The Romantic Age created a new path for American literature and promoted different ways of viewing life. Since writers of this time were more idealistic, they looked at life at how it could or should be, not as it was. Great literary works such as Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," Hawthorne's "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," and Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" are representative of their literary age because they exemplify numerous Romantic Age characteristics. In Washington Irving's short story, "The Devil and Tom Walker," great use of imagination is shown. As Tom is walking through the forest, several inventive stories explain what he sees. A firm piece of ground is said to be from an Indian fort for refugee squaws and children during …show more content…
The disease known as the "red death" devastates and kills several people throughout the country. Nothing has been so hideous, fatal, and bloody. It is so horrid that Prince Prospero creates a new civilization in his Abby to escape the gruesome fate of the dying outside world. A figure appears at the prince's masquerade ball in shrouds, a mask resembling a corpse, and venture dabbed in blood. It is said to be sprinkled in red horror. The Prince attempts to seize the figure by running through all seven of his chambers until he gets too close and dies. This is the red death personified, and it kills all those living inside the abbey. Vivid descriptions of important items are shown. The prince's abbey is detailed as "an extensive and magnificent structure." It has soft, lofty walls with strong gates of iron. Its interior and chambers are described with having great beauty. The chambers each have gothic, stained glass windows that match the room's color of blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, or black. The black chamber, however has scarlet windows with blood tinted panes. It is recounted as so ghastly and extreme that only the brave dare to enter. No candle or light is present in any of the rooms. There is a fire behind the window which projects throughout the entire room. The ebony clock also has an important value. Each hour