Allusion, Symbolism, and Diction in Work Edgar Allan Poe’s

Steven King, a world-known horror author said “Monsters are real, ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” Such darkness is present in Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” which are both full of the narrators’ heinous experiences. In the poem “The Raven,” a Raven that intrudes on the narrator’s home subconsciously reminds him of the death of his wife; such a painful recollection causes him to be overcome by the wrath of death and depression. The irrational mindset of the narrator is also evident in the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart.” A man’s insanity drives him to kill his elderly neighbor--due to his unusual eye--and hide his body under the floor. The man’s perpetual guilt, however, forces himself to confess when he hears a steadily growing heartbeat through the wooden floorboards. Accordingly, Poe applies allusion, symbolism, and diction in both “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” to establish effective short stories and poems.

In “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Poe foreshadows and elucidates meaningful actions through allusion, an indirect reference which explains a concept without directly describing it. In “The Raven,” the speaker’s helplessness to his wife Lenore’s death is defined when he bitterly cries out “Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore'. Nepenthe is a drug described in Homer’s Odyssey as an emotional painkiller to rid internal grief or struggle. The narrator’s suggestion to drink such a drug to rid his sorrowful state of immense agony furthermore suggests his desperation to rid the misery and death. Similarly, “The Tell-Tale Heart” utilizes an allusion to a beetle’s method of predicting death. While the old man sits trembling on his bed, the narrator stands by the door “listening; —just as I have done night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall”. Such acts are discerned in beetles often called “death watches.” The beetles convey the anticipated death by rapping itself against various surfaces, similar to what the narrator had done for his miserable prey. The comparison to a mammal that is able to predict death foreshadows the unfortunate, impending fate of the old man. The allusions that Poe uses suggest future occurrences and its importance.

Additionally, Poe establishes greater significance behind “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” through his use of symbolism, which are concepts concealed through people, items, or various scenarios. In “The Raven,” the Raven, perched on the bust of Pallas has a “lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; /And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor /Shall be lifted—nevermore!”. The Raven’s particular position above Pallas, the Greek goddess of wisdom, declares its ultimate dominance over intelligence. With wisdom bridled by unreasonable sorrow, the Raven’s towering shadow suggests that the narrator’s soul is perpetually conquered by the rueful existence of depression and death. Also, in the “Tell-Tale Heart,” Poe employs symbolism to create significant morals. After the main character assassinates the old man, he successfully convinces the police of his innocence, but he “felt himself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still, they sat and still chatted”. The narrator’s gradual worrisome mood symbolizes his subconscious guilt after the murder. Although he believes his brilliance in his scheme drags no issues to his morality, the voice of his heart manifests the consequences for his actions. Through his use of symbolism, Poe successfully encourages further understanding of the meaningful notions in “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

In addition to symbolism, Poe applies prominent diction--the author’s choice of words in a piece of writing--to enhance his tone and to amplify an unsettling mood. Within the Raven and the man’s internal battle, the man’s irritated and frightened face looks up to see the Raven with “eyes that have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming”. With the eyes described as a “demon’s that is dreaming,” a psychopathic vibe conducts an almost diabolical figure of the Raven. Such a phrase can be interpreted as a barely lucid Satan that has no mercy as to the downfall of its prey, which is similar to the Raven’s future actions. Moreover, The “Tell-Tale heart’s use of diction is also evident when the narrator’s mentally insane mind rants that “TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?”. The words “dreadfully nervous” immediately sets a deranged tone that applies suspense for the mystery of what to come. Exclamation points and all-caps letters are additionally peculiar and exotic to place write before a string of a bewildering stumble of words. The question asking “why will you say that I am mad?” also suggests the man’s oblivion to his poor mental state and psychopathic behavior; the strange sequence of the sentence and the peculiar choice of words creates an overall apprehensive tone. Poe smoothly transitions his tone into his writing by weaving in his useful diction.

With his use of allusion, symbolism, and diction, Poe enhances “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” to possess rich and vivid comprehension. Poe’s allusions are employed to foreshadow events and enhance the emotion in the narrator for both stories. Symbolism is also incorporated as a method to grip a powerful understanding of the characters’ actions, while diction helps create an overall restless and sinister mood. Poe’s morals of internal anguish in both his stories implicate a warning as to the punishment of guilt and depression if one chooses to follow down the dark path of foolishness.