Response on The Haunted Palace "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Since in Romanticism and Gothic literature depictions are the most important elements, it is crystal clear to see those in Edgar Allan Poe’s works. As many writer use depictions and supplementary elements to make their work great and completed, Poe used many figure to complete his works. Besides many other works of Poe’s, those depictions and figures are the most significant in “The Fall of the House of Usher”, yet I am impressed by this short story the most than all other works. Besides setting, characters, mode and tone of the story, Poe used many other supplementary elements in this story. One of the most influential element is poem, “The Haunted Palace”, with its meaning, it makes plot of the story stronger.

            In the beginning gloomy depiction of the setting gives the gothic sense, characters and the title complete the plot but there are this whole poem which is took place in the short story as it completes plot of the story with its figurative meaning. Throughout this poem, it talks about a palace that used to be great but then the king died and the palace was overrun with the spirits of the dead and its previous glory was destroyed. I think this poem not only talks about a palace but actually it refers to a man. As in the story once Roderick has a normal life but then with his illness which causes his death, his life becomes miserable.

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!

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 (Poe,123).

The first two stanzas talk about how the palace was excellent. It was beautiful and amazing and had a great king that run the place. To me that the palace represents man and that the king is the soul or mind. As in the story Roderick’s background and personality were beautiful and perfect, his family and ancestors were famous, so this amazing palace represents Roderick Usher.

Wanderers in that happy valley
   Through two luminous windows saw
Spirits moving musically
    To a lute's well-tunèd 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 (Poe,123).

            The third and fourth stanzas talk about how wanderers could see this amazing palace and think it was beautiful. It also talks about singers who sing for the king and wanderers.  I take the first part as people who know him and think he’s good person. To me, the singers are the king’s servants so if the mind is the king then the singers are what help the mind. So in this case Madeline is Roderick’s wanderer as she is the only person who lives with him and helps him.

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.

And travellers now within that valley,
   Through the red-litten windows, see
Vast forms that move fantastically
   To a discordant melody;
While, like a rapid ghastly river,
   Through the pale door,
A hideous throng rush out forever,
    And laugh -- but smile no more (Poe,124).

These stanzas are more dismal than rest of the poem. It tells about how something attacks to the king and captures his abilities and how there’s no chance for him to get better. And it talks about how the palaces greatness and beauty and servants are old memories and can never come back. This makes me think that there was some sort of illness that makes him powerless. So we can say that Roderick was a good man and  in time with his illness he become problematic in the way of action and he and his sister were the only members of the family’, their lineage become corrupted. And since servants and wanderers no more exist we can tie this to Madeline’s death. So as it says ‘Vast forms that move fantastically/ To a discordant melody’ this shows us that Roderick acts unbalance because of his illness he gives overreaction to anything.

To me that poem is the specific part of this short story as it states the basic plot and character analysis itself. It is crystal clear that this poem is tied with whole story and plot itself. And I can explain its importance in a sentence like: how a comma changes the meaning of a sentence.