Simboliek in Totius se werk

Abstract

Totius’ works are not symbolic in the sense that they exhibit any affinity with or influence by the European Symbolism of the time. Nevertheless, much that is symbolic is found in his works. Although he was inclined to interpret the images and symbols in his own poems at times, and even wrote allegorical poems, he also wrote really good symbolic poems. It emerged that the symbol has something universal, to such an extent that it is even possible to compile dictionaries of symbols, and the very fact that one can compile a dictionary of symbols, is sufficient proof that a symbol is not something particular but rather general. Many of the symbols used by Totius can be explained in the terms in which De Vries and Cirlot described these and similar symbols. However valuable symbols may be in poetry, the merit of a poem lies in much more than in the symbol(s) occurring in it. Thus the symbolic poems by Totius are not automatically better than the poems which are less heavily symbolic. However, some of his best poems do constitute excellent symbolic poetry.