Symbolism in Literature
So, in literature there is called “Symbolism”. What does symbolism mean in literature? In literature, symbolism used to produce an impact, which you can attaching an additional meaning to an action, an object, or even a name. Symbolism takes something that is usually concrete and associates it into something else in order to give it a new and more significant meaning.
So, in other words, a symbolism allows the writer to convey something to their audiences in a poetic way instead of saying it directly. For example, “You are like a rose”. Rose in here is a symbolism from a rose in real life which describes that the rose is beautiful if you look from far, but you’ll get hurt if you’re too close. Another example, we can seen from our life, like when a man confess his love to the woman he love, he will bring a red rose, or red flower. So what does it mean? It means that the red rose stands for a love or something romance.
Another example, but from literature is from the Shakespeare’s famous monologue in His play, As You Like It:
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
These lines are symbolic of the fact that men and women, in the course of their lives, perform different roles. “A stage” here symbolizes the world, and “players” is a symbol for human beings.
So in Literature, Symbolism divided into 5 types. There are Metaphor, Simile, Allegory, Archetype, and Myth.
- Metaphor
A metaphor is an implicit comparison of one thing to another without use of a commonly known sign or equation. Metaphor is a means of asserting that two things are identical in comparison rather than just similar. This is useful in literature for using specific images or concepts to state abstract truths.
For example, one of the most famous metaphors in literature is featured in this line from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet, the sun!
In this metaphor, Juliet is compared to the sun. In fact, this figure of speech claims that Juliet is the sun. Of course, the reader understands that Romeo does not believe that Juliet is literally the sun. Instead, the comparison demonstrates the idea that Romeo equates Juliet with the beauty, awe, and life-giving force of the sun. To Romeo, symbolically, Juliet and the sun are the same. - Simile
A simile differs from a metaphor in that a simile is not implied-it explicitly denotes a comparison. It is very often uses either the word like or as.
For example, “My body is as strong as an ox” In this sentences, it means that my body is the same with an ox, from the strength, endurance, and etc. Another example is “I love you like you love him”. In here it means that I love her, and my love for her is the same like how she loved him. - 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. In short, Allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters, places, and objects in a narrative carry figurative meaning. Often an allegory’s meaning is religious, moral, or historical in nature. But, there’s a difference between the Allegory and the Metaphor. 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. Allegory divided into 3 different types and they have their own different purposes. There are Biblical Allegory, Classical Allegory, and Modern Allegory.
- Biblical Allegory. Biblical allegory invokes themes from the Bible, and often explores the struggle between good and evil. One example of Biblical allegory is C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. The lion, Aslan, represents a Christ character, who is the rightful ruler of the kingdom of Narnia. Aslan sacrifices himself for Edmund, the Judas figure, and is resurrected to rule over Narnia once again.
- Classical Allegory. One of the best known allegories in classical literature is Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In this story, Plato imagines people living in a cave, only ever seeing objects as shadows reflected on the wall from the light of a fire — rather than seeing the objects directly. Plato used the cave as a symbolic representation of how humans live in the world, contrasting reality versus our interpretation of it
- Modern Allegory. Modern allegory includes many instances of a phenomenon called “allegoresis,” which refers to the interpretation of works as allegorial without them necessarily being intended that way. For example, there is an ongoing debate among readers about J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series, and whether or not the books were written as an allegory for World War I.
The example of an Allegory in Literature is from George Orwell, Animal Farm. In this farm fable, animals run a society that divides into factions and mirrors the rise of Leon Trotsky and the Russian Revolution. The story can be read as a fable of farm animals running a society, or it can be interpreted as the author’s criticism of communism.
Another example is from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter. In Hawthorne’s novel, set in the 1600s but published in 1850, Hester Prynne is forced to undergo public humiliation, including wearing the scarlet letter “A” (standing for “adultress”) after she becomes pregnant out of wedlock. The scarlet letter is itself an allegorical representation of sin, and how society punishes it. The novel can be read as a criticism of the hypocrisy of a Puritanical society.
4. 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. Or it can defined that a character is created based on a set of qualities or traits that are specific and identifiable for readers. For example, for you who read manga or some action genres, you will hear about someone called “Hero”. So, what is a hero in your mind? A hero is generally the protagonist of a narrative and displays ubiquitous characteristics such as courage, perseverance, sacrifice, and rising to challenge. Even though heroes may appear in different literary forms across the time and culture, but their characterization tends to be an universal thus making them archetypal characters. Or maybe another example of an archetype is the literary description of the devil in various works as a cloven-hoofed, horned humanoid.
5. 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.” Another example is from Shakespeare, in his play Romeo and Juliet, uses Greek mythology when Juliet cries out saying that,
“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,
Towards Phoebus’ lodging.”
In Greek mythology, Phoebus was god of the sun, and here Juliet urges that god to bring him home quickly, so that night could come, and she may meet her lover Romeo.
So, that is 5 types of a symbolism. But, what does the symbolism used for?
The functions of symbolism in literature are used to :
- Helps readers visualize complex concepts and follow central themes
- Affords writers the chance to relate big ideas in an efficient, artful way
- Fosters independent thinking among readers as they go through the process of interpreting the author’s text
- Adds emotional weight to the text
- Helps to conceal a theme that may be too controversial to approach openly
Okay, i think that’s enough for the Symbolism In Literature. Thank you for reading..
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