Literary Symbolism 

A symbol usually conveys an abstraction or cluster of abstractions, from the ideal to the imperceptible or the irrational, in a more concrete from. Unlike an arbitrary symbol such as a letter or traffic sign, a symbol in literature usually carries richer and more varied meanings, as does a flag or religious image.

Traditional Symbols 

a white dove as a symbol of peace and love

a rose as godly love, romantic desire, female beauty, mortality, hidden cruelty.

Archetypes

literary elements that recur in the literature and myths of multiple cultures

Allegory

an "extended" symbol or series of symbols that encompasses a whole book. Concrete things and abstract concepts may be associated with each other across a narrative that consistently maintains at least two distinct levels of meaning

Myth

a story of communal origin that provided an explanation or religious interpretation of humanity, nature, the universe, or the relations among them