Symbol

A symbol is usually something small that represents something else in the larger scheme of things. Symbols could be reoccurring or they can simply be present once. However, the most important aspect of symbols is what they really represent. In a lot of poetry and longer works, symbols can be as simple as a repeated color, word, phrase, or feeling. For example, the repetition of the color white in the novel The Great Gastby sheds light to Daisy's seeming purity and her quiet and dainty personality. Moreover, although it may seem that the color white is just a description of Daisy's clothing and other personal objects, a closer look reveals that the color symbolizes the depth of Daisy's character while shedding light to her true persona. Unlike in novels, when a symbol is repeated multiple times throughout the work, symbols in poetry are usually mentioned once or referred to very little throughout the poem. But, symbols in poetry tend to have a much deeper meaning than it may seem on the surface. Therefore, symbols in long and short works may not appear to be the same, but in reality the two function the same, revealing a deeper meaning through a simpler word or phrase.