For nautical newbies, an astrolabe is a medieval instrument, now replaced by the sextant, that was once used to determine the altitude of the sun or other celestial bodies.
The Rumble of Symbols
by Glynda Francis
Hear it? There — in the background of the story's symphony. It's the ting-ting-a-ting and the kettledrum roll giving subtle definitions to the story's music.
But what is it really?
A symbol is an item that represents, embodies something else such as an idea or a quality.
Why is it important in writing?
When using symbolism, you capitalize the impact your words have on a reader. You lead your reader's perceptions with what you highlight through symbols you select. You evoke the understanding you want readers to experience.
Remember that words carry meanings and associations other than their literal ones, connotations as well as denotations. Skillful manipulation of a symbol reinforces your writing.
Look at the word "tree". Sometimes, a plant big enough to give your character shade is all you need. Every reader will mentally picture a different tree (oak, elm, willow, pine ...), will have different memories, thoughts, associations about the tree. But if you're specific about the tree's species, you have available to you more depth and range of meanings, of associations attached to that tree for the purposes of the story.
Let's say the tree is an oak. The mighty oak. A few connotations: strength, the small growing to the great, power in the face of trouble. But digging into oak's deeper meanings, we see authority, victory, longevity, hospitality, stability, strength, honor, eternity, endurance, liberty, masculine energy, truth... The oak represented the link between king and land, hence nobility and divine appointment. Because it signified eternity to some, pioneers buried children and placed cemeteries near an oak or oak grove. Oak was a warning against obstinance and rigidity — a powerful storm or lightning strike could break it. The Gaelic word for oak, duir, means door and is associated with an entryway to truth, to revelations, to another place as well as the security provided by the door of one's dwelling.
Not bad for something that drops leaves and acorns all over the lawn in the fall.
Arrays of symbolic meanings are available for many things: colors, animals, plants, inanimate objects, numbers, geometrics, conditions, character archetypes, plots, et cetera. The writer need only decide what symbols to emphasize for the story and research several sources.
Ah, but there's more.
You can redefine an existing symbol, shift the paradigm for your story's purpose. As long as you make the symbol's new meaning clear, the reader will attach your established significance to the item in the story each time s/he sees it.
In addition, you can create new symbols for your story. When creating a fictional culture, symbols codify answers to life questions pertaining to birth, marriage, child rearing, education, spirituality, and death.
What are symbols?
They're heartbeats of words. ~BE
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G.L. Francis is a writer, artist, and jane-of-many-trades. She loves the adventure of stories and life.
