Symbolism

What is it?

An object, place, creature, thing that represents an idea or quality through symbolic or imagery meaning

one object can represent another to give further meaning or depth

simile - using like or as to compare two unlike things Ex.She’s as fierce as a tiger

metaphor: a word or term used for one definition is applied to another to suggest likeness Ex. “All the world is a stage” or “Time is money”

Colours and Shades - what’s their symbolic

meaning?red - energy, passion, love , power, fire, blood, danger

Blue - peace, tranquility, calm, truth, sky, sea, pure, healthy

Purple - royalty, spiritual, mysterious, wisdom

Yellow - joy, optimism, imagination, sunshine

Green - nature, good luck, youth , spring, harmony, greed, jealousy, safety

Orange - balance, warmth, energy, sunshine, tropics, wisdom

Black - sophistication, fear, power, death, evil

White - purity, peace, simplicity, innocence, safety

Items and multiple symbols

Symbols can take the form of objects that we see and use in our daily lives. These can represent our identity or help define who we are.

Ring - promise, never-ending, eternal, religious, power, wealth, wholeness

Clothing - economic status, location, identity

Smile - friendship, happiness

Candle - perseverance, hope, religion, path

Broken mirror - separation, bad luck

Animal symbols

Animals are often used to symbolize certain traits or characteristics in humans. Here are some examples:

Deer - gentleness, overcome obstacles with grace, sensitive, intuitive

Dolphin - breath of life, harmonious, balanced

Dragonfly - change, adaptability, connectedness with nature

Spider - weaver, creative, dark, patient

Horse - driving force, strong, nobility

Symbolism in Literature

•The actions of a character, writer’s diction, or events can have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story (implicit meaning)

•For example Andy’s jacket, the writing across the heart says “Andy” but the writing on the back says “Royals”