Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809 during his life he was one of the most celebrated writers of dark poetry and fiction. He has a unique style of Gothicism in his narratives. Poe's works haunt the mind and thrill the body. His story lines have left chills up readers' spines for so many years, and he creates atmospheres that only a vampire would be comfortable in. The work of Edgar Allan Poe has many themes and literary devices including setting, symbolism, and importantly imagery.
Imagery is defined as the use of figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. Imagery is a language that contains the five senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching. It is the use of details and description that helps the reader create a mental picture. In all of Poe's narratives, imagery plays an enormous role in his writing. Poe creates a specific mood and theme in his narratives. He is the master of spooky imagery. Imagery in "The Masque of the Red Death" is ghastly. Poe establishes the mood and setting of the narrative with the description of the red death: "there were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and the profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution."(358)
Within the poem "The Raven" Poe uses imagery in many different forms. One example of imagery is "And the silken, sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;(370) Death is the inevitable, sad and unknown aspect of life. The purple curtain is 'death' that closes life. The thrill of death that we fear. Another narrative Edgar Allan Poe uses imagery in is "The Black Cat". He uses imagery to explain the cat, picturing the white spots. The cats' chest helps you picture "The gallows" when the narrator says: "The white patch was now the image of an awful ghostly thing! It was the GALLOWS!" Poe also uses imagery in "The Tell-Tale Heart" when he describes the old man's eye, which is the reason why the murder occurred. The narrator says: "One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it."
Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. It is used to have the reader make a connection with the feelings of the author. Poe uses symbolism in most of his poetry and short stories in order to face the reader to see his views on life, religion, love, and death. The symbolism within "The Masque of the Red Death" is the clock: the big, black, creep clock is located in the black room, symbolizing death.
Poe describes it as: 'it was in this apartment, also that there stood against the western wall a gigantic clock of ebony."(359) In the poem "The Raven", the Raven is the symbol. This example refers to it: "Ah, distinctly, I remember it was in bleak December."(370)
Within the narrative "The Black Cat" the first black cat is symbolic of the narrator's evil heart. This example symbolizes revenge: "It was a black cat -- a very large one -- fully as large as Pluto, and closely resembling him in every respect but one."(3) Poe also uses symbolism in "The Tell-Tale Heart" the narrator was beginning to "hear" the old man's heart beat. The narrator thought that the police were trying to get him to confess, so he ignores the heart beat for a little while. Then it is too much for him. His conscience couldn't hold it. This is an example of this: "Villains!" I shrieked, "Dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- Here, here! -- It is the beating of his hideous heart"(4)
Although imagery and symbolism are very important for Poe's gothic style, his use of setting impacts his writing better than the other elements Poe provides in his writing. Poe describes his setting in great detail. In the short story "The Masque of the Red Death", Poe begins with the description of the "Red Death" and says: "there were seven-an imperial suite. In many places, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the hole extent is scarcely impeded (358)." Poe provides a creepy, but interesting setting in "The Raven" when he describes the setting: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore"(370) Poe introduces his poems in a dark, spooky kind of mood which adds an interesting feel to it.
The setting Poe uses in "The Black Cat" is that the story opens in a cell of a prisoner the day before he is to be executed by hanging. Poe has a dark setting in "The Tell-Tale Heart" because it refers to it being midnight. An example would be: "And every night about midnight I turned the latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently"
In all of these narratives Edgar Allan Poe gives great examples of Gothic style. Taken together they pertain imagery, symbolism and setting. He has given American literature a name not to be forgotten. Poe led a troubled life, one almost befitting his own works. However, his legacy of dark fantastical characters, stories, and poems will continue to live on through the ages.
Imagery is defined as the use of figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. Imagery is a language that contains the five senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching. It is the use of details and description that helps the reader create a mental picture. In all of Poe's narratives, imagery plays an enormous role in his writing. Poe creates a specific mood and theme in his narratives. He is the master of spooky imagery. Imagery in "The Masque of the Red Death" is ghastly. Poe establishes the mood and setting of the narrative with the description of the red death: "there were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and the profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution."(358)
Within the poem "The Raven" Poe uses imagery in many different forms. One example of imagery is "And the silken, sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;(370) Death is the inevitable, sad and unknown aspect of life. The purple curtain is 'death' that closes life. The thrill of death that we fear. Another narrative Edgar Allan Poe uses imagery in is "The Black Cat". He uses imagery to explain the cat, picturing the white spots. The cats' chest helps you picture "The gallows" when the narrator says: "The white patch was now the image of an awful ghostly thing! It was the GALLOWS!" Poe also uses imagery in "The Tell-Tale Heart" when he describes the old man's eye, which is the reason why the murder occurred. The narrator says: "One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it."
Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. It is used to have the reader make a connection with the feelings of the author. Poe uses symbolism in most of his poetry and short stories in order to face the reader to see his views on life, religion, love, and death. The symbolism within "The Masque of the Red Death" is the clock: the big, black, creep clock is located in the black room, symbolizing death.
Poe describes it as: 'it was in this apartment, also that there stood against the western wall a gigantic clock of ebony."(359) In the poem "The Raven", the Raven is the symbol. This example refers to it: "Ah, distinctly, I remember it was in bleak December."(370)
Within the narrative "The Black Cat" the first black cat is symbolic of the narrator's evil heart. This example symbolizes revenge: "It was a black cat -- a very large one -- fully as large as Pluto, and closely resembling him in every respect but one."(3) Poe also uses symbolism in "The Tell-Tale Heart" the narrator was beginning to "hear" the old man's heart beat. The narrator thought that the police were trying to get him to confess, so he ignores the heart beat for a little while. Then it is too much for him. His conscience couldn't hold it. This is an example of this: "Villains!" I shrieked, "Dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- Here, here! -- It is the beating of his hideous heart"(4)
Although imagery and symbolism are very important for Poe's gothic style, his use of setting impacts his writing better than the other elements Poe provides in his writing. Poe describes his setting in great detail. In the short story "The Masque of the Red Death", Poe begins with the description of the "Red Death" and says: "there were seven-an imperial suite. In many places, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the hole extent is scarcely impeded (358)." Poe provides a creepy, but interesting setting in "The Raven" when he describes the setting: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore"(370) Poe introduces his poems in a dark, spooky kind of mood which adds an interesting feel to it.
The setting Poe uses in "The Black Cat" is that the story opens in a cell of a prisoner the day before he is to be executed by hanging. Poe has a dark setting in "The Tell-Tale Heart" because it refers to it being midnight. An example would be: "And every night about midnight I turned the latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently"
In all of these narratives Edgar Allan Poe gives great examples of Gothic style. Taken together they pertain imagery, symbolism and setting. He has given American literature a name not to be forgotten. Poe led a troubled life, one almost befitting his own works. However, his legacy of dark fantastical characters, stories, and poems will continue to live on through the ages.
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