i was wondering what both of these stories are about i need them really soon and if anyone could just briefly summarize them so i can explain them to my teacher i would really appreciate it... thank you

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002

Answers

Refreshing honesty will get you nowhere. Please read the works first or at least prpetend that you have. It is extremely difficult even with book notes, movies or some other summary to get the gist of a work enough to convince a teacher. Spreading knowledge is not like spreading a rumor(you know what distortions take place there!).

Now when reading The Raven keep in mind the progression of ideas and moods in the narrator as the issue of his unresoplved grief for lenore comes to the fore. How the symbolic bird becomes part of a fake dialogue or slightly pschizophrenic inner debate that fear and shadows win. They win because what surrounds the narrator in his nighttime retreat is a dark, empty state of loss and memories that torment him and cannot be resolved. Poe's OWN explanation(somewhat tongue in cheek or untrustworthy) can be found in "The Philosophy of Composition" at www.eapoe.org.

Poe's stories contain their own philosophical explanations that bind the mind to the theme and allelements of the story. usher is a perfect example of this. Starting with an idea of the intimate connection between things such as the mind, the body and its surroundings, Poe weaves doom through the title itself(house(family), house(building, house(mind and being) of Usher. It spinns out the idea through Usher's thoughts, his health and his imminent collapse. It is made present in the art of the story, the poem within("The Haunted Palace") the stories within stories, art struggling with the same doomed debate as in "The Raven", while the actaul events move inexorably to the surface, the undead Madeleine embracing her brother in the final total implosion of the Fall. Aside fro simply letting the effect of the emotions wash over you(as is the primary intent), some organization like this might help you understand when the ornate words and poetic thoughts might seem too much for you. The complexity is meant to build the emotional impact not to be dissected for an intrusive "meaning." Philosophy is a glue just as much as setting or symbols or events.

As Hamlet would say "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy" Which is bold talk coming from someone whose own over-philosophizing inner debate encompasses his inaction and doom.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002

I wasn't able to read the story "the raven" only the "Fall of the House of Usher. In this story, Poe was tring to set up a horror images to is audience. As the apperance of the house of the Usher directly tells what is the content of the story. He used words that sting our hearts because of its terrific mood.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002

I wasn't able to read the story "the raven" only the "Fall of the House of Usher. In this story, Poe was tring to set up a horror images to is audience. As the apperance of the house of the Usher directly tells what is the content of the story. He used words that sting our hearts because of its terrific mood. The most terrific and monstrous event was when Lady Madeline was being put on her tomb under the basement by Roderick without his knowledge that his sister at that moment is still alive. That part of the story is the beginning of Roderick's annoyance.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002

I wasn't able to read the story "the raven" only the "Fall of the House of Usher. In this story, Poe was tring to set up a horror images to is audience. As the apperance of the house of the Usher directly tells what is the content of the story. He used words that sting our hearts because of its terrific mood. The most terrific and monstrous event was when Lady Madeline was being put on her tomb under the basement by Roderick without his knowledge that his sister at that moment is still alive. That part of the story is the beginning of Roderick's annoyance. Poe used the bad weather to hightened its degree. There were lightning and thunder that struck on the the Usher's house and in that moment there were also terrifying noise under the basement. It was stately implied that those noise was of Lady Madeline. Poe end up the story with very, very horrifying event that was when Madeline stood up before his brother with bloods on her body and the fall of the house of Usher.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2002