The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe Essay

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poes The Pit and the pendulum demonstrate an arabesque look at the human mind. Part of the terror of The Pit and the Pendulum stems from the apocalyptic imagery with which Poe establishes his narrative framework. The narrator of the tale seems not to parallel the characters of Poes other tales, in that he is very sane and his torture comes from without rather than from within. Poe has used apocalyptic imagery in many of his works (Spealght 235). Condemned to torture and death by the black-robed, white-lipped judges of the Inquisition in the opening scene of the tale, the narrator observes seven candles, which first dissolve in his mind into seven angels wearing†¦show more content†¦Fittingly, then, Poe concludes his tale with blaring trumpets, fiery walls, and a thousand thunders, apocalyptic images that describe the narrators deliverance by General LaSalle as a sort of Second Coming of Christ. Indeed, removed from its allusive context, the narrators rescue is difficult to account for since, as David H. Hirsch has pointed out, it is neither foreshadowed in the tale nor congruent with its overwhelming Beard-The Pit and the Pendulum-3 oppression. However, in light of Revelation 16.15 - Behold, I come as a thief - the narrator as well as the reader accepts the unexpectedness of LaSalles and the narrators escape. Commentators have of course, recognized Poes allusions to Revelation and several apocryphal books of the Bible. Hirsch observes that the final paragraphs of the tale neatly counterpoint the first by reversing the narrators loss of hearing, and then collapse with auditory amplification and expansion. According to Hirsch, the dreamy indeterminate hum of the opening lines is caught up in the discordant hum of the conclusion; the burr of a mill-wheel is amplified into the thousand thunders, and the collapsing image of the blackness of darkness supervened is inverted into the expanding image of the fiery walls rushing outward. Hirsch suggests, moreover, that the outstretched arm ofShow MoreRelatedThe Pit And The Pendulum By Edgar Allan Poe852 Words   |  4 Pages Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is a well known American author whose works continue to influence literature today. His difficult life was impactful on his writing. He is mostly known for his dark writings, but he was also a talented adventure author. 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Poe’s own foster father, John Allan, stated that â€Å"His (Poe’s) talents are of an order that can never prove comfort to their possessor†. How did Poe create such gothic tones in his stories with only describing the foul settings and wickedRead MoreEdgar Allan Poes Use of Descriptive Language in The Pit and the Pendulum1609 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poes Use of Descriptive Language in The Pit and the Pendulum Edgar Allan Poe has been known for writing stories of mystery and horror. He has composed poems dealing with the occult. He favors those themes and ideas that people shy away from, death, pain, suffering, torture, terror, and fear. His gothic stories burn fright into the hearts of the reader or leave them with a sense of remorse for Poes poor and unfortunate characters. Not many people have ever thought about