Elements of Poetry Allegory

What is an Allegory An allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy. “Allegory of an American Christmas”

How to Read an Allegory An allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. An allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. Allegories tend to be filled with stock characters who symbolically represent personality types or aspects of personality. Allegories tend to be filled with stock characters who symbolically represent personality types or aspects of personality. The setting and situations these characters tend to find themselves in represent a microcosm of the world/society at large. The setting and situations these characters tend to find themselves in represent a microcosm of the world/society at large.

Three Examples of Allegories