A Brief Introduction to Symbolism Nothing is ever

A Brief Introduction to Symbolism Nothing is ever what it seems.

Symbols �A symbol is a person, place, thing, or event that stands both for itself and for an idea, emotion, or philosophy. �Symbols may be: �Personal �Public �Literary

Personal Symbols �Personal symbols have special meaning for an individual. What are some of your personal symbols?

Public Symbols �Public symbols are widely recognized throughout a culture and sometimes even universally. Can you think of any Public Symbols?

Literary Symbols �Literary symbols are created when writers assign a special, symbolic meaning to a person, place, thing or event. They appear in works of fiction, poetry, and drama. Can you think of any Literary Symbols?

More Literary Symbols

What to Know About Symbols �To make a symbol in literature authors can: �make use of well-known (public) symbols �create their own symbols (take a personal symbol and explain) �combine elements of both public and literary symbols. Example:

What to Know About Symbols: � Are concrete or visual � Often reappear throughout the work � Are literary elements and stand for something essentially different from themselves � Relate to the work’s theme Common Personal, Public, and Literary Symbols are: � Animals � Plants � Elements (wind, water, fire) � Colors � Numbers