Born Too Late
"An allusion is a passing reference in a work of literature to another literary or historical work, figure, or event, or to a literary passage" (Hamilton 74).
In tenth grade, my English teacher introduced our class to the song "Born Too Late" by The Clarks. She explained the word allusion to us and played the song. There is allusion seen all throughout it. Take a look at the lyrics:
Vincent will you teach me how to paint
Teresa will I ever be a saint
John I really think your songs are great
I was born too late
William will you teach me how to write
Cassius will you show me how to fight
Thomas A. I think I see the light
I was born tonight
I've had a hard time leaving this town
I've been losing everything that I've found
I'm gonna search the sky, kiss the ground
Build it up and tear it back down
I've had a hard time leaving this place
I've been counting all the lines on my face
I'm gonna curse the sky, hit the ground
What goes up comes tumbling down
Jimi show me how you play that thing
Elvis will I ever be a king
and Jerry all the joy and love you bring
I was born to sing
Martin Luther King show me the way
Jesus Buddha teach me how to pray
Christopher I think I see the bay
I was born today
The allusions are all of the historical figures and what they have done. Ever since my teacher connected this song to allusion, I have never forgotten what it means.
In tenth grade, my English teacher introduced our class to the song "Born Too Late" by The Clarks. She explained the word allusion to us and played the song. There is allusion seen all throughout it. Take a look at the lyrics:
Vincent will you teach me how to paint
Teresa will I ever be a saint
John I really think your songs are great
I was born too late
William will you teach me how to write
Cassius will you show me how to fight
Thomas A. I think I see the light
I was born tonight
I've had a hard time leaving this town
I've been losing everything that I've found
I'm gonna search the sky, kiss the ground
Build it up and tear it back down
I've had a hard time leaving this place
I've been counting all the lines on my face
I'm gonna curse the sky, hit the ground
What goes up comes tumbling down
Jimi show me how you play that thing
Elvis will I ever be a king
and Jerry all the joy and love you bring
I was born to sing
Martin Luther King show me the way
Jesus Buddha teach me how to pray
Christopher I think I see the bay
I was born today
The allusions are all of the historical figures and what they have done. Ever since my teacher connected this song to allusion, I have never forgotten what it means.
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Recent Comments
Jessie Farine on Born Too Late: I've heard that song too many
Erica Gearhart on Born Too Late: Kaitlin, I love that you share
Richelle Dodaro on Born Too Late: i really like your idea to use
Dennis G. Jerz on Born Too Late: Great work, Kaitlin! You not o
Angela Palumbo on Born Too Late: Wow! This is such a cool song
Angelica Guzzo on Born Too Late: I like how you inclded a song
Maddie Gillespie on Born Too Late: I think it was really inventiv
Erica Gearhart on Born Too Late: Kaitlin, I love that you share
Richelle Dodaro on Born Too Late: i really like your idea to use
Dennis G. Jerz on Born Too Late: Great work, Kaitlin! You not o
Angela Palumbo on Born Too Late: Wow! This is such a cool song
Angelica Guzzo on Born Too Late: I like how you inclded a song
Maddie Gillespie on Born Too Late: I think it was really inventiv
I think it was really inventive of you to include that song. It definately embodies the definition of allusion. This is a great blog that not only gives the reader the textbook definition of allusion, but also helps the reader to discover real-life allusions (not just those that appear in literature). Great job!
I like how you inclded a song lyrics to show what an allusion is. Plus its a great song!
Wow! This is such a cool song. I'm going to have to listen to it. I've heard a lot about The Clarks but I've never listened to them. I might have to start. What a wonderful thing Youtube is!
Great work, Kaitlin! You not only demonstrated you understood something well, you also explained it in a way that would have never occurred to me. Thanks for passing along a teacher's good suggestion.
i really like your idea to use this song. it was very creative and definitely showed allusion!
Kaitlin, I love that you shared this song with us. I always loved when my teachers used popular culture, especially in the form of songs, to teach important ideas. My 12th grade English teacher always used all the great American Rock songs to help us understand stories and concepts in a fun way. Even think of all the silly songs we learned when we were little to help us remember important concepts like the names of animals or the 50 states. It is a great way to instill ideas into students, or in this case, your reader. I know I will remember this blog more than what I read in Hamilton
I've heard that song too many times. The Clarks is Pittsburgh's favorite band, pretty much. You can't go through a day of listening to WDVE (102.5) without hearing one of The Clarks' various hits.
This response is mainly geared towards non-Pittsburghers. As a Pittsburgher in the know, I figured I'd educate. I think it's funny to see people around here that don't know who The Clarks are, cause sometimes I wish I didn't know them either.