Literary Term 10 – Symbolism

Symbolism –  Something which is both itself and also represents an idea, for example a rose may symbolize beauty. A flag, for example, is the symbol of a country; a smile symbolizes friendship.

Symbols might have different meanings for different people and different cultures. The color red, for example, symbolizes good luck in some cultures (China, red string bracelets, etc) and in others, it symbolizes danger; “thumbs up” symbolizes that things are O.K., or good, in Western civilization, but in Greece it could be taken as an insult. 

Try to match these symbols with their traditional meanings: 

Look for a example of symbolism in the poem