Symbols

Simple Symbolism
 Learning Objective
To understand symbolism in a text.

Success Criteria
• To define symbolism.
• To identify and explain symbolism in a text.
• To use symbolism.
Symbols

We use symbols all the time in today’s world.

For example, if you opened a text message that ended with
one of these emojis, what would the emoji suggest?
Define It
So how would you define a symbol?
Write your definition down.

A symbol is…
a shape, mark, character or idea which
represents something else. It’s a
‘shorthand’ to bigger concepts and
more complex ideas.

How did your definition compare?

Were you close? Amend your
definition if you need to!
Symbols Speak
One symbol can say a surprising amount
and others might say more than one thing.
What do these symbols say? Complete the Symbols Worksheet.

This symbol (or ones like it) is one you might

find near the logo of a fashion brand, movie
studio or a fast food company. It suggests that
the image/product is copyrighted to a person or
a company.

Depending on where you find this symbol, it

might suggest that you’re about to be boarded
by pirates or the substance you’ve found under
the sink is poisonous.
Symbols Speak
One symbol can say a surprising amount
and others might say more than one thing.
What do these symbols say? Complete the Symbols Worksheet.

Most people would associate this symbol with peace,

anti-war sentiments and perhaps the hippie movement
popularised in the 1960s. The symbol, however, had a
much more specific meaning when designed in the
1950s. It was originally designed as a protest symbol
for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

For most, this symbol means that everything is OK. In

other parts of the word the symbol takes on different
meanings. In Japan, it represents money. In the
Middle East, its meaning is quite vulgar and it’s the
equivalent of giving someone the middle finger in
Brazil.

Photo courtesy of LG WHISEN (via Wikimedia Commons) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution
Writers and Symbols

Writers use symbols in the same way.

They might use an object, a person or an
action within their writing to represent
something else entirely.
For example, the novel Of Mice and Men
refers to rabbits over 70 times throughout
the story. While rabbits themselves aren’t
essential to the story itself, rabbits are
used as a symbol of Lennie’s dreams for
the future.
Symbolism is also incredibly common and
frequently found in poetry.
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
By William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
(Stanzas 1 and 2)
Think, Pair, Share:
1. Are there any objects,
people or actions in the
poem? What are they?
2. Could any of these be
symbolising, or
representing, something
else? Look at the way they
are described.
3. What do the symbols
represent? Remember
there may be more than
one idea and there is no
right or wrong answer.
Symbolise Yourself

Choose an object or an action to represent you – it can show an aspect

of your personality, something you enjoy doing or just your mood
today.
You don’t have to choose from the slide – think
of one that’s individual to you!
Share your symbol with the class and see if your
classmates can work out why you chose it.
 Task: Choose objects from
your school campus and your
home, that symbolise bigger
ideas of your life, or culture or
personal values.
Aashtha