So with all of the stresses of exams and finals and papers and all that piles up the end of the semester, i decided to blog about what I am writing my paper on. I really enjoyed reading "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe. And i loved the comparison we made of both Poe and Emerson on our midterm exam. We talked about how Poe could be considered a nightmare version of Emerson. I can definitely see how Poe was like the alter ego of Emerson. Poe was dark and wrote on the evil things of man's mind, while Emerson was more optimistic in his writing. In the Pit and the Pendulum, Poe wrote in a way that shows the fear that thrives on one's mind in an experience like that of the Pit and Pendulum is nothing else. It seems to be almost a satisfying feeling to be in that state with no hope that something will change for the better. Emerson, on the other hand, was more hopeful of the things of nature and man's mind. I loved reading both Emerson and Poe!
P.s I commented on Lane's post
Poe's Pit and the Pendelum is definitely one of my favorites. Due to the thorough description by Poe, one can almost imagine oneself experiencing the terror. The grotesqueness of the rats, the heat from the walls radiating on the narrator's skin, and complete darkness in his chamber are all so very clear as he tells his story.
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