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Edgar Allen Poe And Hawthorne's Use Of Symbolism In The Dark Romantic Period

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Symbolism is a very important aspect to stories during the Dark Romantic time period. The symbols during that time period were designed to make the reader think more deeply about certain topics and themes in their works. Edgar Allen Poe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne use symbolism to transform their stories into the cornerstones of the Dark Romantic time period. Furthermore, Poe and Hawthorne’s stories exemplify the symbolism of the Dark Romantic time period better than “The Birthmark,” “The Minister 's Black Veil,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” “The Fall of the House of Usher” is one of the best Dark Romantic pieces for its use of symbolism. The stories use of symbolism extends from the house itself to even the atmosphere around the house, exemplify the style of the era. Poe’s convention of symbolism can be seen when the narrator approaches the house, and notes “that about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity -- an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn” (Poe 2). Throughout the story, the atmosphere of gloom is mentioned. For instance, later in the story the narrator notes the gloominess again when the weather outside his window seems disconnected to the rest of the weather of the area. Furthermore, the narrators uneasiness with the house is made evident when inside the house, he feels an

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