Allegory

Allegory. Sometimes regarded as an extended metaphor, allegory in literature is a representation of abstract or spiritual meaning in concrete form. It evokes an interest on the one hand in events and characters, and on the other in the corresponding ideas and meanings. Many Ukrainian morality plays of the baroque period were either religious allegories or displayed allegorical personages. Some of Taras Shevchenko's poems (‘Kosar’ [The Reaper], ‘Velykyi l’okh’ [The Great Vault]) are allegorical, as are Ivan Franko's poems ‘Kameniari’ (Stone-cutters) and ‘Moisei’ (Moses). Allegory is frequently used in fables (Leonid Hlibov). Some modern writers (Mykola Kulish, Oles Berdnyk) also use allegory in their works. Allegory is not to be confused with symbols or personification.