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Dark Romantics Analysis

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Dark Romantics Analysis

Elliott Kellam
Mrs. Pritchard
English II: American Literature
5 October 2015
The Death of Dark Romantics
Dark Romantic writing provides an eerie atmosphere
through its bone-chilling tone and profound
symbolism. "The Evening Star" and "The Masque of
the Red Death," both by Edgar Allen Poe, as well as
"The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne successfully
include these aspects of Dark Romanticism, therefore
engrossing the reader in a different world of natural
writing. Symbolism is profuse throughout "The
Masque of the Red Death" including the abstract
character, The Red Death, representing death's
inevitability. Along with symbolism, imagery drives
Hawthorne's short story, "The Birthmark," due to his
repetitive illustrations of Georgiana's red birthmark
contrasting with her pale skin. Also, figurative
language is utilized in the "The Evening Star" with
Poe's ongoing personification of the moon 1 and it's 2
beauty. Poe's tone in "The Masque of the Red Death" is
a key 3 element to this story in that his ominous voice

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creates a sense of mystery and suspense. Altogether,

Dark Romantic writing is created and nourished
through its ubiquitous symbolism and supported
through its imagery, figurative language, and tone.
Symbolism 4 seems to be a recurring element of Dark
Romanticism that defines the literal and metaphorical
meanings in these pieces of literature. "The Evening
Star" by Edgar Allen Poe contains strong 5 symbolism
and personification of Poe's love for somebody. The

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"evening star" itself symbolizes Poe's desire and

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comfort in a special 6 woman with him claiming the

"Joy to [his] heart/Is the proud part" (Poe 18-19). Also,
"The Masque of the Red Death" contains multiple
examples of symbolism. Primarily, the seven different
colored rooms all represent the colors they are
associated with 7. For instance, the black room
represents death because the color black 8 associates
with death, 9 and the red lining incorporates sinister
feelings of blood. Poe describes the windowpane's
color as "scarleta deep blood color" (Poe 3). Proving
this pattern of death, all the houseguests happen to
die in the black room. Another major symbol in this
story is the Red Death itself. This abstract character
symbolizes death and how it is inevitable, even if you
try to run away from it. The obvious symbol in "The
Birthmark" is the birthmark on Georgiana's face,
which represents flaws and imperfection. This
symbol's meaning is apparent because of Georgiana's
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this celestial figure's beauty, Poe creates a cold, harsh

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environment around the "evening star" by claiming the

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image as being perfect and beautiful, except for one

mark that ruined her appearance.
In Dark Romantics, imagery allows the reader to paint
an image of a 10 scene's dynamics in his their mind. In
Poe's poem, "The Evening Star," the star has an
overall predominant image of being bigger and more
beautiful than the other stars in the sky. To emphasize

"Stars, in their orbits/ Shone pale, thro' the light/ Of

the brighter, cold moon" (Poe 3-5) He also describes
the evening star as a warm, fiery star 12 in the distance
that has a beam unlike the others providing unique
warmth. 11 In "The Masque of the Red Death," two
predominant images, the masquerade ball and the
Red Death, clash at the end. The masquerade ball is

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described 13 as an elegant function with waltzing and

Passive voice

beautiful gowns. It is apparent that this event is for

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the final result is death. The principal image in "The

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Birthmark" is the red birthmark against 16 Georgiana's

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clock rings at every hour 20 to remind that the "clock is

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ticking" for death to strike. Poe brilliant writing twists

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higher-class citizens with glamorous lifestyles and

snobby attitudes. Contrasting with this event, the Red
Death is described 14 as a horrific figure that is draped
in blood and disgust. Poe writes the Red Death "was
dabbled 15 in blood" (5). At the end of the story, the
elegant ballroom dancers collide with the Red Death in
the black room, creating a scene of polarity in which

pale skin. Hawthorne describes this natural mark

using the colors red and white several times, such as
when he writes the mark 17 is "like a bass-relief 18 ruby
on the whitest marble" (Hawthorne 8).
Figurative language enables the author to exaggerate
images in their writings to create a vibrant image 19.
"The Evening Star" repetitively uses personification
towards the moon and the stars. Examples include
when Poe fantasizes about the moon and stars being
women in his life. Using slightly more figurative
language, "The Masque of the Red Death" is an
ongoing example of suspenseful writing. Poe develops
an intriguing sense of horror from the beginning with
the Red Death disease devastating the country's
population. As the story progresses, the towering

the reader into almost wishing for death 21 to come

upon the attendees of the ball. However, Hawthorne's
writing 22 is different then 23 Poe's 24 in that it is less
mysterious and more straightforward. In "The
Birthmark," Hawthorne uses several comparisons to
convey images. An example includes when he writes,
"Freckles may be cleansed away as easily as hands are

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to be washed" (Hawthorne 12). Hawthorne also uses

personification throughout his story, such as when he

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describes sleep as someone who "cannot confine her

specters within the dim region of her sway"
(Hawthorne 8)
The author's tone, along with theme 25, impels the
reader to read the story in a specific 26 voice in order
to 27 give off certain vibes. Poe's tone in "The Evening
Star" is very fantastical, but slightly sorrowful. It is
apparent that he fantasizes about one woman who is
brighter, warmer, and more admirable than every
other woman in his life, but it seems as if he had
already met this woman. Because he knows how
special this woman is, he may have already been in
love with her, but she left him. Contradicting with "The
Evening Star," "The Masque of the Red Death" has a
dark and sinister tone to it. Throughout the whole
story, Poe keeps the reader on edge with his ominous
tone, leading the reader to believe consequences and
death are to emerge towards the end of the story. The
tone of "The Birthmark" could be described 28 as
fervent. Throughout the story, Hawthorne is
continually focused on Georgiana's birthmark and
never takes the plot away from it. From the first
paragraph to the last paragraph, the story is always
revolving around Aylmer's main 29 goal of removing
Georgiana's birthmark.
Overall, Dark Romanticism is constructed through its
omnipresent symbolism and aided through its
imagery, figurative language, and tone. Although all of
these elements are present throughout the writings of
"The Evening Star" and "The Masque of the Red
Death" by Edgar Allen Poe, as well "The Birthmark" by
Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbolism is especially
predominant in these three pieces of writing. 30 In "The

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Masque of the Red Death" the seven colored rooms in

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the king's palace express strong symbolism for the

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colors they represent, particularly the black room

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representing death. Along with symbolism, imagery is

asserted in "The Evening Star" with Poe's description
of the beautiful star being warmer and brighter than
its surrounding environment. Supporting the story,
"The Birthmark" contains several metaphors and
similes to compare items in the story to relatable
items 31 that the common 32 people are familiar with 33 .
To set up the poem, Poe writes "The Evening Star"
with a fantastical tone along with a background of
sorrow to force the reader to evoke feelings for the
woman of his dreams. Through symbolism and other
writing techniques, Dark Romanticism reflects the
death, flaws, and sorrow that will inevitably creep its
way into your life.

Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Birthmark." Online
Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.online-literature.com/poe/125/>.
Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Masque of the Red Death." X
Roads. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.
<http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/masque.htm
l>.
Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Evening Star." Edgar Allen Poe
Society of Baltimore. N.p., 5 Apr. 2010. Web. 5 Oct.
2015.
<http://www.eapoe.org/works/poems/estara.htm>.
**Page numbers correspond to annotated Word
document.

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