The Fall of the House of Usher Group

Question:

j1219
j1219
Student
College - Senior

Explain the verses which were entitled "The Haunted Palace"

in short story, "The fall of the house of Usher by Poe

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Posted by j1219 on Friday October 16, 2009 at 5:45 AM and tagged with literature, poe.

Answers:

  1. dalepowell1962
    dalepowell1962 Teacher
    College - Freshman

    eNotes Editor

    POE:

    In the greenest of our valleys
    By good angels tenanted,
    Once a fair and stately palace-
    Radiant palace-reared its head.
    In the monarch Thought's dominion-
    It stood there!
    Never seraph spread a pinion
    Over fabric half so fair!

    Interpretation: In a good place where angels lived a palace came into being.  The angels never saw a place so fair.

    POE: Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
    On its roof did float and flow,
    (This-all this-was in the olden
    Time long ago,)
    And every gentle air that dallied,
    In that sweet day,
    Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
    A winged odor went away.

    Interpretation:  This was a long time ago and everyone who went there was able to carry a little of its happiness away with him or her.

    POE: Wanderers in that happy valley,
    Through two luminous windows, saw
    Spirits moving musically,
    To a lute's well-tuned law,
    Round about a throne where, sitting
    (Porphyrogene!)
    In state his glory well-befitting,
    The ruler of the realm was seen.

    And all with pearl and ruby glowing
    Was the fair palace door,
    Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
    And sparkling evermore,
    A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
    Was but to sing,
    In voices of surpassing beauty,
    The wit and wisdom of their king.

    Interpretation:  In these two verses, all good things of the senses are described as well as the praise for the king's cunning.

    POE:But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
    Assailed the monarch's high estate.
    (Ah, let us mourn!-for never morrow
    Shall dawn upon him desolate!)
    And round about his home the glory
    That blushed and bloomed,
    Is but a dim-remembered story
    Of the old time entombed.

    Interpreation:  All those good things were a long time ago and since then, evil sinister things have buried the joy of the kingdom.

    POE: And travellers, now, within that valley,
    Through the red-litten windows see
    Vast forms, that move fantastically
    To a discordant melody,
    While, like a ghastly rapid river,
    Through the pale door
    A hideous throng rush out forever
    And laugh-but smile no more.

    Interpretation:  The people who are there now are not happy.  Things are of "discord"-and any laughter is without a smile- because it is laughter gratified by the pain or misfortune of others.

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    Posted by dalepowell1962 on Friday October 16, 2009 at 10:37 AM