![]() Sea glass as an obvious symbol: If a character in a story gives her son a piece of sea glass just before she dies, and the son then puts the sea glass on a necklace and wears it every day, that's a pretty clear example of something being symbolic: the sea glass represents the son's relationship with his mother, his grief at her passing, or perhaps even the more general concept of loss.For example, sea glass might be used as a fairly obvious symbol in one text, and a more subtle symbol in another: It's worth recognizing the ways that some symbols can be obvious, while others might be less so. Some symbols, though, are much easier to identify than others. Writers employ a wide variety of symbols to deepen the meaning of their work. While the act of cutting off the hair is neither an object nor a character, but it would still be an example of symbolism. For example, while a character's long, wild hair might symbolize a period of youth or innocence, a scene in which the character chops off his or her long hair might symbolize a loss of innocence-or the sacrifices people have to make in the process of becoming a mature adult with responsibilities. Symbolism through events: Events can also be symbolic.For example, in Edmund Spenser's famous allegorical poem, The Faeirie Queene, the female knight Britomart is a symbol of the values of chastity and restraint, traits which many 16th-century readers held in high esteem. Symbolism through characters: Sometimes, characters themselves can serve as symbols-of a particular virtue or vice, or of a political ideology. ![]() For example, a poet might write a poem about a flower dancing in the wind in order to convey a sense of innocence, harmony with nature, or sheer happiness. Symbolism through physical objects: Most often, physical objects are used to symbolize an idea or concept, as a way of pointing the reader towards some of the basic themes that a work is dealing with.Here's a brief overview of how each type of symbolism works: Here's how to pronounce symbolism: sim-buh-liz-uhm Types of SymbolismĪ symbol can be a physical object, a character, or an event. Symbolism allows writers to convey things to their readers poetically or indirectly rather than having to say them outright, which can make texts seem more nuanced and complex.It can sometimes be difficult to say whether an author intended for something to be symbolic or not.Symbolism can be very subtle, so it isn't always easy to identify or understand. ![]() Some additional key details about symbolism: Because of these traits, mockingbirds in the novel symbolize innocence and beauty, while killing a mockingbird symbolizes an act of senseless cruelty. ![]() A famous example of a symbol in literature occurs in To Kill a Mockingbird, when Atticus tells his children Jem and Scout that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird because mockingbirds cause no harm to anyone they just sing. Characters and events can also be symbolic. A strong symbol usually shares a set of key characteristics with whatever it is meant to symbolize, or is related to it in some other way. Symbolism is a literary device in which a writer uses one thing-usually a physical object or phenomenon-to represent something more abstract. What is symbolism? Here’s a quick and simple definition: ![]()
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