Figurative Language In The Masque Of The Red Death

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Death can never be escaped no matter what. In “The Masque of the Red Death” Edgar Allan Poe shows the theme of death, a suspenseful mood, and an ominous tone. Through Poe’s use of literary devices, the reader can discover tone, theme, and mood. Throughout Poe’s life he experienced death with two of his mother’s and his young wife. Death is shown how inevitable it is with Poe’s writing and experiences combined together. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, the stranger symbolizes death and how people can never escape their fate of death. Death will follow people until it catches them.Even though Prince Prospero and his guest are being kept safe, eventually death catches them to determine their fate of death. The symbolism of the stranger …show more content…

The simile Poe uses is by comparing the red death to a thief. The figurative language of personification and simile of the red death contribute to the tone of the story. The red death is described as, “ He had come like a thief in the night” (Poe 3). This contributes to the tone because Poe gives the story a more ominous sense by giving the red death human characteristics of a thief as well as comparing the red death to a thief that steals. What makes the red death like a thief is by how the red death disguises as a gust and goes to the ball and even though the people think he is creepy they still think they are safe. The tone is highlighted in the story because of how Poe emphasizes the red death by giving it characteristics of a thief and comparing the red death to a thief stealing at night like the red death steals the people’s …show more content…

The symbolism of the mask stranger connects to the theme of never escaping death. The imagery of the black room connects to the mood because of how they both create a suspenseful mood. The figurative language of both personification and simile which connects to tone for the ominous atmosphere. With all these connections with literary devices, theme, mood, and tone which the main focus is to emphasize about death being inevitable No matter how hard you try to escape it death will always be