Analysis of the Raven and the Cask of Amontillado
Symbolic Deaths
Edgar Allan Poe wrote multiple pieces of work that were phenomenal. Two of his greatest works of literature were “The Raven” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” Despite one of these being a poem and the other a short story, they both have similarities in their uses of imagery and intense symbolizations. The symbolism, in both pieces, takes one on a journey to dark, lonely places. One is allowed to feel the mood and intentions of each work through its extremely isolated settings in dark, dreary locations. The Motive for Murder in “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Elena Baraban, shows supporting reasons of this, as well. In “The raven,” Poe wisely chose individual words and phrases to serve the purpose of symbolizing death and what was to be no more, while “The Cask of Amontillado” showcases symbolic objects of degradation, revenge and death. There were great details and metaphors in both of these sources, but it is the lack of details in each that reflect symbolisms with subtle differences. Poe’s goal is to keep his reader’s guessing, in these pieces of literature, through his intelligent use of symbolism and picturesque usage of language.
The very beginning of “The Raven” is symbolization for entire story to be a depressed mood with a dark, gloomy tone. The first idea a reader gets of the setting of this is “Once upon a midnight dreary.” (line 1) The word midnight typically represents the very beginning of something, and the word dreary let’s one know this will be the beginning of an unhappy, disheartening story. ‘Midnight dreary’ followed by usage of the phrase “distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December”’ (line 7) can tell one the same thing as December is also symbolic of the end of something. December is the time of the year that is a dying time and lets one know something is coming to a close. “The Raven” also reveals a somber setting when it says, “…-here I opened wide the door:- Darkness there and nothing more” (line 24-25). This becomes
Edgar Allan Poe wrote multiple pieces of work that were phenomenal. Two of his greatest works of literature were “The Raven” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” Despite one of these being a poem and the other a short story, they both have similarities in their uses of imagery and intense symbolizations. The symbolism, in both pieces, takes one on a journey to dark, lonely places. One is allowed to feel the mood and intentions of each work through its extremely isolated settings in dark, dreary locations. The Motive for Murder in “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Elena Baraban, shows supporting reasons of this, as well. In “The raven,” Poe wisely chose individual words and phrases to serve the purpose of symbolizing death and what was to be no more, while “The Cask of Amontillado” showcases symbolic objects of degradation, revenge and death. There were great details and metaphors in both of these sources, but it is the lack of details in each that reflect symbolisms with subtle differences. Poe’s goal is to keep his reader’s guessing, in these pieces of literature, through his intelligent use of symbolism and picturesque usage of language.
The very beginning of “The Raven” is symbolization for entire story to be a depressed mood with a dark, gloomy tone. The first idea a reader gets of the setting of this is “Once upon a midnight dreary.” (line 1) The word midnight typically represents the very beginning of something, and the word dreary let’s one know this will be the beginning of an unhappy, disheartening story. ‘Midnight dreary’ followed by usage of the phrase “distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December”’ (line 7) can tell one the same thing as December is also symbolic of the end of something. December is the time of the year that is a dying time and lets one know something is coming to a close. “The Raven” also reveals a somber setting when it says, “…-here I opened wide the door:- Darkness there and nothing more” (line 24-25). This becomes
Cited: Baraban, Elena V. The Motive for Murder in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. Rocky Mountain review of Language and Literature. 58.2 (2004): 47-62. JSTOR. Web. 08 Aug. 2012. Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature reading thinking writing. Ed. Michael Myer. University of Connecticut. 533-37. ---. “The Raven.” Yale Book of American Verse. Ed. Thomas R. Lounsbury. 1912. Lines 1-108.