The garden metaphor: symbolism, space and transformation
Abstract
In the history of literature and performing arts, the garden has been a recurring metaphorical setting laden with multiple meanings. From classical epic to contemporary narrative, this environment has been introduced as a physical space or as a metaphor reflecting the deepest aspects of human experience and psyche. This article analyses how the garden has been represented in different eras, particularly in the turbulent 20th century, revealing its function as a place of retreat and meditation, or of conflict and change. The garden, whether as a domain of vital creation or of decay, serves as a framework for exploring the dynamics between the individual and the collective, the real and the imagined. Through a journey across various works, the configurations in which this framework has been transformed will be recognized, allowing for the visualization of themes such as power, desire, nostalgia, and the cycle of life and death.
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