#Ten favorite text symbols or emotions how to#

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:

#Ten favorite text symbols or emotions how to#

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: