symbolism and figurative language Flashcards
symbol
something that represents something else
sometimes: symbol resembles or closely relates to what it presents; usually: association is arbitrary or subtle
literary symbolism
in literature: symbol compares or puts together two things that are in some ways dissimilar
- rich and varied meanings
- because of its significance, a symbol usually
appears/is hinted at numerous times
- may be understood as an extended figure of
speech that rewards further interpretation
traditional symbols
symbols that have been in use by many people for a long time (f.e. dove)
archetypes
a few symbolic character types/plots/objects/settings that have become so pervasive and have recurred in many cultures
allegory
‘extended’ symbol or series of symbols that encompasses a whole work
- concrete things and abstract concepts may be associated with each other across a narrative that consistently maintains at least two distinct levels of meaning - set up series of correspondences → help reader translate these correspondences through the use of names that function as labels (often with obvious moral implications)
myth
entire story is allegorical or symbolic
- originally referred to a story of communal origin
providing an explanation or religious interpretation of
humanity/nature/the universe/relations among them - term is sometimes applied to stories associated with
religions we don’t believe in or literature that seeks to
express experiences or truths that transcend any one
location/culture/time
figures of speech
- also supplement or replace literal meaning often by
creating imaginative connections between our ideas
and our senses- sometimes referred to as tropes
- bending the usual meaning of language and
shaping our response to a work - contribute to the imagery/image of the story
allusion
a reference, usually brief, to another text or some person or entity external to the work. Examples may range from a direct quotation of the Bible to the mention of a famous name.
irony
a meaning or outcome contrary to what is expected; in verbal irony, a speaker or narrator says one thing and means the reverse. When the intended meaning is harshly critical or mocking, it is called sarcasm. If a teenager says, “I just love it when my mom lectures me,” she may well be using irony.
metaphor
a representation of one thing as if it were something else, without a verbal signal such as like or as. When, in SONNY’S BLUES, the narrator remarks that the musician Creole “let out the reins” (par. 237), he does not speak literally. Rather, he suggests the freer, faster way that the fiddler begins to play by implicitly likening it to the way a rider slackens her hold on the reins that constrain her horse’s movements.
metonymy
using the name of one thing to refer to another thing associated with it. The common phrase red tape is a metonym for excessive paperwork and procedure that slows down an official transaction, based on the fact that such paperwork used to be tied up with red tape.
oxymoron
a combination of contradictory or opposite ideas, qualities, or entities, as in wise fool or jumbo shrimp.
personification
sometimes called anthropomorphism, attributing human qualities to objects or animals. When he observes “the drums talked back,” “the horn insisted” (par. 237), the narrator of SONNY’S BLUES personifies these musical instruments.
simile
a representation of one thing as if it were something else, with an explicit verbal signal such as like or as. In To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), Scout describes a teacher who “looked and smelled like a peppermint drop” and bored students “wriggling like a bucket of Catawba worms.”
symbol
a person, place, object, or image that represents more than its literal meaning. A symbol is more than a passing comparison (such as a simile); instead, as in allegory, its meaning usually relates to most details and themes of the work. Unlike allegory, a symbol usually associates more than two entities or ideas and may be obscure or ambiguous in its meaning. Literary works may refer to their central symbolic figure in their titles, as in Raymond Carver’s CATHEDRAL.
