Tried fire

1. Introduction to Fire as a Poetic Symbol

The element of fire has captivated the human race since the origin of imagination. It properly functions as one of the classic symbols of poetry. This element of fire has been utilized throughout time to convey the attributes of a variety of abstract ideals or actual aspects of human life. The symbol of fire is one which has created visions of the soft, serene warmth found near the open hearth; the conflagration inferno, devouring everything in blind heat and rage; the destructive beauty of a forest fire; the evil force bent on mental, spiritual or physical domination. All of these descriptive words are adjectives associated with fire, as it imparts significance to the poet's message.

1.1. Historical and Cultural Significance

In the universe of poetry, fire seems to have a deeper meaning. By reading around one hundred and fifty poems where a line refers to fire from the sixteenth century onwards, the semantic network of the word was built. The analyzed poems belong to authors from Galicia or who have passed through the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). The line containing at least one significant fire was considered a unifying thread of the semantic analysis and, with the help of StringNet, both the forms that accompany the word "fire" as well as its definitions were studied. The high presence of human emotions such as love and sadness or the force of the fire as the source of power and knowledge serve as an example of the multifaceted nature of the image of fire, these concepts sharing both lexical and symbolic spaces.

Fire is a component that has been accompanying humans throughout history. It has been revered, respected, and has symbolized a multitude of concepts. Since ancient times, people have related this element with creation, passion, illumination, and the ability to transmit knowledge and energy. The personification of this element has given it a major role in literature and, in general, culture. Be it as a god or as a human encouraged by the light of a candle, the image of those who are near a lit fire has subconsciously triggered our curiosity and even our desire to feel the warmth and vivaciousness those glimpses portray. The symbolic ideals fire has been associated with are not static but depend on the context and the intention of those who designate them. In this paper, the importance of fire as a literary symbol will thus be stressed.

1.2. Literary Tradition of Fire Symbolism

2. The Dual Nature of Fire in Poetry