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Tuesday 3 May 2011

LITERATURE 2 : Symbols

Hello kids....
I had a great time discussing about theme with you guys in class....
Let's continue with another literary device which is, SYMBOL....
What is 
SYMBOL?
A symbol is the use of a concrete object to represent an abstract idea. The word symbol is derived from the Greek verb “symballein” which means “to put together and the related noun “symbolon” which means “mark”, “taken” or “sign”.

The term, symbol, when used in literature is often a figure of speech in which a person, object, or situation represent something in addition to its literal meaning. Conventional or traditional literary symbols work in much the same way, and because they have a previously agreed upon meaning, they can be used to suggest ideas more universal than the physical aspect itself.

A symbol may appear in a work of literature in a number of different ways to suggest a number of different things. Most commonly, a symbol will present itself in the form of
1) a word
2) a figure of speech
3) an event
4) the total action
5) a character.

So, let’s revise some symbols in your literary text….

What is the symbolism in poem ‘In the Midst of Hardship’ by Latiff Mohidin?

 
IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

At dawn they returned home
their soaky clothes torn
and approached the stove
their limbs marked by scratches
their legs full of wounds
but on their brows
there was not a sign of despair

The whole day and night just passed
they had to brave the horrendous flood
in the water all the time
between bloated carcasses
and tiny chips of tree barks
desperately looking for their son's
albino buffalo that was never found

They were born admist hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
now they are in the kitchen, making
jokes while rolling their cigarette leaves

-Latiff Mohidin


Go through the poem above…. Find the symbolism in the poem…
Write down your answer in your literature exercise book….
We’ll discuss the answer in our literature class tomorrow….
Till then, I’ll see you in the next entry….. :)

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