Allegory is a figure of speech in which abstract ideas and principles are described in terms of characters, figures, and events.
It can be employed in prose and poetry to tell a story.
As a literary device, an allegory is a metaphor in which a character, place or event is used to deliver a broader message about real-world issues and occurrences.
It usually uses as a literary device or as rhetorical device.
The word allegory comes from Latin allegoria.
The origins of Allegory can be traced at least back to Homer.
In classical literature two of the best-known allegories are the Cave in Plato’s Republic.
Other early allegories are found in the Hebrew Bible.
The story of the apple falling onto Isaac Newton’s head is another famous modern allegory.
Allegorical poetry has two meanings – a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.
The objective of its use is to teach some kind of a moral lesson.
Although an allegory uses symbols, it is different from symbolism. An allegory is a complete narrative that involves characters and events that stand for an abstract idea or event.
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is a spiritual allegory about a spiritual journey.