Examples Of Diction In The Fall Of The House Of Usher

Edgar Allen Poe is considered to be one of the leading writers of the Gothic Romantic period of literature. One of Poe’s famous short stories, The Fall of the House of Usher, creates a dark and sorrowful atmosphere, with a deep story of connection between brother and sister intertwined within. Poe conveys this atmosphere through powerful and elaborate use of diction, to tie into the overarching theme of tradition. Poe is renowned throughout history for his beautiful and elaborate use of diction and symbolism. He uses copious amounts of description to conjure up vivid scenes in the reader’s mind. Early on in the story, the narrator describes the feeling he has of the house, “I say insufferable; for the feeling of was unrelieved by any of that

Throughout the story, the connection between the end of the Usher family name and home is apparent. The narrator gives a statement about the family that provides a fact about the bloodline, “I had learned, too, the very remarkable fact, that the stem of the Usher race, all-time honored as it was, had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch; in other words, that the entire family lay in the direct line of descent …” (414). The Usher family had always been isolated to itself, never marrying other lines into itself and possibly changing the name. This tradition weighs heavily when the Usher family ends up dwindling to the last two remaining twins, who both currently have failing health. The narrator also gives evidence to the connection between the family’s tradition and the home by stating, “... original title of the estate in the quaint and equivocal appellation of the “House of Usher” -an appellation which seemed to include, in the minds of the peasantry who used it, both the family and the family mansion” (415). This statement further connects the intertwinement of the family, their tradition, and their house. It’s also a symbolic element that further eludes to the fall of the family and