Imagery Reimagined - Symbol

Symbol:

Symbols are nouns. These nouns have a connotation attached to them, another meaning beyond their dictionary definition (denotation).

Poets use symbols then to infer or give a noun additional meaning.
Usually this connotative meaning is attached to a theme.
So, in a way, a writer uses a symbol to SHOW the connection between a noun and a theme instead of whacking the reader on the head with a TELLING statement.

Symbols are often culturally or nationally significant. Certain cultures attach meaning to objects in different ways. Thus, understanding a symbol can be difficult if you are from a different culture. Communicating a cultural symbol to someone who is outside of that particular culture is often difficult.

Other symbols are considered universal. These nouns carry additional weight that remain relatively consistent over time. Birds, for example, often symbolize spirituality. An eagle, would, perhaps symbolize spirituality AND freedom, if viewed by U.S. citizens (a particular cultural group).

Some common universal symbols include:

The compass points (north, south, east, west) can refer to intellectualism (north), physicality (south), paradise or beginning (east), end or death (west)

Day & night suggest birth and death

The seasons (Spring suggests birth, summer = youth/life, autumn = middle age, winter = death, or old age)

Some symbols are religious in nature: the cross, for example, represents Christ in Christianity. The Swastika originally symbolized spiritual power before it was “corrupted” by the Nazis during WWII. Thus, you can see, symbols can change their meaning over time, depending on the meaning a culture attaches to it.

Writers often use personal symbols. Certain poets (like Frost) use natural settings or items to suggest human life. A path in the woods may become a symbol for the decisions a human must make in his/her life. A stone wall might symbolize the demarcation of borders between humans or the lack of communication between people. Picking apples might symbolize opportunities and human effort.

When a writer uses a character or person to create a symbol instead of an object, this is called allegory. An allegory is an extended metaphor that attaches connotative meaning to characters, suggesting meaning beyond the normal use of characterization.