Is This Some Sort of Sign?
            
             Symbolism by definition is a revelation or suggestion of intangible conditions or truths by artistic invention. Requiem Guatemala, a novel by Marshall Bennett Connelly, exemplifies superlative symbolic use at its prime. Connelly's use of imagery and symbolism in "from Three Dirges" creates an intricate illustration through his use of diction, his use of similes, and his use of vivid descriptions.
             Connelly begins to employ imagery to portray the setting. He elucidates the "little village of San Martin Comitan" through his diction. The village lies "draped like a wrinkled quilt" that is set "over the sharp ravines that scored the floor of the valley." The use of the simile strengthens the image of the village. The picturesque scene stretches from the "gently sloping patches of tile roofs" to the "eastern rim of the Sierra Madre." Furthermore, the sky filled with "dark, gray clouds" runs along the "ruby lining." This image creates a picture in the mind by using colorful diction that enhances Connelly's descriptions. The image also symbolizes events to happen in the novel. The dark-colored sky foreshadows the dark misery when the deaths of the boys occur. The image produces a feeling of hopelessness. The words "dark," "black," and "gray," not only improve the image but also set the tone. The feeling of despair and of hopelessness lingers amongst the "blanket of fog" that spans "through the village and up the valley." The clouds and fog, again, underline the pending adversities to come. The "ruby lining" of the sky symbolizes the bloodshed from the murders. Again, the colorful word choice accurately parallels the events in the novel.
             As the story unfolds, the tone shifts from hopelessness to somber. The "heavy mist of the morning&quo...