When small incidents serve to represent bigger pictures, what is that called? Would it be a metaphor? Symbol? Analogy? or what? I am referring to Robert Frost's poems. He takes everyday incidents and make them represent life as a whole. Is that a metaphor?
So what do you think Good Fences represents? Is it more than a fence between neighbors. Could it be symbolic of relationships, and how we separate them? What is a metaphor?
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/
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These are excellent webpages to save in your favorites for looking up various literary terms.
Let us know what you decide.
What you are describing is a literary technique known as symbolism. Symbolism is the use of objects, actions, or occurrences to represent abstract ideas or qualities. In Robert Frost's poems, when he takes everyday incidents and uses them to represent life or larger ideas, he is employing symbolism.
Metaphor, on the other hand, involves making a direct comparison between two unrelated things by stating one thing is another. While metaphor can be used to provide symbolic meaning, it typically involves more direct and explicit comparisons.
Analogy, similar to metaphor, involves comparing two things to highlight their similarities and provide a better understanding of one thing by comparing it to another. However, symbolism is more focused on representing abstract ideas rather than explaining or clarifying a concept through comparison.
Therefore, in the context of Robert Frost's poems, it would be appropriate to say that he uses symbolism to convey deeper meanings by using everyday incidents as representations of larger themes or ideas.