By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943)

Allusion (Significance of Titles)

An allusion is a reference to a person (famous historical or literary figure), place, poem, book, event,
work of art or movie outside of the story that the author expects the reader will recognize. The
reference can be real or fictitious. An allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature, or
religion. Often, the purpose of an allusion is to summarize broad, complex ideas or emotions in one
quick, powerful image.

A biblical allusion is a reference to the Bible in a literary work.

The title of a literary work is frequently an allusion. Understanding the context of the allusion can tell the reader much
about the thematic thrust of the work. For example, the title of John Steinbecks novella, Of Mice and Men, is an allusion
to a line in the poem To a Mouse written by Robert Burns, a Scottish poet. The line is "The best laid schemes o' mice
an' men gang aft aglay." Translated into modern English, the verse reads: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often
go awry." This cynical statement is at the heart of the novellas action and serves to foreshadow what is to come. There is
an allusion in the title "By the Waters of Babylon." Read Psalm 137 and determine the theme of the Psalm. As you read
the short story, try to make a connection between the two works and determine the purpose of the allusion.

Psalm 137 (Old Testament)

1 By the [waters] of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

2 We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song, and they that wasted us required
of us mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cleverness.

6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem
above my chief joy.

7Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem's fall, who said, "Raze it, raze it,
even to the foundation thereof!"

8O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed, happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast
served us.

9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Note: This psalm was composed when the Jewish people were enslaved by the Babylonians around 600 B.C.E. The psalm expresses the Jewish peoples longing for
their homeland. Babylon was the largest city of the ancient world, a center of culture, learning, and world trade.

Vocabulary: Psalm sacred song or hymn Hymn song in praise or honor of God

Central Idea: ______________________________________________________________________________________

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Term to Know:
Fantasy Short Story: The term fantasy is applied to a work of fiction characterized by extravagant imagination and disregard for
the restraints of reality. The aim of a fantasy may be purely to delight or may be to make a serious comment on reality.