Something symbolic represents the core idea of an idea, being, group, or feeling. It is something that is recognizable as a fitting item to stand in place for what is being represented. Merriam Webster defines symbolic as “using, employing, or exhibiting a symbol.” In turn, Merriam Webster defines a symbol as “something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance” and also “an act, sound, or object having cultural significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response.” A symbol can thus be a character plugged into a computer, a stamp on an envelope, a shape, or an image.

For something to be symbolic, it often has to do with a widely known image or experience associated with a feeling, idea, or group. In this way, what is symbolic to one culture may differ in meaning in another – the symbolic nature is dependent on the associations in the mind of the person observing.

In the video attached, the feeling of being alone is discussed in the lyrics of the song and is mirrored by the symbolic image of a small boat alone in the vast sea.

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