Note 1 — I EMBLEMS AND SYMBOLS1
Reading edition
Dr March states very clearly the difference between a symbol and an emblem. ‘A symbol stands for an abstract idea, an emblem denotes a concrete thing, an attribute appears in apposition with the person it qualifies; for example, in a presentment of the Blessed Virgin, the lily that she holds in her hand or that flowers by her side is her attribute. When the lily appears alone it represents the Queen of Heaven and is her emblem, but if it indicates purity it is a symbol.’