Reminiscence

Reminiscence is a conscious or involuntary echo in a literary work of the images, motifs, rhythmic-syntactic structures or particular turns of phrase of another, earlier work. Unlike a direct quotation, reminiscence is not marked by quotation marks and does not name its source, but only evokes it as a distant recollection, counting on the cultural memory of the reader. Reminiscence attests to the work's inclusion in the literary tradition, the author's dialogue with predecessors, the continuity of themes and forms. It is closely linked to allusion and intertextuality, yet is distinguished precisely by the character of a "recollection" of another's artistic material. The analysis of reminiscences allows one to trace creative influences, the genetic links of texts and the place of a work in the general cultural context.