The best replacement for symbolism is metaphor.

The best alternatives to symbolism are rated as following:
★★★★★  metaphor
★★★  allegory
★★★  naturalism
★★  impressionism
★★  symbology
★  imagery
★  allusion
★  surrealism
★  connotation
  expressionism
  analogy
  connectionism
  iconography
  symbols
  art nouveau
  symbol
  metaphors

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Speaking about symbolism, one probably shouldn't forget about picture books.

Other search terms related to symbolism and their ratings are:
★★★★★ picture books
★★★★ poetry
★ books
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Google Trends

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symbolism
metaphor
allegory