Symbolism in Literature

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?

Onomatopoeia Signup and view all the answers

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

They symbolize women's liberation Signup and view all the answers

What does the parrot in the story symbolize?

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

What is the purpose of imagery in literature?

To help readers form pictures, imagine movement, and feel emotion 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...'?

Organic imagery Signup and view all the answers

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

The inner conflict that the protagonist is unable to resolve Signup and view all the answers

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

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

What is the purpose of symbolic imagery in literature?

To analyze the author's message to the reader 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?

The emotional weight of war 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?

Auditory imagery Signup and view all the answers

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

An old dried-up dream Signup and view all the answers

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

To analyze the themes and symbolism in the text 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)