symbolism

noun

• the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities:he has always believed in the importance of symbolism in garden art
• symbolic meaning attributed to natural objects or facts:the old-fashioned symbolism of flowers
• (also Symbolism) an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. It originated in late 19th century France and Belgium, with important figures including Mallarmé, Maeterlinck, Verlaine, Rimbaud, and Redon.