Two examples of similes are, "My love is like a red, red rose," and, "As strong as an ox. Allegory An allegory is very similar to a metaphor in the sense that something—usually something abstract or religious—is implicitly articulated in terms of something else that is concrete. The difference between an allegory and a metaphor is that when an allegory is employed, the comparison reflects the entire work—or a large part of the work. The best example is "The Pilgrim's Progress. Archetype The plot of a piece of fiction—or the central element in a piece of fiction—that recurs in cross-cultural myths is called an archetype.
Perhaps the best example of an archetype is the literary description of the devil in various works as a cloven-hoofed, horned humanoid. Myth A myth is a close cousin of allegory in the sense that it is almost always symbolic and extensive.
Myths can include an entire work. While the creation of myths has evolved over time—in the sense that they're no longer specific to one culture—they are still considered communal or cultural in nature. One of the most famous myths is that of Icarus.
In Greek mythology, Icarus tries to escape from Crete by fastening wings to his back made from feathers and wax. According to the myth, Icarus foolhardily flew too close to the sun—and fell into the ocean.
This myth prompted the saying, "Don't fly too close to the sun. Filmmakers often attribute emotional significance to objects. These visual symbols help draw attention to a character's motivations , which was the case of Orson Welles' film classic "Citizen Kane. The sled is one of the most famous symbols in film history. It's hard to identify a work of literature—from short poems to epic plays—that lacks some kind of symbolism.
Authors like to use symbolism in their work because it accomplishes the following:. A character in my upcoming novel loses his parents early in the story. A type of flower, called a sword lily, becomes a symbol of surviving through his grief.
There is no right way to symbolize. There are poor approaches, but there are no Symbol Police. When and where to use symbolism is often more important than the symbols used. Symbols, as well as metaphors, function best when they reoccur in the novel. Symbols should be introduced and reoccur at climactic points in the novel.
Reintroduction of a symbol should add depth. Thrown in haphazardly, symbols become meaningless and distracting. If you bring up a symbol too much it becomes annoying, like pop-ups in Internet Explorer 6. It will ruin you. Want your reader to completely miss the symbol?
Most readers, if not all, will miss it. Even when emphasizing the symbol, some readers will miss the symbolism. Some of the older classics cannot function without their symbolism. The story should entertain, even without the symbolism.
Creating symbols requires patience, practice, and precision. Recognizing symbols takes time, but it is worth the effort. Until you know the theme s of the story, your best symbols are yet to come. Some writers may find adding symbolism inhibits their creative processes. I can see where the research or additional thinking could be a distraction.
But again, remember that there is usually a payoff later. Do you use symbolism in your writing? In this article, we define symbolism, list the various types of symbolism, explain why it's important and provide you with several examples of symbolism. Symbolism refers to the use of an action, object or name to represent an idea or quality.
It's essentially the act of taking something that's usually concrete and associating it with a symbol to give it a new or greater significance. Writers use symbolism to explain an idea or concept to their readers in a poetic manner without saying it outright. The use of symbolism allows writers to make their stories more complex.
Many people also use symbolism in everyday life. For example, the color white stands for purity, black represents evil, roses stand for romance, a butterfly symbolizes transformation and a dog can represent loyalty.
Symbolism takes on many forms, whether in the literary world or everyday speech. Knowing the differences between various types of symbolism can help you better understand symbolism at its core. Here are some of the various types of symbolism:. A metaphor refers to one thing by directly mentioning another.
It essentially compares two dissimilar things while showing that they have something in common. Therefore, while a metaphor can provide clarity, it can also show the similarities between the two things or ideas despite their obvious dissimilarities. Rather than implying a comparison like a metaphor, a simile explicitly denotes comparison between two things.
Similes often use the word "like" or "as. Unlike metaphors, similes are much more direct comparisons. An allegory refers to a narrative wherein a character, event or place delivers a larger message about a real-world concern or occurrence.
In other words, it's a story in which most characters and plot developments are symbols for something else or in which the story in its entirety symbolizes a larger phenomenon in the real-world or society. Rather than coming right out and saying it, allegories use characters and events to reveal a hidden meaning or message. An allegory is essentially an extended use of a metaphor and symbolism in general.
An archetype refers to a story element such as an idea or character-type that reoccurs in stories and symbolizes something universal. For example, you can create a character based on certain qualities or traits that make them identifiable to readers. In the literary world, archetypes refer to characters, images or themes that symbolically embody a universal meaning or human experience. This type of symbolism applies human attributes to something that isn't alive or human. For example, personification gives human form and sensibilities to various objects such as a chair, nature, a book or an abstract concept like love or hate.
Writers use personification to help their readers better relate to non-human things or objects. Hyperboles use an exaggeration to make a specific point or to add emphasis, whether for a comic or serious purpose.
0コメント