ABSTRACT
In Chapters 8 and 9 the psychological value of symbolism was sketched in outline. The underlying usefulness of culturally evolved symbolism lies in the fact that it has enabled man to come to terms with objective reality. Developing rational objectivity brought with it the capacity to establish expectations for the future from the evidence of the past. Symbolism helped to blunt the sharpness of that future with poetic compression. W. H. Auden sums up the ultimate purpose of cultural symbolism: 'What shall man do who can whistle tunes by heart; knows to the bar when death shall cut him short like the cry of the shearwater, what can he do but defend himself from his knowledge?' Symbolism is one form of defence.
