Part Seven: Symbols,
Allusion, and Allegory
Symbols, allegory, and allusion are typically concepts we expect to recognize
in the work of other writers. Yet, with a little understanding of how
each of these work, we can employ them to add additional dimensions to our
own writing. Though these tools may no longer be as fashionable as
they once were, they still are viable and powerful when used effectively.
A symbol is something that stands for (represents) a more complex
idea. Some might think that we no longer use symbols, but we certainly
do. Once the domain of the church and the visual artist, symbols are
employed in a slightly different manner today. Golden Arches™,
anyone? Do you have a little Swoop™ on your lucky sneakers?
The people in marketing understand that we still respond to the power of
association between a visual representation and the concept it represents.
Some other common symbols you might recognize are a dove representing peace
or a hawk for war.
In his “A Retrospect” Ezra Pound calls for “Direct treatment
of the 'thing' whether subjective or objective.” In his discussion
of symbols he states:
I believe that the proper and perfect symbol
is the natural object, that if a man use 'symbols' he must so use them that
their symbolic function does not obtrude; so that a sense, and the poetic
quality of the passage, is not lost to those who do not understand the symbol
as such, to whom, for instance, a hawk is a hawk.” It comes from the writer's
not realizing that the natural object is always the adequate symbol
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If we listen to Pound’s advice, to write a poem that uses a symbol effectively,
we need to find something that works on both the literal level and on the
symbolic level as well. Just the suggestion of certain words can add
a bit of this secondary dimension, a narrator looking at a clock could imply
an additional significance that ”time is running out”. If you think
about what your images can signify beyond the literal level, you will begin
to include this depth in your writing.
An allusion is one author’s reference to another author’s work.
Typically, the second work can be only completely appreciated through recognition
of the allusion and knowledge of the first work. Possibly one of the
most alluded to authors of all time is William Shakespeare. Even in
the contemporary world, we can find allusions to his sonnets and plays.
The song “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun” by the singer “Sting”
is a direct allusion to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130.
Mention that your neighbor is a “Romeo” and we understand that he is a dedicated
lover.
Perhaps the easiest way to write a poem using an allusion is to write
a “reply” poem. Find a poem that you enjoy and write a response to
the speaker. Out of the English literature cannon, one famous line
has triggered multiple responses “Come live with me and be my love/and we
will all the pleasures prove”. See “The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd” by
Sir Walter Raleigh written in reply to Andrew Marvell’s “The Passionate
Shepherd to his Love” the poem in which our line appears. Of course,
any poem that sparks your interest can act as the trigger for writing your
own poem.
Allegory is a little trickier. It is a personification
of a particular trait. To see a version of allegory in a movie, rent
the movie “Seven” in which a serial killer forces each of his victims to
ritualize their sins. Each of the victims comes to vividly represent “Sloth”,
“Gluttony”, or another of these “deadly sins”. Perhaps the most
famous literary example of allegory would be the tale Pilgrim’s Progress
in which the pilgrim meets such characters as “Faithful” and “Talkative” among
others.
Poet Stephen Dobyns in his book “Velocities” includes a similar series
of sketches, which demonstrate that even an old tool like allegory can put
to good use in contemporary writing. To write a poem using allegory,
Dobyns picked a character trait or emotion and built a character completely
focused on that trait. In characterizing “Envy” Dobyns wrote, “I put
on the news of your success/like a coat of nails”. To write
about “Hate”, “Sincerity”, or any other emotion in this manner, imagine a
person who typifies these traits let them be the speaker of the poem.
Through utilizing symbol, allusion, and allegory, you might find yourself
writing a different type of poem than usual. Perhaps, one that conveys more
than the sum of its parts. As you read the work of other authors, see
if you can find instances where the poet has used an object in an unusual
manner, this might be indication that the poem is to be understood on more
than one level. Explore the possibilities in your own writing and studies.
If you are interested in reading more in depth on symbol, allusion, and allegory,
I recommend “The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics”
which delves into these concepts in considerable detail.
Next: Part Eight - Pestered by Punctuation |
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