Cupid is an emblem of the heart. The Greek word for butterfly is Psyche
and the same word means soul.
“The butterfly the ancient Grecians made
The soul’s fair emblem.”
--_Coleridge._
The purpose of the story is to illustrate the three stages in the
existence of a soul--its pre-existence in a blessed state, its
existence on earth, its trials and anguish, and its future state of
happy immortality.