December 16, 2008

Literary Symbolism Challenge (continued)

Okay, are you ready for the next part of the challenge?
Have you chosen a color (see previous post) and a number between 1 and 12?
Great.
Here are the numbered lists -- remember in whatever you write you are to use at least three of the symbols that correspond to the number you chose (the color being one of the symbols).

Animals:
1) Cat: familiars(witchcraft), magic, cunning, forethought
2) Dog: loyalty, faithfulness (snarling dogs: ingratitude)
3) Dove: peace, purity, simplicity
4) Fox: slyness, cunning, cleverness
5) Lamb: Spring and renewal, innocence, sacrificial element
6) Lion: the sun, power, pride
7) Mouse: meekness, timidity
8) Owl: wisdom, logic, messengers of death
9) Peacock: pride, vanity
10) Raven: death, destruction, prophecy
11) Salmon: instinct, ancient traditions, perseverance
12) Snake/serpent: temptation, evil


Compass Points and Seasons:
1) North: coldness, alienation, hostility, death
2) South: warmth, comfort, relaxed attitude
3) East: renewal, youth, celebration, song
4) Far East = exotic mystery
5) West: evening, age, decline, ending
6) American West = lawlessness, unconquered or unexplored territory
7) spring: birth, newness, beginning
8) summer: maturity, knowledge
9) autumn: decline, age
10) winter: death, sleep, stagnation
11) Easter: rebirth, hope, salvation, miracles
12) Christmas/Advent: expectation, wonder, miracles, birth

Jewelry and Climate:
1) diamonds: romantic love, hardness
2) gold: wealth, perfection
3) pearls: associated with water as in life or as in tears, also knowledge, or great worth (not wealth)
4) rubies: good fortune
5) sapphires: contemplation, purity
6) silver: object of desires
7) snow: covering, obscuring, blinding
8) fog/mist: isolation, muddled thinking, indefinite (as in waiting, or prelude to a decision/revelation)
9) rain: sadness, despair, or bringing life
10) wind and storms: violent human emotions
11) lightening: power, strength, spark of life or death, suddenness
12) thunder: the voice of Deity


Nature:
1) Darkness: evil, ignorance, danger
2) Dawn: beginnings, promises, freshness, time of blessings
3) Flowers: beauty, youth, gentle strength
4) Forests: secrets, hidden things, often evil or fearful places
5) Light: truth, safety, knowledge, warmth
6) Moon: change, women, passage of time
7) Mountains: the meeting of heaven and earth, pride
8) Pine Tree: immortality (evergreen)
9) Rainbows: heralds of rebirth or change, promises
10) Sun: heat and light, source of life, royal power (usually masculine)
11) Water: regeneration, origin of life
12) Weeds: outcasts, disorder, wildness (not of society)


So if your number is #2 then you could write about this faithful little Southern dog -- warm and comforting to his mistress Dawn, as she begins to seek her blessings and search for the great golden wealth she has been promised but encounters difficulties from the menacing man in the solid black suit.


Whereas the #11 might opt to go with a sci-fi story about blue waters coming to life after being struck by lightening... Or something more poetic, like the using the "ancient traditions" symbolism of salmon, plus their seasonal upstream antics, to connect the life/rebirth symbolism of Easter and Water against a background of blues.

The possibilities are endless.

If you're not a blog author, please feel free to participate and publish your writing to the comments section of this post.

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