illustration of a blade on the end of a pendulum swinging above a man's head

The Pit and the Pendulum

by Edgar Allan Poe

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The Pit and the Pendulum

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," the number seven appears in reference to seven tall candles observed by the narrator during his trial. Initially, the candles seem like angels that might save him, but...

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The Pit and the Pendulum

At the story's start, the narrator dreads his execution, having been condemned to death during the Spanish Inquisition. This fear overwhelms him, causing a loss of consciousness. Upon awakening, he...

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