The Gothic and
Edgar
Allan Poe
You may think it rather odd that writer
Edgar Allan Poe falls into the Romantic Era of American Literature. Though we have
discussed that Romance, capital R, is more complex in its identifying traits
and does not necessarily imply all of the ooshy-gooshyness,
lovey-doveyness of romance, little r, “Romantic”
still seems a bizarre label for such a dark and twisted man.
It just so happens that within the
Romantic Period, Poe is specifically classified as a Gothic writer or a “Dark”
Romantic. The “gothic” carries with it a sense of foreboding and horror that
seems much more appropriate to describe Poe and his work. Through this
activity, you will acquire knowledge of common elements included in Gothic
literature, identify their presence in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and
comment on their significance as it contributes to the meaning of the text as a
whole.
1. By visiting the two sites below,
create a comprehensive list of Gothic elements in literature.
2. Complete your notice/signify chart
by first selecting five Gothic elements present in the short story “The Fall of
the House of Usher.”
Then, pinpoint a specific quotation
from the text that illustrates each of the five Gothic elements you selected.
“The Fall of the
House of Usher”
Finally, compose a comment of a minimum
of three sentences concerning the significance of the gothic element on the
meaning of the text. Consider: What does the element mean? Why is it included?
How does it shape the thematic message of the text?
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Gothic Element |
Notice (Textual Quotation) |
Signify |
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