Comparing Symbols and Symbolism in Blue Hotel, Black Cat, Night, Alfred Prufrock, Red Wheelbarrow

Color Symbolism in Blue Hotel, Black Cat, Night, Alfred Prufrock, Red Wheelbarrow

Symbolism of colors is evident in much of literature. "The Blue Hotel" by Stephen Crane, "The Black Cat" of Edgar Allan Poe, "Night" by William Blake, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot, and "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams encompass examples of color symbolism from both the prose and the poetry of literature. When drawing from various modes of psychology, interpretations of various colors, with emphasis to dream psychology, an analysis of the colors themselves and then their applications to literature can be readily addressed.

"Colour is one of the areas in daily life in which symbolism is most readily apparent." (Fontana 66) The use of color as a source of symbolism is widespread and amidst the most traditional of sources which still possess symbolic qualities. Psychologically, colors derive such impact through relations to the natural world, such as the blue sky or a red rose. Dreams, being a prominent aspect of one's self, are often a theme in poetry, and therefore the representation of colors within dreams should be addressed. Symbolism of colors is also evident in much of literature. "The Blue Hotel" by Stephen Crane, "The Black Cat" of Edgar Allan Poe, "Night" by William Blake, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot, and "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams encompass examples of color symbolism from both the prose and the poetry of literature. When drawing from various modes of psychology, interpretations of various colors, with emphasis to dream psychology, an analysis of the colors themselves and then their applications to literature can be readily addressed. ...

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...ir innocence and purity.

In the final analysis, color symbolism reveals itself throughout various religions, dream psychology and even speech metaphorics. The incorporation of such symbolism into prose and poetry allows facets for many interpretations and ultimately the universality of literature.

Works Cited

Ackroyd, Eric. A Dictionary of Dream Symbols. London: Blandford, 1999.

Crane, Ronald S., Ed. A Collection of English Poems. New York: Harper and Row, 1932.

Fontana, David. The Secret Language of Symbols: A Visual Key to Symbols and Their Meanings. London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 1994.

Roberts, Edgar V. and Jacobs, Henry E. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Upper Saddlr River: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1998.

Rodriguez, Celia. American Literature.

Womack, Martha. The Poe Decoder. 1997.