Best The Fall of the House of Usher Quotes

• I rocked from side to side.
• The gloom within seemed to have no effect upon its exterior hue.
• The atmosphere itself had become saturated with gloom.
• A cadaverousness of complexion.
• A sickly luster.
• The sense of uncomfortable strangeness.
• A desolate mid-day.
• My mind was made up accordingly.
• The condition of the dwelling and of my friends caused me little anxiety.
• The natural immolation of the spirit.
• An unsurpassed species of gloom.
• I thought I had never beheld any thing so utterly devoid of the wild grace.
• The mockery of a faint blush.
• A shudder resembling a fit of the ague.
• A temple of living evil.
• The confusion of its greatness.
• A knowledge that I trembled.
• The tottering precipices of which hung over our path.
• There was an iciness, a sickening of the heart.
• An indeterminate district of country.
• My own voice seemingly distant.
• A strange odor reeking up.

Usher and Other Tales Quotes

• A cadaverousness of complexion.
• There was an appalling silence.
• An air of stern, deep, and irredeemable gloom.
• A lustreless and yet singularly shining skin.
• A vague and indefinable glow of cheek.
• The peculiar eyes.
• An expression of nervous agitation.
• A visible and palpable quality of atmosphere.
• An overpowering delirium.
• A fantastic rapidity in its descent.
• A chaos of architectural frippery.
• A gasp and a wavering totter.
• A strangled shriek.
• A haggard and ungovernable terror.
• A wild vizier.
• An anomalous species of terror.
• A sharp looking eye.
• A dank and chill glimmer.
• The poor sufferer writhed in unendurable pain.
• A tremor, an agitation.
• A suppressed and plaintive sound.
• A spectral indulgence.
• The house and its proprietor.

FAQ Best The Fall of the House of Usher Quotes

How does Edgar Allan Poe describe the setting as the narrator approaches the House of Usher?

Edgar Allan Poe sets a somber mood as the narrator approaches the House of Usher, depicting a “soundless day in the autumn of the year.” The landscape is described with “simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees,” which collectively contribute to an atmosphere of decay and melancholy.

What effect does the description of the house have on the narrator in “The Fall of the House of Usher”?

The description of the house deeply affects the narrator, evoking an “utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium.” The dismal and ghostly appearance of the house, particularly the vacant eye-like windows and decayed trees, creates a haunting image that overwhelms him with dread.

In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” how does Poe describe Roderick Usher’s appearance?

Roderick Usher is described by Poe with a striking appearance: “a luminous…finely molded chin,” suggesting a person of delicate yet distinct features, which mirror the eerie and refined atmosphere of the narrative. This description aligns with the unsettling aura of both Roderick and the Usher family home.

What themes are explored through the character of Madeline Usher in the story?

Madeline Usher represents themes of mysterious illness and the supernatural. Her presence in the story, coupled with her enigmatic and fatal condition, underscores the themes of death and resurrection, which are central to the gothic elements of the narrative. Her character adds a vital layer of suspense and horror as she is both literally and figuratively the twin counterpart to Roderick, highlighting the inescapable fate of the Usher family.

Can you explain the significance of the tarn surrounding the House of Usher?

The tarn surrounding the House of Usher symbolizes isolation and reflects the inner decay of the Usher family. It acts as a physical barrier that mirrors the psychological barriers between the Usher family and the outside world. The gloomy water also enhances the macabre and foreboding atmosphere that characterizes the entire estate.

How does Poe convey a sense of impending doom throughout “The Fall of the House of Usher”?

Poe conveys a sense of impending doom through a combination of eerie descriptions, the deteriorating mental state of Roderick Usher, and the supernatural events that unfold. Phrases like “I looked upon the scene before me…with an utter depression of soul” and the continual worsening of both the physical and mental conditions of the characters amplify this pervasive sense of unavoidable tragedy.

What is the narrative significance of the final collapse of the House of Usher?

The final collapse of the House of Usher symbolizes the complete destruction of the Usher lineage and the physical manifestation of the family’s cursed legacy. This dramatic conclusion serves as the culmination of the gothic elements of decay, death, and supernatural, tying together the fate of the house with that of the Usher family, suggesting that both were inevitably doomed from the beginning.