At only seventeen years of age little does he know about the challenges and conflicts that he would face as an adult. The narrator treated that poem like if it was his religion. He would read it every morning and every time he was having a difficult moment in his life. The poem brought hope, happiness, and joy to the narrator's life. However it was only for one day. "I was very happy that day, forty years ago" (pg. 156). The poem did give the man hope and happiness the man but it only lasted one day. As time passed the narrator still resisted the poem hoping that tings will change. However they did not change. The poem is supposed to symbolize hope and happiness but it is not. The narrator puts so much faith into his poem that it was devastating that it was not working. The poem was supposed to bring a brighter future, a job, and most importantly hope. When you put so much thought and emotion into something and it lets you down it is very hard do cope. This is why the narrator burns the poem in a very compassionate way. Setting slowly onto the fire it was like letting go of his past and symbolizing a new beginning. The poem that at first symbolized something beautiful unfortunately did not workout for the narrator. The poem provided symbolism to the story and added to the meaning of the story which is, not all dreams come true in life.
Imagery was also a big factor in the meaning of the story. It drew a picture of the setting where the story took place and also how the sensory details were used made the imagery standout. At the beginning of the story the narrator is reminiscing on the house that he used to live in and the struggles he tried to overcome, and also the things he put his faith in. " Sometimes I pass Debevoise place at the corner of Willoughby street I look at the old wooden house, gray and ancient, the house where I used to live some forty years ago" (pg. 155).