Symbolism in English Literature - 2444 Words

Archetypal figures present in Chaucer’s â€Å"The Miller’s Tale† By Josà © Luis Guerrero Cervantes According to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, an archetype is a symbolic formula that begins to work wherever there are no conscious ideas present. They are innate universal psychic dispositions that form the substrate from which the basic themes of human life emerge[1]. The archetype is experienced in projections, powerful affect images, symbols, moods, and behavior patterns such as rituals, ceremonials and love. Jung[2] compared the archetype, the pre-formed tendency to create images, to a dry river bed. Rain gives form and direction to the flow, we name the river, but it is never a thing located in any place, it is a form but never the same,†¦show more content†¦And she had plucked her eyebrows into bows, Slenderly arched they were, and black as sloes; And a more truly blissful sight to see She as than blossom on a cherry-tree, [†¦] Her mouth was sweet as mead or honey –say A hoard of apples lying in the hay. Skittish she was, and jolly as a colt, Tall as a mast and upright as a bolt Out of bow. [†¦] She was a daisy, O a lollypop For any nobleman to take to bed Or some good man of yeoman stock to wed.[9] Everything in her is lovely. Chaucer centers his attention on the physical description and little is said about her character. However, the adjectives â€Å"skittish†, â€Å"jolly†, â€Å"tall† and â€Å"upright† describe her as someone irreproachable in any sense. After she falls in love with Alison, all the marvelous image of Alison disappears when she decides to play a cruel joke to Absalon: Absalon started wiping his mounth dry. Dark was the night as pitch, as black as coal, And at the window out she put her hole, And Absalon, so fortune framed the farce, Put up his mouth and kissed her naked arse Most savorously before he knew of this.[10] As it can be observed, Alison’s attitude changes dramatically after meeting Nicholas (the object of desire). This desire unleashes those feelings that are the negative counterpart of the male â€Å"Animus†. â€Å"Eve† development of â€Å"Anima† helps toShow MoreRelatedSamuel Clemens : The Father Of American Literature1614 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Literature is a literary genre that is one of the many branches formed from the much broader literary genre, English Literature. Stories such as The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, The Crucible, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are all popular examples of American Literature. Many of the most well-known written works of American Literature can be funneled back to one person, Samuel Clemens. Many people might say, who is Samuel Clemens? However, if they are informed of his â€Å"pen† name, theyRead MoreEnglish Language Arts Lesson Plan: Edgar Allen Poes The Raven618 Words   |  3 PagesEnglish Langua ge Arts Lesson In this activity, I have planned a lesson reviewing the infamous poem, The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. The lesson itself is intended to follow the Alabama State Standards for Seventh Grade Language Arts. According to the state standards for literature, the form, theme, tone, and syntax of poems must be analyzed and understood, as stated in standards one through 6 (Alabama Learning Exchange, 2010). Thus the following activities are meant to be undertaken by studentsRead MoreSir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1109 Words   |  5 Pagesthree is linked with magic in folklore and with the Trinity in Christian symbolism† (Blanch 4). There are many things within this narration which resemble symbolism of a much larger meaning. The Gawain Poet uses the green girdle, the number three and the pentangle as symbolism with in the story. The pentangle symbolizes the virtues to which Gawain aspires and the faultless in his five senses. The green girdle’s symbolism changes over the course of the narrative, the color is linked to the greenRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreStevenson and Conrad: The Duality of Human Nature 949 Words   |  4 PagesConrad also employs the literary device of symbolism to further display the theme, the duality of human nature in his novella Heart of Darkness. Three major examples of symbolism are evident in this novella. These examples include, light and dark, the Congo River, and ivory. Similar to Stevenson, Conrad uses light and dark symbolism throughout his novella. Yet curiously in Heart of Darkness, light does not symbolize genuine goodness nor doe s dark symbolize pure calamity. Marlow proves this when heRead MoreJane Eyre vs Wide Sargasso Sea Essay example1635 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Tyler Perimenis Professor Mathews English 2301W 21 October 2014 Symbolism through Theme Of Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea â€Å"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it,† stated Herman Melville. As implied, without theme, no novel can be considered â€Å"mighty† or have any depth. Theme is essential in any work of art. Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Brontà « that takes the readerRead MoreHow The Cask of Amontillado Uses Symbolism and Irony1291 Words   |  6 Pages Often, writers use symbolism to describe an object with more clarity to the reader. It provides additional layers of meaning to a text. Symbolism is not only important in literature but is also important in everyday life. For instance, symbolism is found in colors, objects, and on flowers. For example a rose can represent love and romance. Symbolism is used in literature, movies, and even on street signs. Such as the colors in the street light: red means stop, yellow means slow down, and the greenRead MoreSymbolism in the Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe1655 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism in The Masque of the Red Death The Masque of the Red Death is a short story written by acclaimed literary author, Edgar Allen Poe. The story is an emphasis on the fact that there is no avoiding death, no matter how hard you try, which is the overall theme. The text tells the story of Prince Prospero whose town is being plagued by the dreaded Red Death. He attempts to avoid the plague by inviting 1,000 of his closest friends, all of which are variably different, to isolate themselvesRead More Comparing Symbols and Symbolism in Blue Hotel, Black Cat, Night, Alfred Prufrock, Red Wheelbarrow1620 Words   |  7 PagesColor Symbolism in Blue Hotel,  Black Cat, Night,  Alfred Prufrock,  Red Wheelbarrow      Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism of colors is evident in much of literature. The Blue Hotel by Stephen Crane, The Black Cat of Edgar Allan Poe, Night by William Blake, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot, and The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams encompass examples of color symbolism from both the prose and the poetry of literature. When drawing from various modes of psychology, interpretationsRead MoreHow Theme Shapes a Story632 Words   |  3 PagesRunning Head: Theme How Theme Shapes a Story By Trina Carr English 125 Instructor: Clifton Edwards Running Head: Theme page 1 Like many people who haven’t studied literature, if someone asked me what the theme of a story was, I would have given a synopsis of the story detailing the actions and characters in it. As I have come to learn, theme is much more than a distilled retelling of a story