Allusion

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Graham Allen (University College Cork)
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Allusion is a traditional term for the literary act of referring to previous literary texts. Poems allude to previous poems, as in Milton’s numerous allusions to his epic predecessors, Homer, Virgil, Dante, or the Romantic poets’ numerous allusions to Milton. When Wordsworth, at the end of the first verse-paragraph of his “Prospectus” to

The Recluse

writes the following lines he is engaging in that characteristic poetic activity designated by the term

allusion

:

Of the individual mind that keeps its own Inviolate retirement, and consists With being limitless – the one great life - I sing: fit audience let me find, though few! Fit audience find, though few! Thus prayed the bard, Holiest of men.

Of the individual mind that keeps its own Inviolate retirement, and consists…

2255 words

Citation: Allen, Graham. "Allusion". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 July 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=29, accessed 19 March 2024.]

29 Allusion 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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