Edgar Allen Poe's Gothicism

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Edgar Allen Poe Gothicism

When the name Edgar Allen Poe is mentioned the thoughts of horror, shock, and terror come to the common readers mind. Some though, think more powerful words such as revolutionary, intellectual, or gothic. Poe’s works such as Pit And The Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, Hop-Frog, and The Fall of the House of Usher are considered to be staple works of the 19th century gothic genre. Elements of gothic writing include the number seven, madness, and ironic twists.

E.A. Poe used the number seven in his writings to express his gothic style of literature. For example, in Pit And The Pendulum when the character attempted to map his dark surroundings, he counted 52 paces before he had swooned. In reality, the room was only 25 yards in circumference. Addition tell us that 5 plus 2 equals 7 and also in reverse that 2 plus 5 equals 7. Also, in The Tell-Tale Heart the homicidal murderer had stalked his victims eye for 7 nights before killing him on the eighth night. In Hop-Frog, the king had a total of 7 councilors. Finally, in The Fall of the House of Usher...

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