What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Mrs. Randolph decided not to argue with the name her daughter had chosen for their new kitten, figuring it was a matter of a rose by any other name.
Shakespeare a poem
An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.
"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked.
Here, Lila alludes to the fairy tale "Cinderella," in which Cinderella must leave the ball before the coach that brought her transforms into a pumpkin. The allusion shows that Lila must depart immediately.
The source of the allusion a rose by any other name is Shakespeare.
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the two central characters are denied their love because they belong to warring families, the Montagues and Capulets. Juliet wonders how a mere family name can make someone an enemy, observing that a rose would smell sweet no matter what its name.
The allusion a rose by any other name means something so special that what it's called seems unimportant.