26 pages • 52 minutes read
Edgar Allan PoeA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“There are certain themes of which the interest is all-absorbing, but which are too entirely horrible for the purposes of legitimate fiction.”
The opening line of the story is ironic; the narrator attempts to demonstrate that the theme of premature burial is horrible because it is not fictional, but this occurs within a fictional story. In a sense, Poe says the opposite of what is claimed by the narrator: Fiction and the imagination are precisely what create the greatest sense of horror.
“It is the fact—it is the reality—it is the history which excites. As inventions, we should regard them with simple abhorrence.”
The end of the opening paragraph introduces The Line Between Truth and Fiction. The narrator attempts to persuade that reality is scarier than fiction. The use of repetition in “it is the fact—it is the reality—it is the history” is used for persuasive effect and emphasizes that the events being described are based on real events and have a weight of truth to them.
“The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”
This quote exemplifies some of the story’s main themes. It uses rhetorical questions to create a sense of mystery and wonder. Additionally, the use of metaphorical language such as “boundaries which divide Life from Death” creates a sense of contrast between the two states and uses physical attributes to concretize abstract ideas. Lastly, the use of the word “shadowy” uses imagery to create a sense of uncertainty and
By Edgar Allan Poe
A Dream Within a Dream
A Dream Within a Dream
Edgar Allan Poe
Annabel Lee
Annabel Lee
Edgar Allan Poe
Berenice
Berenice
Edgar Allan Poe
Hop-Frog
Hop-Frog
Edgar Allan Poe
Ligeia
Ligeia
Edgar Allan Poe
Tamerlane
Tamerlane
Edgar Allan Poe
The Black Cat
The Black Cat
Edgar Allan Poe
The Cask of Amontillado
The Cask of Amontillado
Edgar Allan Poe
The Conqueror Worm
The Conqueror Worm
Edgar Allan Poe
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
Edgar Allan Poe
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher
Edgar Allan Poe
The Gold Bug
The Gold Bug
Edgar Allan Poe
The Haunted Palace
The Haunted Palace
Edgar Allan Poe
The Imp of the Perverse
The Imp of the Perverse
Edgar Allan Poe
The Lake
The Lake
Edgar Allan Poe
The Man of the Crowd
The Man of the Crowd
Edgar Allan Poe
The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allan Poe
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Edgar Allan Poe
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
Edgar Allan Poe
The Oval Portrait
The Oval Portrait
Edgar Allan Poe