that more powerful.

4. Works for a Variety of Writing Styles: This type of literary device can be used for almost any type of
writing style. If you are writing a news opinion piece, allusion can help connect your readers to a greater cause.
If you are writing a descriptive essay, the use of allusion can help your readers better visualize the scene.
Allusion can also work very well for comedy – many comedic pieces rely on subtle suggestions for the audience
to notice.

5. Show, Don’t Tell: One of the biggest pieces of writing advice is “show, don’t tell”. This means you want to
allow your readers to feel and visualize the scene – not tell them exactly what is happening. It takes some
practice to master this skill, and writing with allusion is a great way to achieve this.

As you can see, writing with this technique can really have a lot of benefits!

CRE ATIV E WRIT ING EXERCISE: PR AC TICE WRITING WITH

INDIRECT REFERENCES
One of the best ways to become a better writer is with creative writing exercises. The more you practice, the
easier it is to naturally use these different literary stylistic devices. In fact, you may find yourself using these
techniques without even realizing it!

To practice writing, one easy way is to take something you have already written. Go through the piece and start
thinking of any associations you may think of while you read. For example, if you are writing a scene about
baseball, you could start thinking about different baseball players you could reference: Babe Ruth, Jackie
Robinson, or Hank Aaron.

This is also a great technique to practice when writing poetry. You could easily take many of our 100+ poetry
writing prompts and use these as a starting point to practice the art of subtle suggestion and reference in your
writing!

W H AT ARE Y O UR THO UG H T S O N USING ALLUSIO N IN W RITING ?

 Have you tried using this technique in your own writing? What famous allusion reference examples in literature
have you spotted? Do you have any questions or experiences to share? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the
comments section below.

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