Symbolism is a masculine noun meaning a symbol system or form of expression that uses symbols to indicate facts and ideas. Furthermore, symbolism is also the name of a literary movement which began in the late nineteenth century.
Within the scope of literature, symbolism was a poetic movement that had its origins in the late nineteenth century in France. It was given the name "Symbolism" thanks to Baudelaire's sonnet "Correspondences".
Verlaine, Malarmé and Rimbaud are considered the originators of the movement. Symbolism was an anti-classicist movement that arose as a reaction to Parnassianism.
Symbolism encompassed several other areas of human expression. In the visual arts, for example, symbolism devalued the realistic view of impressionism and encouraged expression through symbols or ideas. In this way, artists often did not paint looking at an object, but used their memory.
The main themes represented by art were the result of imagination and dreamlike assumptions. Artistically, the symbolism was continued by surrealism.
Check the meaning of dreamlike and surrealism.
The genesis of symbolism assumes that the surrounding world that our senses capture is not the ultimate reality, but merely a reflection of hidden absolute revelations.
Symbolism in Brazil
While in Europe symbolism achieved greater popularity than Parnassianism, in Brazil this did not happen. The symbolism was greatly overshadowed by the Parnassian movement, which was supported by the elites and people of the upper classes.
One of the main symbolist authors in Brazil was Cruz e Souza, author of the works "Missal" and "Broquéis".
Symbolism in Portugal
Symbolism in Portugal was greatly influenced by French symbolism and was responsible for the renewal of Portuguese poetry. The first work considered Symbolist was "Oaristos", by Eugénio de Castro and published in 1890. One of the main representatives of Portuguese symbolism was Camilo Pessanha.
Symbolism in Portugal lasted from 1890 until 1915, when modernism began to gain preponderance.
Meet some features of symbolism.