"What is Symbolism?": A Literary Guide for English Teachers and Students

[@SWLF]

This video now includes Spanish as well as English subtitles. For a full list of dual-language videos in our series, please see the following site: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms

[@EphemeraProductions]

i want this guy as my teacher, he is so amazing

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your kind words, Téo! We're happy to hear you enjoyed the video and we hope you enjoy the others in our series as well!

[@tk006]

Greetings General Kenobi

[@_sweetdessert]

That was actually very descriptive and easy to interpret, thank you!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, SweetDessert! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@muneerasabry2204]

The best explanation. I loved it. Even my daughter loves watching your detailed video. Thank you so much.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your kind words, Muneera! We hope you and your daughter enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@josuebenvindo]

This video is a bless. Thank you from Brazil! Could you please indicate some books about this subject?

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for the comment, josuebenvindo! We're delighted to see our series making its way to Brazil, and we hope all is well with you during the ongoing public health crisis in our two countries. If you are interested in learning more, you can visit our dedicated pages to each literary term on our website (in this case, here): liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-symbolism These pages offer a full transcript of each video and include suggestions for further readings and applications for literature teachers and students.

[@RickhunterSDF1]

He’s responding to all the comments, what a mad lad

[@SWLF]

@@RickhunterSDF1 Ha! When COVID-19 and wildfire smoke keep you indoors, you have to do something to keep sane.

[@DIsfiguredDIno]

This helped so much; Thank you!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, @DIsfiguredDIno ! We hope you check out more lessons from the series if you have the time!

[@thewanderer37]

Informative video, thank you! I'm currently writing a novel and exploring lots of different literature in the process, this helped me to progress my writing, and introduced me to a new author in Sorrentino.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Anthony! We hope you find the other videos in our series useful to you as well. Good luck with that novel!

[@calebrenji]

Very Helpful, I used this to understand symbolism for my Literature task. Thank you.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your kind words, Caleb. We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@SWLF]

Please drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of our video! Doing so will help us to build a rich digital learning environment around the topic of literary characters.

[@SWLF]

@Dan Thompson Thanks so much for your kind words, Dan. We'll be sure to add the suggestions to the growing list of terms we'd like to cover. And yeah, an entire series on theme--a concept that can be quite challenging for students to wrap their heads around--is a great idea.

[@arwaezzy6457]

It helped me with my biggest exam thank you!! Very well lecture love itttt!!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, @arwaezzy6457 ! We hope you find the other videos in our series useful as well!

[@asmaaelsokkary1196]

I can't find a word to describe this beneficial leacture, thank you

[@SWLF]

Wow, thanks so much for your kind words, asmaaelsokkary1196! We hope you enjoy the other lessons in our series as well!

[@tinabaako1903]

This is so helpful! Thank you!

[@SWLF]

You are very welcome, Tina! We are delighted to hear it and hope you enjoy the other video lessons in our series as well!

[@amrutha4814]

Thankyou ❤️ This gave me some ideas for my upcoming presentation

[@SWLF]

Awesome! Good luck with that presentation, Amrutha!

[@muneerasabry2204]

You are an amazing teacher.

[@rochellelaniog172]

Hi just wanna ask. what's the importance of symbolism in literature?

[@SWLF]

Great question, Rochelle! Authors will often build elaborate symbolic structures into their poems, plays, and stories, and understanding these structures can help us to better understand their themes, characters, and events.

[@universalgrandpa]

In two separate paragraphs answer the following based on reading by Nathaniel Hawthorne: What do you think the black veil symbolizes? What do you think the minister has been trying to tell the people through his symbolic gesture of the veil.

[@chessematics]

Eye opening explanation. Thank you sir!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Chessematics! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@giz7960]

That's so good informations, thanks a lott

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your kind words. We hope you enjoy the other videos in the series as well!

[@tamarsilverman2009]

It was a bit confusing, but zi think J got thd gist, and a few examples of how to find symbols, and if they are simpler or more deep in their usage.

[@SWLF]

Thanks, Tamar! If you'd like to see a full transcript of the lesson, check it out here: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-symbolism

[@nersha8472]

Nicely explained, I'd love to see videos on novel reviews too.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for the suggestion, Nersha! We'll give it some thought as we plan out the future directions for the site.

[@Kitbats]

Incredible video. It helped me understand more on symbolism for my output and even in other parts of it indirectly.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Denzel! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@lionhogwarts3642]

Can you make a video on epithet and allusion please

[@SWLF]

Thanks for the suggestion, lionhogwarts3642! We do have a "What is an allusion?" up on our page, and we'll add epithet to the list!

[@Sainikrish2000]

Your way of explanation amezing 👌👌👌👍👍☺️ So much useful video , love from India ❣️

[@SWLF]

Wow, thanks so much, Krishna! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@ZozoZozo-ym1yy]

Hi professor ..Can you help. me to learn speaking English language ? I'm Arabic woman and like to learn English

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for your suggestion, Zoza! We are rolling out a new video series on Standard English Grammar that we hope will be useful to you as you learn English. The first video in that series is available here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIvNf62kq9aae9U

[@ZozoZozo-ym1yy]

@@SWLF Think you sir very much🌷

[@ZozoZozo-ym1yy]

Thank you

[@ZozoZozo-ym1yy]

@@SWLF thank you

[@Khatoon170]

Symbolism is use or any person , situation , or object or present idea of same sort . Symbolism can be in variety of formats water , symbolism or rebirth fall , representing time change and growth, color yellow ad representing happiness. Characteristics of symbolism when object occurrence, action represents something beyond itself. Writers used symbolism to explain idea or concept to their readers in poetic manner without saying to outright of symbolism. . Types of symbolism are religious, romantic, emotional . Origin of symbolism initially developed as French literary movement in 1880s. Gaining popular credence with publication in 1886 of Jean morea manifesto in lefigaro . Symbolism founded by Gustavo khan and Jean morea . Symbolism first used by these writers who rejected Emile Zola naturalism and favored subjectivity of poets Stephane and Paul Verlaine who both exercised great influence. Symbolism adds depth and layers of meaning to story . Thank you for your wonderful educational literary channel.

[@SWLF]

We love these references to the French Symbolists, Khatoon! (Though we are big fans of Zola...)

[@hemalakshmi4250]

Nicely explained sir 👏 In The Portrait of the Artist as a Young man by James Joyce the protagonist is Stephen Dedalus Stephen symbolizes 1st Christian Martyr and Dedalus is a character from Greek Mythology, who escapes from Crete an island with handmade wings with wax and feathers... Like Dedalus, the protagonist of the novel finally escapes from Ireland which he feels limiting his talents and life!

[@SWLF]

Great work here, Hema! Joyce is quite a good choice for practicing your identification and interpretation of symbols. He certainly builds quite a few into Portrait...

[@hemalakshmi4250]

@@SWLF 😄👍

[@lorenzohamar2778]

Very well made video it really helped me out!

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Lorenzo! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@isleastron8251]

Solid explanation! Can you also do some literary theory videos? Thanks in advance

[@SWLF]

Thanks for the suggestion, Isle! We've had a few suggestions for literary theory, and we tried out a bit of Freud in our "What is the Uncanny?" video. We may put more together later this year.

[@MuhammadSajjad_1992]

Such a beautiful explanation

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Muhammad! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@raziabanoo5164]

Thanks sir , it was really helpful ❤️☺️

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Razia! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@nisrinarrai593]

please, can anyone tell me wht is the symblosim of numbers in literature?

[@SWLF]

Hi, Nisrin. As with other symbols, there are no universal symbolic values for numbers in literature. The number 13, for example, is considered unlucky in American culture, but that number has nothing inherently ominous about it. A better approach to symbols is to determine how the text and its accompanying context encourages us to read a given number with symbolic value.

[@Ziaullah-bk5ut]

Short lecture but to the point 😍keep going

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Zia! We're trying to get a few more recorded before the start of the summer!

[@tetzlaffjo]

I appreciate the broader context of the idea of symbolism here, ie that it is unique to the text, and not drawn from some universal meaning. But sometimes it's so hard to find the symbols in texts and parse out their meanings/significations. A few more examples here would have been really useful. Also, what's the difference between a symbol and a motif? You probably have a video about motif, and I'll go look it up now.

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much for this comment, Jodi! We agree that symbols can be complicated--particularly given the fact that they are not subject to universal categorization. Here's a really simple one taken from Star Wars (to keep with that theme). Whenever Darth Vader appears in that movie, hes usually accompanied by that stirring John Williams track "DonDonDon, Don DA Don, Don DA Don." This music doesn't, of course, HAVE to be associated with Darth Vader, but within the terms of the movie, it is. Incidentally, this is also an example of a motif (or, more specifically, a leitmotif) in which a certain musical phrase is associated (somewhat arbitrarily) with a given character. As this idea suggests, leitmotifs and motifs in general are recurring symbolic patterns, but symbols can also be one offs. Another example of a motif (and a symbol) is the mangled pink teddy bear that keeps showing up in AMC's terrific tv series Breaking Bad. That little teddy bear floating in the pool opens so many episodes of the show, and its strange recurrence forces us as readers to ask why it does--what the little bear is associated with either via metaphor (it is disfigured like Gus Fring is disfigured), synecdoche (a plane crash caused, indirectly, by Walter White's drug business causes the bear to fall into the pool), or metonymy (the character Jane Margolis). OK, one final big one. In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, students often learn that a billboard advertising an eye doctor (TJ Eckleburg) stands in for God, because one character--the traumatized George Wilson--sees the billboard and says "God sees everything." In this dramatic moment, the billboard isn't a stand in for God. Wilson just imbues that billboard with that meaning after the death of his wife. This passage certainly speak to some complicated themes in the novel (e.g. we could talk for a LONG time about the significance of characters confusing capitalism/advertising with religion), but those discussions only make sense if we view symbols as less a marker of how to read the world "correctly" and more a marker of understanding a character's worldview, which is subject to debate. For more on this difference, see our "What is Free Indirect Discourse?" video. We hope that helped!

[@Moodboard39]

In text??

[@lnews810]

Thanks so much 🙂

[@SWLF]

Happy to hear you enjoyed the video, Leesa! We hope you enjoy the others in our series as well!

[@trulyhelpless]

This is what I needed

[@SWLF]

Excellent! We're so happy you found the lesson useful and we hope you enjoy the other videos in the series as well!

[@mmmessiahhh]

Thank you and god bless you all

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Siah! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@timeandattention3945]

How are symbols different from signs ?

[@SWLF]

Great question, Lebohang! Symbols can change fairly dramatically from poem to poem or story to story. Signs, however, are agreed upon symbols within a given community. In other words, symbols are more variable than signs.

[@issraklearningworld1032]

Very informative and helpful

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, ILW! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well.

[@imendridi410]

Thank you

[@SWLF]

You're very welcome, imen! We're delighted to hear that you found the lesson useful.

[@atomicflea4360]

2:46 we're 𝘢𝘭𝘭 going to die sooner than we think, hmm what about imoratals

[@SWLF]

Ha! Yes, except for us immortals.

[@abhikmodak3170]

Thank you alot! It has really helped me, best regards from India

[@SWLF]

Thanks so much, Abhik! We're so happy to see our videos getting some international views!

[@abhikmodak3170]

@@SWLF You guys deserve more

[@SWLF]

@@abhikmodak3170 We're trying! Thanks for getting the word out!

[@nibuminuvlog4317]

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious❤❤

[@SWLF]

Ha! Thanks so much, @nibuminuvlog4317 ! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@hungkc007]

English literature a lot of people have forgotten about symbolism which is very sad in society .

[@legolas-spock-skywalker]

Hold up... we're 𝘢𝘭𝘭 going to die sooner than we think? ...what do you know that I don't???

[@SWLF]

Ha! That's just a bit of dark humor, we'd say.

[@itbehedanielg]

only if we don't stop the red

[@lohithreddy2121]

Thanks u sir

[@SWLF]

You're very welcome, @lohithreddy2121 ! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@Moodboard39]

Symbolism is very interesting. It was known in Russian literature.

[@SWLF]

Interesting! Could you give us an example or two, Alchemist?

[@archaicnymph2977]

Are you paid specifically to respond to all comments? Who runs the channel directly?

[@SWLF]

No one is getting paid for this project, ArchaicNymph. We're all just taking a bit of time out of our regular schedules to do a bit of public outreach.

[@nayajouri9824]

what's the difference between allegory and Symbolism

[@Moodboard39]

@@nayajouri9824 Allegory and symbolism are often confused, but they are not the same thing. Symbolism is the use of symbols, usually physical objects, to represent abstract ideas or qualities. ... Allegory is a work that makes extensive use of symbolism in order to communicate a broader moral or meaning.

[@R2GamerM]

Me link kro ya unlink

[@andrewholloway942]

A cross is an example

[@SWLF]

Nice work here, Andrew. Thanks for keeping the conversation going!

[@5464654135756]

I don’t get it

[@wormly57]

Thanos

[@SWLF]

We're gonna go ahead and assume that you meant thanks rather than the supervillain Thanos from the Avengers movie series here. Thank you for supporting the series!

[@denisebastick9825]

it could mean allot of things 😐😐😐😐

[@HemiClips]

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[@ivysamino]

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[@johnyoutube6746]

Bible is full of symbolism

[@SWLF]

It is indeed! What did you have in mind? And thanks for the comment, john! We hope you enjoy the other videos in our series as well!

[@johnyoutube6746]

@@SWLF I been reading bible since I was a kid Now I know that there are many hidden messages in the bible through symbolism

[@Moodboard39]

Yea, revelation is full of symbolic

[@Moodboard39]

@@johnyoutube6746 indeed. And full of parables, symbolic, allegory , metaphor , figure of speech

[@johnyoutube6746]

@@Moodboard39 Do you know what/who is the God in the bible

[@morescodesup2087]

Is this memes for academics?

[@SWLF]

Ha! Interesting metaphor, @morescodesup2087 ! But what is the nature of the vehicle / tenor relationship here? Check out our "What are vehicles and tenors?" video and then let us know your thoughts...

[@ReyanshGyaneshwar-x1i]

bro got racist

[@SWLF]

Hmm, well, we certainly disagree, Reyansh. If you check out the entire video, Prof. Elbom is suggesting that popular culture often creates simplistic symbols based upon color, but those very symbols (like white) are NOT universal symbols invested with one meaning.

[@ReyanshGyaneshwar-x1i]

@@SWLF i was just kidding

[@ReyanshGyaneshwar-x1i]

@@SWLF i know you said that i watched the vid till the end

[@SWLF]

@@ReyanshGyaneshwar-x1i Phew! Thanks, Reyansh!

[@ILLUMINONY]

Makes you think about what the eye on the pyramid behind the dollar bill means huh? 👁 #followthewhiterabbit🕳🐇

[@intellectually_lazy]

seriously? that's all? really not much, is it? barely a snack. gtfooh! come back when you got something

[@SWLF]

Hmm, well we certainly disagree, @intellectually_lazy . We try to keep these videos incredibly short to encourage viewers to pursue the topic for themselves in greater depth. They are meant to be a starting point, not a complete picture.

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

I would sugest a book on Semiology, the study of signs and symbols. A good text book on the subject will go through - the three main types of symbols; Symbolic, iconic and Indexical - the main players in studying symbols, like linguists like Sausure, Levi-Strass, and pragmatists like Barthes, Propps, Jakobson -it should discuse in detail the differences between the two basic communication dimensions of Loungue and Parole -and should explain how contex encodes meaning into symbols. That would be a good place to start if you want the meat and potatoes.

[@muneerasabry2204]

Sir, can I have your email

[@SWLF]

We can't guarantee a response, but you are welcome to reach out to our main office to share any questions you might have for our professors. The contact info is available here: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf

[@johaniskandar894]

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[@lucianlws]

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