Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque

When I think of "wilderness of the mind", I think of undiscovered territories. Poe definitely discovered new territories of the mind in his writings such as "The Fall of the House of Usher". His work displayed the elements of Gothic such as a sense of fear and mystery. The narrator said "It was no wonder that his condition terrified- that it infected me. I felt it creeping upon me, by slow yet certain degrees, the wild influences of his own fantastic yet impressive superstitions." (663) It…

The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1839.Whether one reads this story sincere expression of horror, or is Poe simply mocking as metaphysical speculation on the identity of matter and spirit, or as a psychological study of the powerful influence a deranged mind may have on a sane one, or even simply as a Gothic horror chiller, it remains a genuine masterwork of American fiction. The narrator of the story tells of an autumn visit to the House…

The clock strikes six and the sun begins to settle behind the valley. Darkness creeps upon my lonely home. I am no longer safe. Night-time once again serves to be ever so nerve wracking for me, never knowing what lurks among the unenlightened distance. Living out isolated in the middle of nowhere makes things even more stressful, especially not having a safe, warm, or secure place to stay. Most nights I lie awake, hidden beneath the covers of my bed. I constantly attempt to block out the…

In Avi’s novel, The Man Who Was Poe, he writes about two characters named Edmund and Edgar Allan Poe. At first, the two seem to have similar backgrounds and Poe begins to see himself through Edmund, but as the novel progresses their similarities fade and their physical and mental differences begin to appear. In the beginning, Poe and Edmund discover they have a similar family background, but as the story progresses Edmund’s mother, Sis, and mental stability begin to contradict Poe’s story.…

We Die at Dawn: Interior Droning Writing for Interiors Journal on the subject of interior design in Expressionist film, Architectural Designer, Mehruss Jon Ahi states, “These films focus on a reality that has been invaded and plagued by the irrational and cynical thoughts of its characters, and consequently, the sets in these films resemble their distress.” (Ahi, IntJournal.com) No other Expressionist film represents this stated distress better than Robert Weine’s 1920 classic, The Cabinet of…

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse and The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan are both great sources of information about the Dust Bowl during the ”Dirty Thirties. ”̣ However, they are very different in style. Out of the Dust is a fictional story written in a poem format and uses extensive figurative language. While The Worst Hard Time is more of a textbook format book that gives more in depth detail, background detail of the Dust Bowl, and uses eyewitness accounts to describe the horrors of the…

The Mad Hatter Destiny Mecomber We approached an ivy-covered picket fence. A sign by the giant gate in front of us announced that we were at the "Mad Hatter's Mad House." The house itself I couldn't see. But what I could hear was music, jazzy and bouncy, and slightly insane laughter. I turned to McTwisp. "Shall we go in?" I asked gesturing to the oversized fence. The rabbit copied me. "After you." "Uh, I'm kind of shorter than you, and you're a rabbit!" He walked forward, to the gate. "Fine,…

124’s melancholy emotional atmosphere continues throughout the novel and various characters who visit the house experience it. After being brought to 124, Beloved immediately mentions, “This place is heavy” (Morrison 65). The use of heavy could contain a doubling meaning because Beloved comes from an alternate spirit would, so she is likely referring to both earth as a whole and 124’s depressive environment. Paul D. also notes 124’s environment during his first visit to the house where he steps…

Edgar Allan Poe was a famous writer, mostly writing short stories and poems. He was known for his mysteries, horror stories. Arguably, his most popular and well known pieces of work is “The Raven”. In this essay I will be discussing the mysterious events that led up to Poe’s death and discussing the theories that are the most popular. Edgar Allan Poe’s death could have been caused due to a number of theories, the theories I will be discussing are death by alcohol poisoning, rabies, and the most…

Family Tragedy “Mid- Term Break” is a poem written by Seamus Heaney. This poem concerns a mournful young man grieving a death in the family, which is believed to be a possible younger brother. “I saw him for the first time in six weeks. Paler now (line 18).” Heaney uses language throughout the poem to show that something bad has happened and the cruel reality of a death in the family. “Mid- Term Break” conveys real-life problems to show that death is always around the corner, no matter how old…