2

For an English Lit. essay I am writing on TS Eliot and Joyce, I wish to use a Biblical quotation I find useful in illuminating certain themes common to their work (1 Corinthians 13 if anyone is interested---I think the ideas about love/charity, growth from childhood to adulthood and some of its metaphors are highly applicable).

However, I lack the word for such a quotation; I have considered "epigraph," "citation," "touchstone" and "reference point," however none of these seem entirely apt. Rather than positioning the quotation as an epigraph, I would prefer to introduce it in the actual essay itself. I would use it in the context something like the following: "to explain Eliot's metaphor, I cite 1 Corinthians 13 as a (blank)."

I am not sure if there is a precise word, however I will be grateful to any suggestions!

Improve this question
4
  • Just for your information, we have an entire Stack Exchange site dedicated to helping writers. Check out Writing!
    – NVZ ♦
    Commented Jun 26, 2017 at 14:09
  • Perhaps simply "included quotation", "included passage", "passage included". If referencing back to it within a chapter or paragraph perhaps "quotation above" or "passage above" or "in the following verse" are better descriptions than trying to categorize "a word for what it means to include a passage".
    – Tom22
    Commented Jun 26, 2017 at 14:46
  • In your example sentence, you already say "cite", do you need to say another word that means "quotation"? Are you instead looking for a word to describe the function of the quotation?
    – SteveES
    Commented Jun 26, 2017 at 15:34
  • To explain Eliot’s metaphor, I cite 1 Corinthians 13.
    – Jim
    Commented Aug 25, 2017 at 16:54

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
-1

Allusion [uh-loo-zhuh n] /noun

  1. a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication: The novel's title is an allusion to Shakespeare.

  2. the act of alluding; the making of a casual or indirect reference to something: The Bible is a fertile source of allusion in art.

  3. Obsolete. a metaphor or parable.

Source: Dictionary.com

"Eliot's metaphor is an allusion to 1 Corinthians 13. Reviewing this cited passage, we can see the connections"

Improve this answer
2
  • I don't think your example is idiomatic usage of "allusion", especially if the reference is then quoted. If alluding to something, you are making a veiled reference, or a hint towards it. Eliot's metaphor may allude to 1 Corinthians 13, but you are probably not.
    – SteveES
    Commented Jun 26, 2017 at 15:18
  • @SteveES "allusion" is used to describe the origin and purpose of the original authors' works, i.e. Joyce and Elliot. It is not to describe what the OP is doing by annotating the connection.
    – Eliot G York
    Commented Aug 25, 2017 at 18:31

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .