How to Understand Symbolism in Literature

Literary genres are historically formed and developed literary works that share common formal and substantial forms. The term genre (from the French) in the literature can be applied to literary groups, formed on different grounds. Most often used to refer to the combined works of the content (comedy, tragedy, drama). There is a classification of literary genres in form: an ode, story, play, novel, short story, etc.

Aristotle, in his treatise ‘Poetics’, marked the beginning of the theoretical division of the works but until now the standard interpretation of concepts such as gender, type and genre does not exist. It has become rather difficult to identify a single principle of division of labour of poetry and prose in the forms and genres especially given the fact that literary genres constantly “changing and replaced” with the passage of time.

Symbolism – is an aesthetic trend in literature, music, painting and architecture formed in France and other European countries at the turn of 19-20 centuries.

Instructions

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    The term "symbolism" in art was introduced by the French poet Jea Moreasom. Formation of symbolism in France was associated with the greatest poets - Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine and Stéphane Mallarmé. Symbolists radically changed the arts and the attitude to it. Experimentation, the nature of the new trend, the desire for innovation, cosmopolitanism became a model for most of the trends in contemporary art. Symbolism includes innuendo, mystery, mystique or hints.

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    Background of symbolism emerged from the crisis that hit Europe in the second half of the 19th century. Reappraisal of the past has resulted in a creative rebellion against the narrow naturalism and materialism and the freedom of religious and philosophical inquiry. The limited and superficial understanding of the world later confirmed multiple scientific discoveries in mathematics and physics.

    Discovery of radiation, the invention of wireless communication, quantum theory and relativity shattered the materialist doctrine. The consciousness of the incompleteness and inaccuracy of previous knowledge pushed to find new ways of understanding the world. One such way has been proposed Symbolists.

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    According to them, the symbol provides a holistic view of reality. Symbolist movement of major importance attached to restore relations with the other world, which resulted in the increase in the role of fiction in fascination with mysticism, theosophy, occultism, magic, pagan cults.

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