LibGuides: English 4: Objects, Symbols & Storytelling: Home

Scientifc Identificaton of Your Object

University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web
Plant Common & Scientific Names: The Spruce Plants A to Z
Encyclopedia of Life
Search bar on the right. Search animal and scientific name should come up

GALE IN CONTEXT: Science
Gale in Context: Science is an engaging online experience that includes hundreds of today's most significant science topics. It contains updated reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, experiments, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites organized into a user-friendly portal experience.

Your Object in Advertising

1000 Logos
Immediately do a search on your object. It brings up a lot of school mascots, but you may find a product or two that uses your object within their logo.
World Heraldry
Animals & plants are often symbols in coats of arms. You can search for your object in the search field in the top right corner.
Symbolism in Advertising
Also from literarydevices.net. Gives some famous examples of the use of literary symbols in advertising and what they are meant to evoke in the viewer (consumer).
Famous Logos
Might be useful if you find your object used. Or looking at these famous logos might make you think of one that contains your object.

LIBRARY CATALOG - DESTINY

Your Object in History/Culture, Folklore/Legends or Mythology

U XL Encyclopedia of World Mythology (Gale Research e-Book)
Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Myth (InfoBase e-Book)
Do Not use search bar at top; use the table of contents and click on the letter that your object starts with (EX: "O" for owl or oak)
Trees for Life Lots of animals and plants & their mythology found here
Myth Encyclopedia (Website) Opens directly to this site's search engine
Blooms Literature LOGIN: acalanes PW: godons Extensive literature database; can be hit or miss with symbols - animal symbols appear here more than plant or weather symbols

Websites specific to your object:

Here are some ideas for search terms to use in a Google Search to find CREDIBLE websites.

I am using “owl” as my example object:

Search example: “examples owl symbolism in literature”

Search example: “owls in literature”

Bad results: Quora; Reddit subs; study sites; social media

Your Object in Literature (novels, plays, poetry)

A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, Michel Ferber (Internet Archive)

Literarydevices.net

(search on “______ symbolism”). Fairly general and LOTS of ads, but sometimes some good info can be found here

Do a search on your object and Shakespeare: There are many natural symbols and motifs in Shakespeare’s works

The Symbolism of Your Object (Positive & Negative)

Most of the sources linked in other boxes will also give the associations that your object has. You can also try a Google Search: [object] as a positive symbol or [object] as a negative symbol.