Literary Arts (Oct 2013)

Symbol in View of Ambiguity

  • Sedigheh Rassoulian,
  • Mohamad reza Yousefi

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. 161 – 178

Abstract

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 Abstract Symbol from the perspective of rhetorical word, is phrase or sentence that apparent meaning, also inspires to reader a wide range of semantic.Since exploring the complex social and political ideas in the most mysticalway and indirectreflectionsocial and political thoughts symbolically is easier, so the symbol and symbolism especially in Persian literatureespeciallyin the realm of Persian poetry, has a special appearance.In addition to the factors mentioned in the contemporary literature, according familiar in literature and the emergence of particular schools interest toambiguoussymbolization has spreadfurther, especially the symbol has all the features of art ambiguity in the poem and it isone the major factors causing uncertainty.Thus, the precise definitions and symbols of contemporary poetry could be dominant in the unwinding ambiguous symbol detection of cryptic allusions and metaphors that matches the cursor symbol to help readers.  In the literature, especially language poetry, the inability of language toreflecting obscure mystical ideas, avoid to directexpression of political and social concerns of the reader in the course of participate to creation ambiguous literary works is the main motivation towards symbol and symbolization.According widespread use of symbol and its different of species can be viewed from different perspectives.The creation of ambiguity is the main purposes of using symbols (especially in poetry), so many poets have tried to achieve this goal have to formation of similar symbols and the explanation and resolution of this issue can open new window for understanding the poetry in front of an audience.  In this paper examines the ambiguity of symbols in terms of its precise boundaries are reviewed. Ambiguity is one of the important processes and also is the key Iranian poetry its means is today poetry. In such poetry ambiguity is a need to explore the new world from a different perspective, or explore this complex world.In general, in Persian poetry there are three types ofambiguity such as: uncertainty ambiguity, intentional and unintentional ambiguity.an effective literary texts, owes its origin to create multiple meanings and its levels of meaning. One serious differences literary work with other linguistic works is the plurality of meaning. Richness and depth range of literary texts and the creation of range meaning, in fact is ambiguity and uncertain.In this respect, by engaging the reader in creating meaning will be typicalinteraction between the audience and the text. Ambiguityprovidesopportunities for deep thinking and reacting of reader, so takes reader tobeyond Freedom of the text within its borders and freedom of thought has to be brought for its reader.  Having interaction betweentext and reader in the history has caused to different reactions and multiple conversations with generationswhich interpreted as dynamicliterary ofthe work. The ambiguity of the poem is creating by the symbols and symbolism.So the symbol isrhetorical element in addition to the apparentrealmeaning, suggests wide range of meaningto the reader.in classical Persian works ambiguity in text created differently such az:Allegory and metaphor and password which today symbolize are burdeningthis task .  In past Allegory in terms of clarity divided to the four categories:Implicitly, hint, password and widening.And allegories are codes allusions are hidden in them, so password knows asa symbol or a word that needed to understand. Metaphors are also due to the ambiguous, uncertain sense, to support new meaning to the traditional means in the appearance of metaphors (ie not considered true and apparentmeaning), but bymultiplevirtual semantics takesreadersto border suspicion of symbols.And generally are divided into two categories: metaphors that are close to the symbol and symbols that have been decoded.Since the natureof symbol is fundamentally ambiguous and multiple causes dynamics literary work, poetry - especially todaypoetry - that tryusing from symbolic and terms symbols in their work or even in their notation. What is included in the scope of this paper, the concept of true symbols such as esoteric allusions and metaphors symbolic view. As noted above, the "ambiguity" is the main goals use of symbols, especially in today poetry, where the poet hides his purpose and expression in cover of meaning and confuses the audience.Although other rhetorical elements, such as metaphor and allegory, to pave the way for reaching this goal, but because of the general view of signs (which takes the reader to the original meaning) cannot be ambiguous assymbol and with flexible means force reader to think deeply, so poets try to draw allusions and connect metaphors and allegory to symbol for reaching a higher level of ambiguity, put issues like esoteric allusions and metaphors symbolic viewin front of real symbols