Word
allegory
Meanings
A story, poem, or artwork where characters and events symbolically represent deeper moral, social, or political ideas.
A symbolic description or representation in which one thing is used to stand for a broader idea.
Definition
An allegory is a story or artwork in which characters and events represent deeper ideas such as morals or politics.
An allegory is a narrative, poem, or picture that uses symbols to communicate a deeper meaning. The people, places, and actions stand for abstract ideas like freedom, greed, or justice. Readers can enjoy the surface story while also interpreting the hidden message.
Examples
- The novel is an allegory about power and corruption.
- In class we discussed how the film works as an allegory for war.
- The teacher explained the allegory and its moral lesson.
- Many readers miss the allegory on a first reading.