Literary Conflict and Symbolism in "The Raven" and "A Worn Path"

Introduction and Overview of Literary Conflicts

The different literary elements used within both "The Raven" and "A Worn Path" are essential to keep readers engaged in each form of art. The numerous conflicts that each author placed within these works are memorable to readers due to vivid detail and scenery. In "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, the conflicts within the poem are individual versus self and individual versus nature, dealing with a symbolic form of death represented by the raven. In "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, there are multiple conflicts the grandmother must face, such as individual versus nature, self, and society. She must overcome these conflicts to save her grandson from dying. The literary techniques used in each work are symbolic reference to death, creative imagery, and figurative language.

The poem centers on the loneliness the narrator faces following the death of Lenore. Late one night while at home, the narrator hears tapping on the front door and calls out that he is on the way. The minimal amount of information given about Lenore is a symbolic element within the story, making readers wonder how important their relationship was before her death. The conflict introduced in the opening stanza is individual versus self, because the narrator is trying to deal with the loss of someone he loved. The way he attempts to manage his depression is by reading throughout the bleak winter to overcome it, which only makes the conflict more noticeable given the pedestal on which he places Lenore in his heart.

Individual vs. Self and Nature in 'The Raven'

The poem begins with the line: "Eagerly I wished the morrow; — vainly I had sought to borrow / From my books surcease of sorrow — sorrow for the lost Lenore — / For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore" (Clugston, 2014). This opening establishes the depth of his grief and his unsuccessful attempt to find comfort through literature.

The limited omniscient point of view established in the poem gives readers a detailed view of how the main character feels throughout. The conflict of individual versus self is evident in his profound sadness over her death. Yet he cannot stop thinking about her, which causes the author to express his depression through figurative language such as "midnight dreary," "forgotten lore," and "bleak December." These literary techniques describe his internal battle.

The other central conflict the character faces is individual versus nature. He must confront death head-on through the form of a raven, which is the recurring theme and symbol of the poem. The raven itself serves as a constant reminder to the character that it will always be present, regardless of what a person wants to happen in life. The poem states: "Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, / By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, / Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou art sure no craven. / Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore — / Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore! / Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore'" (Clugston, 2014).

The usage of different literary techniques within each stanza helps depict imagery, figurative language, conflict, and personification. All these techniques work together to develop the central conflict throughout the poem. The individual versus nature conflict becomes clear when describing the raven through detailed imagery of its feathers and the "Night's Plutonian shore" (Clugston, 2014). The narrator is being informed that he will never overcome the death of Lenore unless he tries to escape his depressive state of mind. The personification given to the raven—its ability to speak "Nevermore"—makes the narrator more paranoid about the visit, as the bird sits upon the Pallas Bust, repeating "nevermore" toward him.

Symbolism and Literary Techniques in 'The Raven'

The literary techniques that Poe used to help readers better understand his poem are vivid and engaging. Without these elements, the poem would be quite bland. The different techniques that make "The Raven" effective include symbolism, figurative language, imagery, and various elements of literature. The sound and mood of the poem are dreary due to the character's depressive state, since he is mourning Lenore, a young woman with whom he had an important relationship. Understanding this context, the sounds used in the poem lean toward the darker end of the emotional spectrum than lighter moods found in other works.

The first notice of the poem's ominous symbolism comes from the title itself: "The Raven," which represents death in the literary world. Already within the opening, a person has died without detailed information about how she died or what relationship she had with the narrator. The raven makes it clear to the protagonist that it will not let him forget about the death of the one he lost. There is plenty of symbolic imagery used to describe that Lenore is no longer living, such as "rare" and "radiant maiden." These vivid images and symbols inform the reader that Lenore is no longer in the world of the living through the use of symbolism and imagery.

In the third stanza, Poe makes it obvious that the character fears the shutter opening by itself due to high winds. The text reads: "And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain / Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; / So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating / 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door— / Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;— / This it is, and nothing more" (Clugston, 2014).

In this stanza, multiple literary techniques appear: consonance, alliteration, and internal rhyme. These devices describe the narrator's fear, which is caused by the words uttered by the raven—"Nevermore"—causing him even more sadness. It seems as though he does not want to climb out of his misery throughout the poem.

"A Worn Path" presents different conflicts than "The Raven," reflecting a vastly different mood and tone. Phoenix, the grandmother, must confront individual versus self, nature, and society. She must overcome these conflicts to help her grandson heal from a neck wound. In the story, she sets out on a long journey from her home deep within the woods toward the city to obtain the necessary medicine to save his life. During her ordeal making her way toward the city, she must overcome the challenges of her old age to save someone very precious to her.

Conflicts and Journey in 'A Worn Path'

The individual versus self becomes more evident as she makes periodic stops to gather her energy for the long journey, despite meeting plenty of hardship in the form of different animals. Her journey has a symbolic representation, since different animals showcase different meanings in literature. The conflict of individual versus nature comes into play as different figurative language and symbolic meaning present themselves on Phoenix's journey, attempting to demoralize her motivation to continue for her grandson.

The symbolic meaning of "December," which also appears in "The Raven," is associated with death. People who understand and can interpret this symbolism would assume it refers to Phoenix, but it could be redirected toward the grandson since he is very sick and needs medicine. Without it, he could die from his illness. This grandson's condition represents individual versus nature—if the boy does not receive the medicine, nature would take over and he would face death's door in the "bleak December skies."

Finally, Phoenix must face a conflict she has been dealing with throughout her life: individual versus society. Phoenix meets a young white hunter on the way to town, and it is evident that he does not respect her because of her being an African-American woman, as he points his gun toward her. Phoenix does not respond with fear because all the trials and tribulations she has met throughout her life have made her understand the nature of society and how individuals of color have been treated. Another instance occurs when she finally reaches town and speaks with the receptionist, whose attitude toward her is not welcoming of African-Americans.

The woods themselves function as an antagonist to Phoenix. All the obstacles causing her to spend time dealing with difficulties serve to bring her grandson closer to death if she does not persist. Another example of the woods as antagonist is the scarecrow, which she mistakes for a ghost as she makes her way through the path. The story states: "You scarecrow,' she said. Her face lighted. 'I ought to be shut up for good,' she said with laughter. 'My senses is gone. I too old. I the oldest people I ever know. Dance, old scarecrow,' she said, 'while I dancing with you'" (Clugston, 2014). The use of different symbols to describe her surroundings is evident throughout the story. Details about the seasons through color describe the atmosphere and shift between moods. The rising climax occurs when she finally arrives in town and walks into the pharmacy building, where the attendant asks her why she is there in an unruly tone and manner. During this questioning, she never answers because she knows how that person truly feels about her due to her race.

Conclusion

The critical difference lies in character emotional development and outcome. Both authors place serious importance on their protagonists' emotional development within each story, but each achieved different outcomes in the end. Literary analysis of these works demonstrates how skillfully each author conveys their overall message through their chosen medium. Overall, both "The Raven" and "A Worn Path" are well-written pieces that showcase different literary techniques used to convey profound themes about human resilience, loss, and the will to survive.