In Chapter 2, an allusion to "The Vision of Sir Launfal" by James Russell Lowell helps develop Matthew Cuthbert as a shy, gentle, and reflective character.
The following two lines of poetry appear in Part First, Stanza III of Lowell's poem, which contains sweeping descriptions of flowers, birds, and seasons:
“The little birds sang as if it were
The one day of summer in all the year.”
These lines convey feelings of joy and hope. They also display a great appreciation for nature that matches the narrator's reverent tone and aligns with the happiness that Matthew feels as he drives his buggy to Bright River. He looks forward to picking up his adoptive child, and his optimism about the future makes this single day intensely bright. In the passage just before the two lines of poetry, the narrator says of the road to Bright River:
It was a pretty road, running along between snug farmsteads, with now and again a bit of balsamy fir wood to drive through or a hollow where wild plums hung out their filmy bloom. The air was sweet with the breath of many apple orchards and the meadows sloped away in the distance to horizon mists of pearl and purple[...]
Here, Matthew appreciates the sights and sounds of Prince Edward Island. It is not clear whether Matthew himself thinks of Lowell's poetry, or whether the narrator decides they are the best way to convey Matthew's appreciation for nature. The allusion also helps develop Matthew's character as an awkward yet highly empathetic man. He dreads the prospect of having to nod politely to women he does not know and prefers to drive in solitude. However, he is emotionally capable of appreciating nature's beauty, just as he becomes emotionally capable of sympathizing with Anne. He drives to Bright River expecting to pick up a boy orphan who could be a "useful" worker on their farm. He is surprised by Anne's presence, but he is so moved by her story that he decides to bring her home. His sensitivity to nature helps prepare readers for this empathetic turn to Matthew's character.
Anne's first words comprise an allusion to Chapter 42 of Laurence Sterne's A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, a novel written about the author's travels from a sentimental point of view. This allusion not only reveals her intelligence; it also hints that the train ride to Bright River is the greatest "journey" of her young life. In Chapter 2, when Matthew goes to Bright River station to pick up his adopted child, the stationmaster tells him that the little girl in his charge requested to stay outside because there was "more scope for the imagination":
But there was a passenger dropped off for you – a little girl. She’s sitting out there on the shingles. I asked her to go into the ladies’ waiting room, but she informed me gravely that she preferred to stay outside. 'There was more scope for imagination,' she said. She’s a case, I should say.
In Lawrence's work, the phrase appears in a description of a character who has been imprisoned in a room. While imagining the extent of human misery in comparison to his own experience, he gives "full scope to [his] imagination." Anne's allusion refers directly to a preference to remain outside rather than in the ladies' waiting room at the station. She does not want to be held captive in any room, probably because she is getting a first taste of freedom outside of the orphanage.
In the passage above, the stationmaster expresses his surprise at Anne's vocabulary. He also seems to scorn it; he calls her "a case," an epithet that suggests she is too smart for her own good. Whether or not Anne intends to allude to Sterne's novel, she expresses an impressive reason for wanting to stay outside. Point of view matters in this scene: the reader learns of Anne's first words in Avonlea from the incredulous stationmaster, who gives a good sense of Anne's precocious nature and the impression she has on other people. This moment also cultivates intrigue by creating distance between Matthew and the orphan, whose wit and intelligence are revealed by a minor character.
Anne's frequent allusions to poetry and plays reveal her intelligence and breadth of knowledge about literature. In Chapter 5, she makes a humorous allusion to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:
I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I've never been able to believe it. I don't believe a rose would be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.
Here, Anne alludes to a line spoken by Juliet Capulet in Act 2, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The original line says: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The rose is a metaphor for Juliet's lover, Romeo, who belongs to the rival Montague family. In essence, their last names keep them apart. Juliet's line means that names don't matter; what matters is who people are inside. She loves Romeo despite the rivalry between their families and believes that something as simple as a name should not keep them apart. In the context of Anne of Green Gables, Marilla seems to agree with Juliet when she says, "It doesn't matter what a person's name is." Marilla expresses this sentiment for a slightly different purpose; she intends to convey that moral behavior is more important than one's particular name or identity.
Anne, however, disapproves of the metaphor, because names are very important to her. She places great emphasis on naming each body of water and natural feature of Avonlea according to its beauty, and each name must match her perception of that feature's qualities. The practice of naming her surroundings allows her to quickly form a deep connection with Avonlea. Anne's interpretation of the Shakespearean line provides a humorous insight into her tendency to be very literal and to demand that everything make sense. She has an independent mind and refuses to accept even the most famous maxims. Anne's allusion to Romeo and Juliet, as well as her well-reasoned disagreement, demonstrate her intelligence and willingness to argue for her own point of view.
