allusion

The reference in a work of literature to another work of art or literature, an historical event, some real person or place, etc. The use of allusions usually indicates an interest in the past and how the meaning of the present is dependent on the past. Related to the Modernist concept "make it new", allusions help the reader see that complete understanding of a poem is impossible without a wider knowledge of the works of literature that came before it. Sometimes allusions are subtle and easy to miss, but other times, they are used in a poem in a straightforward way. The reader must then search out the source of the allusion and think about the connection. The famously difficult poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a great example. That poem is difficult, in part, because it assumes a certain level of knowledge in the reader that will help him or her see the allusions to other literature.