Figurative Language: Allusions and Hyperbole

In this topic, you will learn how poets use allusions, which are references to well-known events, people, places, or objects from history, pop culture, or literature. But, poets are not the only artists who use this device. Artists, musicians, and even movie-makers use allusions to call into a viewer's mind something else that they already recognize. Take a look at the mask shown here. Does it remind you of a famous painting that you may have seen before? Roll your cursor over the mask to see the painting that serves as the foundation for the allusion.