"The Masque of the Red Death" is an elaborate allegory that combines objects in the story with visua
l descriptions to give focus to the reader's imagination. In the story, a Price named Properso tries
to evade the red death through isolation and seclusion. He hides behind the impenetrable walls of h
is castellated abbey and lets the world take care of its own. But no walls can stop death because it
is unavoidable and inevitable. Visual descriptions in Edgar Allen Poe's short story "The Masque of
the Red Death" are used to symbolize death. Poe's use of language and symbolism is shown in his desc
ription of the seventh room in the suite, the fire, and the ebony clock. These objects are used to d
epict the theme of the story, death "held illimitable dominion over all."1
The first symbolic mean
of death is represented in the seventh room in the suite. The story takes place in seven connected b
ut carefully separated rooms. "The seventh apartment was closely shrauded in black velvet tapestries
that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same
material and hue."2 Poe usesthe seventh room to symbolize the final stage of life, death. He sees t
he black velvet tapestries as blood flowing from the ceiling and walls to the floor. The relationshi
p between blood and death is important because he wants the reader to have a visual image of the blo
od pouring down the walls as a form of death. In creating this room Poe links the colors red and bla
ck with death and time.
The fire lighting the suite of rooms is another object in the story that re
presented death.
...There stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire
that protected its rays through the tinted glass...But in the western or black chamber the effect o
f the fire light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted paves, was ghostly in
the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the cowntenances of those who entered...3
"The seven
rooms are lighted from without, and it is only in the seventh room where the color of the windows d
oes not correspond with the color of the room, but instead is a deep blood color through which light
illuminates the westernmost chamber of black..."4 The fire was meant to produce a shadowy atmospher
e in the west and a favorable one in the east. This is symbolic to the sunrise in the east and sunse
t in the west because light means life and darkness means death. Poe uses darkness as another visual
representation of death."...The details of incident and background [in the story] flash themselves
on our imagination with almost painful distinctness."5
The ebony clock is another symbolic element
in the story. The significance of time in the story is seen in the symbol of the gigantic clock of e
bony, which is drapped in black velvet and located in the final room. Although the clock is an objec
t, it quickly takes on human aspects as the author describes it as having a face and lungs from whic
h comes a sound that is "exceedingly musical"6 but "so peculiar"7 that the "dreams are stiff frozen
as they stand."8 "...The gigantic ebony clock with the dull, heavy, monotonous clang...emphasizesthe
passage of time."9 Hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second, the life of the ebony clock sl
owly dies. Poe uses the clock as a symbolic mean that man can escape death, but in the end it is ine
scapable." The striking of this clock has...a sobering effect on the revellers. Upon the last stroke
of twelve...there appears amid the throng, a figure attired in the blood dabbled grave-clothes of a
plague victim."10 The ebony clock is a reminder to Prince Properso and his guests of their remainin
g time before death. Poe's description of the clock's chimes is succesful as a constant remainder of
their death.
Edgar Allen Poe's visual descriptions of the seventh room, the fire, and the ebony cl
ock, in his short story "The Masque of the Red Death," effectively show the importance of language a
nd symbolism to visualize death.
"The symbolism of certain stories of Poe is rather clear..."The Ma
sque of the Red Death" is a parable of the inevitability and universality of death, the human condit
ion of man's fate, and the fate of the universe."11
"The masque of the Red Death" is one of Poe's b
est made tales and one of his more explicit allegories. masque death elaborate allegory that combine
s objects story with visual descriptions give focus reader imagination story price named properso tr
ies evade death through isolation seclusion hides behind impenetrable walls castellated abbey lets w
orld take care walls stop death because unavoidable inevitable visual descriptions edgar allen short
story masque used symbolize language symbolism shown description seventh room suite fire ebony cloc
k these objects used depict theme held illimitable dominion over first symbolic mean represented sev
enth room suite takes place seven connected carefully separated rooms seventh apartment closely shra
uded black velvet tapestries that hung over ceiling down walls falling heavy folds upon carpet same
material usesthe room symbolize final stage life sees black velvet tapestries blood flowing from cei
ling floor relationship between blood important because wants reader have visual image blood pouring
down form creating this links colors black with time fire lighting suite rooms another object that
represented there stood opposite each window heavy tripod bearing brazier fire protected rays throug
h tinted glass western chamber effect light streamed upon dark hangings through tinted paves ghostly
extreme produced wild look upon cowntenances those entered seven rooms lighted from without only wh
ere color windows does correspond with color instead deep color which light illuminates westernmost
chamber meant produce shadowy atmosphere west favorable east this symbolic sunrise east sunset west
because light means life darkness means uses darkness another representation details incident backgr
ound flash themselves imagination almost painful distinctness ebony clock another symbolic element s
ignificance time seen symbol gigantic clock ebony which drapped velvet located final although object
quickly takes human aspects author describes having face lungs from which comes sound exceedingly m
usical peculiar dreams stiff frozen they stand gigantic dull heavy monotonous clang emphasizesthe pa
ssage time hour hour minute minute second second life slowly dies uses mean escape inescapable strik
ing this sobering effect revellers last stroke twelve there appears amid throng figure attired dabbl
ed grave clothes plague victim reminder prince properso guests their remaining before description ch
imes succesful constant remainder their edgar allen descriptions short masque effectively show impor
tance language symbolism visualize symbolism certain stories rather clear parable inevitability univ
ersality human condition fate fate universe best made tales more explicit allegoriesEssay, essays, t
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