Literary definition of symbolism
Symbolism in literature pdf!
Symbolism
Definition of Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary device that refers to the use of symbols in a literary work.
Literary definition of symbolism
A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else; it represents something beyond literal meaning. In literature, a symbol can be a word, object, action, character, or concept that embodies and evokes a range of additional meaning and significance.
For example, in his poem “Fire and Ice,” Robert Frost utilizes symbolism to indicate to readers how the world may be destroyed:
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
In the poem, fire symbolizes destructive and consuming emotions such as jealousy, desire for power, anger, and impulsivity.
Ice, in the poem, symbolizes destructive and withholding emotions such as hate, indifference, loneliness, and