A rock is an uninteresting, natural element until shaped or lettered by skilled hands. Michelangelo converted common marble into priceless masterpieces. Unknown and unsung artisans turned the barren and unsightly acropolis in ancient Athens into a pinnacle of perfection by shaping the stately Parthenon and its surrounding buildings. If the southern slaves, previously mentioned, had possessed the tools and skills to shape and letter those silent stones,
grave markers they would tell us much of that ugly period in our history.
Symbols speak as eloquently as words, and in the limited space of a
cemetery monuments, they speak far more succinctly. Study the monuments of Greece, Rome or Babylon and you will find them richly adorned with meaningful symbols. Many of these symbols, in almost their original form, are still used on monuments today. A carved rope proclaims the continuity of life in a way words could never do. The olive branch symbolizes peace in any tongue or age. The lily was used to signify happiness and bliss by ancient peoples. The meanings of words undergo constant change. The connotation of a symbol survives the erosion of time.
