Their cryptic allusions and symbolism led to wide variations in interpretation of the art. He has a habit of speaking in allusions, metaphors, and similes. The novel is filled with Biblical references and allusions. There were features such as metaphor, pun, juxtaposing opposites and tricky theological allusions. He experimented with various poetic metres, punctuation, obscure allusions and typography. Some of those contain allusions to Norse mythology and even short poems in alliterative verse. Many gags were thinly-veiled allusions to his homosexuality. The Old Testament material appears as allusions and paraphrases as well as explicit quotations. They often contained veiled allusions to contemporary French society. His use of literary allusions and humour helped make these difficult subjects more accessible. Renaissance private gardens were full of scenes from ancient mythology and other learned allusions. These fragments often make witty allusions to current events. It was written in beautiful prose rich in allusions and imagery. The novel abounds in allusions to classical and modern literature. The chapters include a question mark, poems, rituals, instructions, and obscure allusions and cryptograms.