Symbolism is a fascinating aspect of literature and life. Here are a few resources that I use to try to understand them, although sometimes it’s best just to use a dictionary or Wikipedia. If I had to recommend only one, I would say get A Dictionary of Symbols by J. E. Cirlot.
The List
- Birth of the Symbol: Ancient Readers at the Limits of Their Texts by Peter T. Struck
- A Dictionary of Symbols by J. E. Cirlot
- Man and His Symbols by C. G. Jung
- The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, edited by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant
- Poetry, Symbol, and Allegory: Interpreting Metaphorical Language from Plato to the Present by Simon Brittan
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