Books about Allusion from Amazon.com

Shakespeare's genius is marked by his rare ability to appeal to theatergoers of all types and all levels of education But for most modern folks, the Greek and Roman mythology and history, let alone the history of England and the geography of sixteenth-century Europe that his works are laden with, are hardly within our grasp. Isaac Asimov comes to making obscure issues clear to the layperson, selects key passages from 38 of the great bard's plays plus two of his narrative poems and, with the help of beautifully rendered maps an figures, illuminates us about their historical and mythological background..
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A guide to references commonly used in speech and writing Explains more than 900 allusions Entries include examples from todays leading media. A must for serious readers, language lovers, and ESL students..
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This comprehensive list of allusions found in James Joyce's modern classic, "Ulysses", is in itself a classic and is a feat of literary scholarship of unprecedented magnitude. In brief, this book is a copiously annotated list of Joyce's allusions in such areas as literature, philosophy, theology, history, and the fine arts. So awesome an undertaking would not have been possible without the prior work of such persons as Stuart Gilbert, Joseph Prescott, William York Tindall, M. J. C. Hodgart, Mabel Worthington, and many others. But the present list is more than a compilation of previously discovered allusions, for it contains many allusions that have never been suggested before, as well as some that have only been partially or mistakenly identified in earlier publications.In preparing this work, the author has kept its usefulness to the reader foremost in mind. He often refreshed the reader's memory in concerning the context of an allusion, since its context, in one sense or another, is always the guide to its function in the novel. The entire list is fully cross-referenced and keyed by page and line to both the old and new Modern Library editions of "Ulysses". In addition, the index is prepared in such a way that it indexes not only the List but also the novel itself.The purpose of allusion in a literary work is essentially the same as that of all other types of metaphor - the development and revelation of character, structure, and theme - and, when skillfully used, it does all of these simultaneously. Joyce's use of allusion is distinguished from that of other authors not by its purposes, but by its extent and thoroughness. "Ulysses" involves dozens of allusive contexts, all continually intersecting, modifying, and qualifying one another. Here again Joyce's uniqueness and complexity lie not in his themes or characters, nor in his basic methods of developing them, but in his accepting the challenge of an Olympian use of his chosen methods. The value of this volume to Joyce scholars and students is obvious; however, its usefulness to anyone who reads "Ulysses" is as great, if not greater. It can truly be the key to this difficult but rewarding novel..
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*Examines 750 common Biblical references and what they've come to represent in today's culture through art, literature, song and common phrases

*User friendly format--arranged alphabetically (from Aaron's rod to Zion)

What do we mean when we call a woman a Jezebel? What exactly was a scapegoat? Why was a fast-and-furious driver called Jehu? In a more literate (and Bible-conscious) age, most people knew the source of these and hundreds of other names, phrases, and images. Artists and writers could assume their audiences would understand references to biblical people and events. Today, some of those meanings are lost. This book fills that gap in knowledge.

The text discusses the most important names, places, images, events, and phrases of the Bible and looks at how each subject has been presented culturally in art, music, and literature. The reader not only gets a guided tour of biblical history, but also a renewed appreciation for words, phrases, art, and music that have been influenced by the Bible..
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This is a book about how the poets of Classical Rome found artistic inspiration in the words and themes of their poetic predecessors It combines traditional Classical approaches to poetic allusion and imitation with modern literary-theoretical ways of thinking about how texts are used and reused, valued and revalued, in particular reading communities. Like other volumes in the series it is among the most broadly conceived short books on Roman literature to be published in recent years..
Price: $29.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

OPTICAL ALLUSIONS is the cure for all those clamoring for a painstakingly researched, scientifically accurate, eye-themed comic book adventure WRINKLES THE WONDER BRAIN has lost his bosses' eye and now he has to search all of human imagination for it. Along the way, he confronts biology head on and accidentally learns more about eyes and the evolution of vision than he thought possible. And, as if a compelling story with disembodied talking brains, shape-changing proteins and giant robot eyes wasn't enough, each tale is followed by a fully illustrated, in-depth exploration of the ideas introduced in the comic story. Following in the tradition of the author's first two books, Clan Apis and The Sandwalk Adventures, Optical Allusions uses humor and adventure to weave an unforgettable story about the wonders of seeing..
Price: $38.56 [Notify me when price goes down.]