James Poche

Mrs. Pritchard
English II
8 October 2015
Symbolism in Romantic Writings
The short stories The Fall of The House of Usher and The Birthmark and the poem
The Bells all have a lot of symbolism and they are easily known to be from the Romantic
period. It is easily known that it is from the Romantic time because they all have allusions to the
bible and to Heaven and Hell. These types of writings were used in the Romantic times because
those times the world was not doing well but all of the allusions to god and the bible would help
the people when they read pieces like these.
In the poem Bells by Edgar Allen Poe there are many instances when he uses figurative
language and symbolism, he also references the bible in subtle but loud times as well. A time that
we see him use symbolism is when he says, They that dwell up in the steeple, (Poe). This is
symbolizing the people in a different place than the rest of us, in hell. He is trying to tell the
reader know that they are all alone and in a muffled monotone. As he is saying this he is
trying to convey that if you do go to hell it is hard for God to get you away from satin and that
you should think about the actions you do in this life time because it could affect you for all of
eternity. Another time in the poem when he uses symbolism is when he says, To the moaning
and groaning of the bells. (Poe) As he is speaking of the bells moaning and groaning he is trying
to represent the people in a bad place again. He is referring to the people in the steeple again but
making them not a living object. He uses the bells because as they are rung they leave a sort of
groan as they ring out as well.

The Fall of The House of Usher is basically one big story of symbolism and allusions
to the Bible. The entire plot is symbolizing the demise of the world. When Poe says, A servant
in waiting took my horse, and I entered the Gothic archway of the hall. (Poe 4) This sentence
could be taken as if he is dying and the horse is his body and his sole is going in to the gateway
of Hell which sounds like hall, which is used in the sentence. We can see that he is a part of a
cycle, the servant is waiting and took his horse and he walked in to the hall. He is saying that
people have to work together and if we do the word would be a better place. Poe also uses
symbolism when he says, The now Ghastly pallor of the skin, and the now miraculous lustre of
the eye, above all things startled and even awed me. (Poe 5) As Poe says this he is talking about
something that is larger than all people, God. He is saying that he has a most amazing skin and
eye and he is as if he is not human.
The Birthmark is a short story that is written by the great author James Hawthorne.
There are many occasions in this piece when he uses allusions to the Bible. One time that he uses
symbolism is when he says, Forthwith there issued from an inner apartment a man of low
stature, but bulky frame, with shaggy hair hanging about his visage, which was grimed with the
vapors of the furnace. (5) This man that is described in this quote is most likely supposed to be
the devil. One can infer that it is because, the stature of the man comes across as sort of
disturbing and evil. Also when it says that his hair was grimed from the furnace, hell is
sometimes referred to as a furnace. This would mean that he was a person in hell or he is the
devil. Another time when he uses symbolism is when he says, The first thing that struck her eye
was the furnace, that hot and feverish worker, with the intense glow of its fire, which by the
quantities of soot clustered above it seemed to have been burning for ages. (11) This symbolizes
how sin is so prevalent. She sees the furnace, which would be like hell and she cant not notice.

Also it says how the fire seems to have been burning for years and years, which hell has been
burning since the beginning of time.
All in all there is much symbolism and references to the bible in these short stories and
the poem. Also they all relate to the romantic time writing because they all have references to
heaven and hell. One can see that they relate to romantic time writing because they would have
helped the people get through the tough times and get them a little more lighthearted and happier.