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ELA 4: Allusions 256 Views
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Description:
The names of our planets weren't just pulled out of a hat. If it had been that simple, we might have planets with names like "Trevor" and "Monique." Nope...there has to be a story behind names like "Jupiter" and "Uranus." And indeed there is. (You're still giggling about "Uranus," aren't you?)
Transcript
- 00:04
[Dino and Coop singing]
- 00:13
Do you recognize these buff, long-haired men and this one not-as-buff-but-equally-long-haired [People appearing]
- 00:19
woman?
- 00:20
No?
- 00:21
Well do you recognize these?
Full Transcript
- 00:22
Ding ding ding!
- 00:23
They're the planets in our solar system! [The planets appear]
- 00:25
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and even little ol' Pluto.
- 00:29
Oh and let's not forget about Earth. [Earth's name shows up above the planet]
- 00:33
And here's something cool: we're all on that big blue and green rock right now. [The Earth rotating]
- 00:38
Wave or something, maybe we'll be able to see you. [Woman pops up waving]
- 00:41
So what do all those lil dudes and one lady have to do with this?
- 00:46
Well, they just happen to be the namesake of our planets.
- 00:50
But these planets weren't just named willy-nilly. [Willy and Nilly sat by a fire]
- 00:52
No, sir – each planet was named for a specific Greek or Roman deity because of their particular
- 00:57
qualities.
- 00:58
Mars is the god of war, so it was fitting to name the red planet after him. [Angry looking man with a sword]
- 01:03
Y'know, 'cause red is the color of blood and anger.
- 01:07
Jupiter is the King of the Gods, so it made sense to name the biggest planet after him. [Jupiter popping up behind either side of the planet]
- 01:10
So these names allude to the Gods and the qualities they had, which is why we call them
- 01:16
“allusions.”
- 01:17
An allusion is when something or someone refers directly or indirectly to some other thing. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]
- 01:23
But unlike the fairly obvious planetary names, allusions don't always have to be so clear.
- 01:28
A lot of the time, allusions can actually be pretty vague, so that only people “in [Girl whispering in another girls ear]
- 01:32
the know” will understand them.
- 01:34
Here's an example:
- 01:35
Say your friend asks his crush to be his valentine in a really dramatic and over-the-top sort [Boy on one knee holding up flowers]
- 01:40
of way.
- 01:41
Afterwards, you might say to him, “Way to go, Romeo.” [His friend punches him in the arm]
- 01:45
What you're very cleverly doing here is making an allusion to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,
- 01:50
because Romeo is such an over-the-top, romantic guy. [Romeo appears]
- 01:52
However, if your buddy has never heard of Romeo and Juliet before, he would have no
- 01:57
idea what you're talking about – and probably would wonder if you're feeling alright. [Man gives the Romeo and Juliet book to the other guy]
- 02:01
So long story short, sometimes allusions can go right over our heads. [The word allusions over a girls head]
- 02:05
Look at this logo here.
- 02:06
We're sure you recognize it: it's the famous swoosh belonging to Nike. [Nike logo spins into view]
- 02:11
But you've probably never thought much about the name Nike before, have you?
- 02:14
Well, believe it or not, Nike was the name of an ancient Greek goddess who personified
- 02:19
“victory.”
- 02:20
Makes sense why a company that makes sports equipment would choose to allude to her, eh?
- 02:24
No one seems to refer to that allusion directly nowadays, but for anyone who knows their mythology, [Kids using computers]
- 02:29
it's a fun little tid-bit.
- 02:30
And that's really the point of allusions in the first place.
- 02:33
They can be fun ways to spice up conversation, especially when you run out of garlic powder, [Guy holding empty salt and garlic shakers]
- 02:37
or salt.
- 02:38
Sure you could just say someone was cheap, but calling someone a Scrooge – which is [Man holding onto piles of money]
- 02:42
an allusion to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – has a little more oomph to it.
- 02:47
And yeah, you could say that someone is the source of inspiration for you, but it might [Man painting a picture of a sloth]
- 02:51
sound a little fancier if you call them your Muse.
- 02:54
And that's that!
- 02:55
So even if allusions used to be your Achilles' heel, we're sure you're a regular Einstein [An ankle with an arrow stuck in it and Einstein appear]
- 03:00
now!
- 03:01
Two for the price of one.
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