Teacups in the rain.

Not five minutes ago, I saw the opening scene to the second Pirates of the Carribbean movie. Granted, not my favorite film of all time, but still a good one--the thing with me and movies is that only two of three things have to be good for me to like it: acting, visuals/composition, and plot. I could blather on about that for hours, but I digress.

The opening scene of Dead Man's Chest is an abandoned wedding scene, teacups and music stands flooded with rain. The lovely Keira Knightley is playing the annoying (I hate this character, even with one of my favorite actresses portraying her) Elizabeth Swann, but the character doesn't matter and it's simply beautiful to see her in her wedding dress, after spending hours readying herself, totally drenched in rain.

This beautiful visual was, of course, interrupted by the stupid plot, but I could watch forever. Anyone who's read anything I've written knows that rain is a very important symbol to me. Personally, rain is my favorite kind of weather, followed closely by gray days that promise rain. There's so many kinds of precipitation, too--sprinkling, storming, pissing, pouring. Of course, to me, it's not just rain, but different types of rain that make the symbolism come out.

These are definitions of my use of rain as a symbol.

Soft rain, or sprinkling, in my writing, usually symbolizes a cleansing of some sort. Spiritual or emotional cleansing, a clean slate, just like the pristine cement left after a gentle, rainy afternoon. It's usually a good thing, too, one that is what the character needs, and they usually know they do to be happy. It can also mean that the character is realizing that they're at a great point in their life, and are reveling in the zest of their life. Peace or refreshment is another meaning.

Storms are generally used to portray anger, fear, or emotional stress, and even a horrible decision the character must make. Especially with thunder, lightning, and heavy cloud cover, this chaotic weather symbolizes a situation that is just that--disorderly and, well, chaotic.

A steady rain that's moderate and somewhere between a sprinkle and a storm symbolizes sorrow or sadness, generally. It's more depression than anything else, though, because depression feels like a rut you can't get out of, and it's usually just the same thing day after day--steady rain that shows no sign of changes, or only looks like it'll get worse, is linked to that in my view.

Anyway, that's just my take on it. What do you think?