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Ligeia’s Eyes
To the narrator, Ligeia’s eyes symbolize the metaphysical mysteries of the universe—knowledge that he feels he is on the brink of understanding but cannot quite yet. He attributes to her eyes an inscrutable expression that he wants to decipher, much like someone might decipher an esoteric text. He describes them as being like stars, with himself playing the role of the astrologer. As opposed to an astronomer, who studies the scientific nature of stars, an astrologer studies stars for their potential metaphysical significance. The narrator describes himself often on the verge of understanding this significance, but it always slips away. This futility of his striving to access the deeper meaning of Ligeia’s eyes echoes how he describes his occult studies with Ligeia, which are “little sought—but less known”—that is, barely understood because rarely sought out. He feels his understanding slowly expanding “by degrees.” Even so, he insists that his ability to understand metaphysical mysteries is “child-like.” Like Ligeia’s eyes, he may study these mysteries, but he’ll never quite master them.
The Bridal Chamber
Rowena’s bridal chamber serves as a metaphorical tomb, sealing Rowena’s fate before she even falls ill. The high vaulted ceilings and censer evoke a church, but also a family vault. The dark color and lack of light emphasize this tomb-like atmosphere. The narrator even decorates Rowena’s room with sarcophagi, which are literally coffins. We can also read the bridal chamber as representative of Ligeia herself. The contrast between blonde Rowena and the dark, black coloring of the room is similar to the contrast between Ligeia’s dark hair and eyes and Rowena’s fair ones. Ligeia is a scholar of metaphysical mysteries, and many of the items in the room that evoke death also have ties to the occult. For example, the room is pentagon-shaped, the same as the interior of a pentagram, a symbol of magic. The carvings on the ceiling are both semi-Gothic and semi-Druidical, with the latter having magical connotations. The narrator has surrounded himself and Rowena with items that conjure Ligeia’s presence.
