Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent deeper meanings or themes.
What is symbolism? How and why would you use it?
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent deeper meanings or themes.
Symbols are usually objects which are easy to understand.
What they represent is more complex.
We use symbols every day. Some are universal.
We all know that a red rose symbolises love or romance.
A clock is a symbol of time.
Diamonds can represent wealth or value.
A white flag symbolises surrender or a truce.
Symbolism helps writers illustrate and develop the themes of their story.
If you wanted to explore the theme of death, you might use symbols like:
The colour black
Angel’s wings
or even a skull
These symbols provoke emotions in the reader linked to death, adding depth beyond action or conversation.
In her poem 'Revelation', Liz Lochhead uses symbolism to explore the idea of evil through a young girl’s experience on a farm.
“I remember once being shown the black bull… In the yard outside, oblivious hens picked their way about…”
The black bull, half seen in the darkness, symbolises evil. This evil is a danger to order and calm, which is symbolised by eggs as well as innocent female hens.
“I had always half-known he existed – this antidote and Anti-Christ, his anarchy threatening the eggs”
Once these are established as the symbols of the poem, Lochhead uses them to guide us through the heavy concept of evil versus good.
The next time you explore difficult themes in your writing, why not give symbolism a go?
You might just crack it!
Symbols are usually objects, which are easy to understand, but they represent something more complex. We use symbols every day:
- A red rose is a symbol of love or romance.
- A clock is a symbol of time.
- Diamonds symbolise wealth or value.
- A white flag symbolises surrender.
Writers use symbols to explore complicated topics and themes. For example, if you were writing about death, you might use symbols like the colour black, angels' wings or even a skull. These symbols provoke emotions in the reader connected to death.
Revelation
In her poem Revelation, Liz Lochhead uses symbols to explore the theme of evil through a young girl's experience on a farm:
'I remember once being shown the black bull. In the yard outside, oblivious hens picked their way about.'
The black bull, half seen in the darkness, symbolises evil. This evil is a danger to order and calm (which is symbolised by eggs and hens). Once these are established as the symbols of the poem, Lochhead uses them to guide us through the concepts of evil and innocence.
Lord of the Flies
There are many symbols in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. The main character Ralph discovers a conch shell but it is Piggy who thinks what can be done with it. The conch summons the whole group together and, for a time, helps the boys to unite under one leader and have a single organised plan. In this way, the conch becomes a symbol of law and order, democracy and civilisation.
As Jack breaks away from the group he refuses to see the conch as the powerful symbol it once was. Towards the end of the novel Piggy desperately clings on to the conch and at the moment when he is killed the shell is shattered. This symbolises the destruction of the qualities it has come to represent.
