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

Start Free Trial

The Pit and the Pendulum Questions on Tone

The Pit and the Pendulum Study Tools

Take a quiz Ask a question Start an essay

The Pit and the Pendulum

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," Edgar Allan Poe employs various literary devices to enhance suspense and thematic depth. These include a faux epigraph to set the historical context, first-person...

4 educator answers

The Pit and the Pendulum

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," the "voices" at the beginning and end of the story are both associated with the Inquisition but differ in tone and context. Initially, the voices are a "dreamy,...

1 educator answer