Imagery and symbolism are literary conventions used to enhance an author’s message or theme in poetry and other genres. Imagery creates vivid mental images using sensory words, while symbolism uses concrete objects to represent concepts. They can be used together or separately, and can sometimes be difficult to distinguish. Close examination of a work can reveal their use.
Imagery and symbolism are two literary conventions used in a variety of genres including poetry. They are both used in similar ways to enhance an author’s message or theme, and can sometimes be confusing for that reason. Imagery is a technique that uses strong sensory words to create a vivid mental image for the reader, so that he or she can see something as the author sees it. Symbolism, on the other hand, is the use of a concrete object to represent a concept, idea or situation. Many authors use imagery and symbolism together to enhance the overall theme of a work of literature, but they can also be used separately.
The use of images in a poem or other work of fiction may have the simple purpose of conveying to the reader a full and complete description of something. For example, instead of outright telling the reader that a thunderstorm was heavy, an author may attempt to show this fact by using colorful words such as “booming thunder,” “penetrating lightning,” or “pelting rain” to allow the reader to draw the conclusion alone. Many times, a writer will use images to signal to the reader that the description of a particular item is an important part of the overall story or message being conveyed.
Imagery and symbolism are often used together, which can sometimes make it difficult to identify them as two separate literary conventions. A thunderstorm that has been accurately depicted using imagery could also be used to symbolize, or represent, a concept such as chaos or discontent between characters or in a certain situation. An author may also begin a scene by telling the reader about the rainstorm, then move on to an argument between characters or a major twist in the story. In this case, the thunderstorm is used to symbolize the negative feelings and emotions of the characters.
Sometimes, the imagery and symbolism can be recognized through a close examination of a poem or other literary work. When an author uses images, there will be a large number of adjectives and adverbs used that appeal to many different senses. These words will be very specific and will give the reader a mental picture of the object being described. Symbolism, on the other hand, can be accompanied by a great deal of description, or sometimes very little. The object used as a symbol will often appear repeatedly throughout the writing, such as the appearance of ravens in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, symbolizing impending doom.
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