Symbol Exercise: The Rose

AngelNinja2018

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  1. Intermediate
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  1. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Horror, Fantasy, Modren, Romance, Magical
This exercise is intended for you to improve upon the use of symbolism in your writing. Your task is to use a rose to symbolize something else. As your are writing, think about what you want the rose to symbolize.

Example: Emily stepped out into the clearing in the woods. In the clearing, she saw a single rose growing. She tried to pick it, but the thorns cut her finger, leaving a noticeable cut. It was bleeding, but it was only bleeding a tiny bit. She sighed and said: "What's the point, I'll hurt my self if I were to pursuit it." As the words tumbled out of her mouth, she thought about David, how leaving him might be a good idea. As she gave the idea of starting over with someone else, she went home to clean the small wound.

Symbolism: The rose symbolizes the relationship between Emily and David, even though she could try to improve the relationship, it will only make it worse.
 
They grew wild and free, tantalizingly close. Even as caged as she was, she knew the symbolism, what those delicate blooms represented. They represented something she could not have, freedom, love, protection. She fluffed her feathers and gave her wings a shake, bemoaning what was just out of reach was not good. With one last longing look at the blooming roses, Gwen dropped from her perch in the tree to join the others of her mismatched family. They didn't say a thing when she joined them, only smiled sadly and began walking back in to the compound. On the way, she passed a small bush, it's thorns green and small, the bloom a reddish pink. Awkwardly she plucked the bud, held it gently in hands made for ripping and tearing.

Later, in a different setting, the bloom changed hands. No words were said, for the rose said it all.

(Here the rose is used two ways. The first to represent what Gwen could not have, her freedom and and freedom in love. And the second for what she could have, or acknowledge what she could have, should she chose to. I hope I did this right.)