Symbolism Definition and Examples

When reading or analyzing any literary text, you may notice a lot of symbolism. Why is it used? What is its purpose? How does it influence the paper? If you have ever had any of these questions, it means you should learn more about the phenomenon.

Before you immerse yourself in creative writing, you should acknowledge that it is more complicated than a typical academic assignment. It requires a lot of creativity, knowledge, and skills, as you need to give deeper meaning beyond the literary sense. Due to the challenging aspects of the assignment creation, some students prefer to entrust the assignment to a qualified and reputable custom essay writing service that will guarantee a flawless result without much effort. Maximum confidentiality of the experience, a helpful support team, reasonable prices, and impeccable quality make learners appreciate such solutions.

However, if you are determined to learn more about symbolism in literature and discover the ways to apply the knowledge practically, keep reading the paper. The detailed information about symbolism definition, its types, examples, and uses will expand your vision and help you succeed with each creative project.

First of all, it is indispensable to note that symbolism is a powerful literary device that helps to associate various people, objects, or ideas with deeper meaning. It means that things can represent other things in order to emphasize certain characteristics or unique features. Symbolism may be effective in conveying abstract emotions, themes, or ideas, as it helps the writer to communicate complicated concepts through simple words. Additionally, the literary tool helps to encourage readers to reflect on the information and think deeply about the message within the presented story.

What Is Symbolism?

According to the definition offered by the College of Liberal Arts in Oregon State University, symbolism is an effective literary tool that is used to give some objects, ideas, and concepts deeper meaning. Using symbols, the writer can create unique images in the minds of the readers, adding to the relevance of the content. As symbols are deeply rooted in our speech, they can help to make sentences much more elaborate.

Why do writers use symbolism? In fact, the goals may differ a lot, depending on the author. While some people use symbolism to make the papers sound more appealing, others utilize it as a way to simplify statements and make the meaning of the content more vivid. In the overwhelming majority of instances, symbols are universal, which means they can be easily understood regardless of the reader’s background. Nonetheless, it is indispensable to think about the culturally specific symbolism that may require extra explanation.

Reading literary works, you will come across a multitude of examples of symbolism that will help you understand how imagery and words can convey ideas. Just think of the colors, icons, and tokens that help us navigate everyday life. In the same way, symbolism directs the readers and makes them imagine things in brighter colors.

Are you ready to use symbolism in your custom projects? Keep reading to learn more about the tool and its peculiarities. Focus on the most effective elements and the way they can be used for the achievement of the desired goals.

What is an example of symbolism?

Symbolism is everywhere, especially when it comes to literature and creative writing. There are universal symbols that are easily understood by people, as well as specific symbols that require extra explanation. The simplest example of symbolism is a dove, which is an animal associated with peace and purity. Another great example of symbolism used in creative writing is an image of a snake that embodies evil and temptation.

In fact, symbols are the effective elements that add layers of intrigue, emotion, and depth to literature, art, and even everyday routine. They are the powerful messengers that make readers stop and meditate about the message and its meaning.

Types of Symbolism in Literature

No matter if you are working on a creative paper or a literature review, you should be aware of the most diverse tools that are used by writers in order to emphasize the hidden meanings and add some implications. The symbolism in literature is a simple and complicated tool that can either help the writer create a beautiful paper with deeper meanings, or may challenge the writer to go an extra mile to convey the ideas. To make the symbolism an integral part of the writing process, the student should have profound knowledge, excellent writing skills, and creative thinking.

In most instances, learners prefer to entrust such projects to experts who know how to deal with similar assignments. However, if you are not ready to pay for the completion of such a project, but you strive to deal with it independently, you should start with the analysis of the basic information about literary tools, their peculiarities, and features. Then, analyze multiple symbolism examples, and come up with certain conclusions about the proper use of the elements and their value for the overall quality of the literary text.

One of the important characteristics of symbolism is the variety of forms it may have. There are multiple ways people categorize literary devices, but you need to focus on the most common and beneficial ones.

Metaphor

Metaphor is one of the most widely used types of figurative language that emphasizes a certain feature of the object by comparing it with something else. For example, a lot of people use the image of a turtle to compare to the speed, “as slow as a turtle”.

However, the metaphors can be much more elaborate, like in Shakespeare’s comparison of human life with a theatre stage. It says that people play different roles and their masks depend on the circumstances and the characters around them.

Simile

This is another great literary device that helps to reveal certain qualities of the object by comparing it to another one. In some instances, such figures of speech can sound similar to metaphor, but the simile gives a much more direct explanation of the emphasized feature. For instance, in the phrase, “She leaned on the cane, which looked like a tower of Pisa”, the author does not try to hide the meaning, but rather chooses to highlight it.

Allegory

Allegory helps to use symbolism. Although it is also similar to metaphor, its goal is to express the meaning of certain objects and their prominence rather than visual features and characteristics. To use the allegory, the writer should create an association with something, making the story sound more intense and appealing. For instance, the allegory is the comparison of modern society to children who are stuck on a deserted island, trying to survive through the harsh times.

Archetype

This literary divide is used to talk about the universal behavioral patterns that can be recognized all around the world. The archetype may also be a place or time, theme, or image understood by citizens of the world. The hero is one of the most typical archetypes used in stories and tales. Mysterious appearance, fight with the evil, protection of the poor, and dangerous adventures are the characteristics that make a hero an archetype.

Hyperbole, comparison, the use of colors, animals, and objects, as well as other literary devices, may be critical parts of symbolism in the texts. Make sure you use the elements correctly, so that the symbols perform their role and add to the quality of the narrative.

Symbolism Examples

The example of symbolism in a sentence can be diverse and depends on the use a lot. At this point, it is also critical to mention different types of symbols that are used throughout the storytelling. In most instances, symbolism is related to literary, cultural, or religious context. Besides, simple elements can have absolutely opposite meanings when used in certain phrases. Analyzing the symbolism examples, students would note the following categories.

• Inanimate objects. There is a plethora of objects that have become well-known and commonly used symbols. Thus, the mirror is frequently used in literature to symbolize identity, self-reflection, and truth. The clock is another example of a symbol that emphasizes the passing of time or mortality.
• Animal symbolism. Reading various stories or tales from around the world, you may notice the way the images of animals become associated with people and their traits. Thus, the owl is used as a sign of knowledge, wisdom, and mystery. A horse can be a symbol of travel and freedom, while a dove is an international sign of peace and love.

Why Is Symbolism Important in Literature

Analyzing the literary pieces, you will notice an unlimited number of examples of symbolism. What makes it so valuable and important? As you could have already discovered, there are different reasons why writers use symbolism. However, in the overwhelming majority of instances, symbolism helps to create meaningful and appealing narratives. Certain objects signify things that are absolutely different from their literal sense. In some instances, symbolism is used to give more significant meaning to objects and characters, unify them, and provide them with deeper connotations.

Symbolism is frequently incorporated to express complex concepts, as the visalization helps to understand more profound meaning of the concepts. Critical thinking and analytical skills are indispensable for readers who strive to acknowledge the real intent of the writer using symbolism. The authors use symbolism to express sensitive ideas than can be painful for some readers, when mentioned directly.

Additionally, when it comes to literary pieces of custom essay writing projects, symbolism can be used to create different levels of meaning in the narrative. Some meanings are deeper than literal, and some phrases have more sense than they seem to have. While some readers will go an extra mile to discover these senses, others will simply skip them. Anyway, the symbolism is nothing but a way to help the writer introduce certain concepts to the audience in a poetic and appealing way. Instead of giving out the idea, the writer lures the reader into the thrilling world of complicated ties and beautiful implications.

Conclusion

Symbolism is an effective tool for creative writing. Allegory, metaphor, allusion, hyperbole, or other literary devices specified in the article can contribute to the quality and eloquence of your writing. In fact, symbolism in literature is an indispensable part of its success, as it makes each single piece of writing beautiful.

Although a considerable number of people underestimate the prominence of symbolism, a single comparison used in the text can enhance it tremendously. In addition to the relevance of the paper, it can emphasize profound writing skills and deep knowledge of the writer.

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