Symbolism

The article is dedicated to the linguistic analysis of symbol of fire in the Russian symbolist poet, K. Balmont’s lyrics. The symbolic meanings of the element fire have been studied from linguistic and linguoculturological points of view. There defined mechanisms which allow expressing both traditional symbolism of fire and the one by the author; they are collaboration of mythologems and archetypes associated with the symbol explicated in the text with a proper word, in our case with the word “fire”. The subject of this study is one of a side of traditional symbolism of the element fire conditioned by Slavic, Greek mythology, Zoroastrianism, and the Biblical motives. Archetypes are represented with binary oppositions actualizing the semantics of vertical direction, ambivalence, animism, and anthropomorphism. The author’s symbolic meanings are expressed according to his rethinking of the myths and archetypes in the nearest surrounding of the symbol in the texts.

In his political novel, Autumn , Ali Smith has implicitly integrated family life with political matrices of British-European relations. In this study, Autumn was investigated in light of Kenneth Burke's notions of identification, substance, symbolism, and imagination known as rhetoric of motives. Identification refers to identifying with characters having some components or substances in common. Rhetoric of motives refers to the application of terms with persuasive function that move people into action. The themes of Ali Smith's Autumn are in congruity with Kenneth Burke’s theoretical ideas represented as theme of love to explain illogical coupling of a young woman and an old man that recalls England and Europe/EU interconnection and mismatching relations. This study explored how the rhetoric and dialect of Smith that have symbolic meanings and functions is motivating through identification with characters. Burke believes that through rhetoric of motives and grammar of motives it is possible to create protagonists that people can easily identify with to persuade them into action based on their intended political views. Through rhetoric of motives by the seasonal novel via identification, symbolism, and imagination, Smith indirectly portrays the political event of Brexit (British Exit) and its consequences in British society.