Symbolism in Literature
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of using symbolism in literature?

  • To confuse the reader with complex meanings
  • To specify an idea directly to the reader
  • To create a literal representation of the story
  • To convey ideas without directly stating them (correct)
  • What can be used to identify symbols in literature?

  • The dictionary definition of the symbol
  • The context in which the symbol is used (correct)
  • The writer's personal experience
  • The reader's intuition
  • What is true about the reader's interpretation of symbolism in literature?

  • It is discouraged in literary analysis
  • It is only valid if agreed upon by all readers
  • It must always match the writer's intended meaning
  • It can be valid and supported by the text (correct)
  • What is an example of a figurative language device that is not symbolism?

    <p>Onomatopoeia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the birds in Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening?

    <p>They symbolize women's liberation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the parrot in the story symbolize?

    <p>Blind obedience, similar to the expectation of women during that time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of imagery in literature?

    <p>To help readers form pictures, imagine movement, and feel emotion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of imagery is used in the sentence 'I got incredibly heavy boots about how relatively insignificant life is...'?

    <p>Organic imagery</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the bird with a broken wing symbolize in the story?

    <p>The inner conflict that the protagonist is unable to resolve</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the Raven in Edgar Allan Poe's poem?

    <p>It symbolizes the speaker's grief and serves as an ominous presence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of symbolic imagery in literature?

    <p>To analyze the author's message to the reader</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried, what does the construction of the long list of items in each backpack symbolize?

    <p>The emotional weight of war</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the poem Metaphors by Sylvia Plath, what type of imagery is used to symbolize the waiting, weary discomfort, and anxious anticipation of pregnancy?

    <p>Auditory imagery</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes, what does the image of a raisin symbolize?

    <p>An old dried-up dream</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main idea behind the use of symbolic imagery in literature?

    <p>To analyze the themes and symbolism in the text</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Figurative Language

    • Figurative language is the opposite of literal language, meaning its meaning is not its dictionary definition
    • Types of figurative language include metaphors, similes, personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and symbolism
    • Symbols add deeper meaning to a story, and their meaning depends on the context in which they are found

    Symbolism

    • Symbols represent something other than what they literally represent
    • Writers use symbols to convey ideas without specifying the idea, encouraging readers to contemplate themes
    • Readers might interpret symbolism differently, as long as conclusions are valid and supported by the text
    • Examples of symbolism include:
      • Birds in Kate Chopin's The Awakening (representing freedom, obedience, and inner conflict)
      • The Raven in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" (representing grief, loss, and death)

    Imagery

    • Imagery is achieved through sensory language, appealing to the reader's senses
    • Types of imagery include:
      • Visual (appealing to sight)
      • Auditory (appealing to sound)
      • Olfactory (appealing to smell)
      • Gustatory (appealing to taste)
      • Tactile (appealing to touch)
      • Kinesthetic (using motion words to convey movement)
      • Organic (appealing to emotions)
    • Examples of imagery include:
      • Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (heavy boots symbolizing emotional stress)
      • Sylvia Plath's "Metaphors" (using sensory language to describe pregnancy)

    Symbolic Imagery

    • Symbolic imagery combines imagery and symbolism to convey themes
    • Examples of symbolic imagery include:
      • Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried (soldiers' backpacks symbolizing the physical and emotional weight of war)
      • Langston Hughes' "Harlem" (using sensory language to describe an unfulfilled dream, symbolizing the African American experience)

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    Explore the world of figurative language and learn about symbolism, a literary device that adds deeper meaning to stories. Discover how symbols represent something beyond their literal definition.

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