Reflection on "The Pit and the Pendulum"

"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe exhibits many of the characteristics of the Dark Romanticism literary style.
First, Poe creates the characteristic sense of mystery in the first sentences of the piece. One of the narrator's first sentences is "The sentence-the dread sentence of death-was the last of distinct accentuation which reached my ears." (Poe 263). The words in themselves create a sense of mystery and impending doom, but the reader obviously knows that the narrator doesn't die. If he did, then he wouldn't be able to tell the story like he was. This also spawns a curiosity in the reader to know what happens to the man.
This story is also very detail-oriented. One example that really stood out to me was when the narrator describes the curtains: "I saw, too. . . the soft and nearly imperceptible waving of the sable draperies which enwrapped the walls of the apartment." (Poe 263). This detail wasn't really necessary, but it added to the overall ambiance of the piece.
It also added to the mysterious setting that is also one of the characteristics of Dark Romanticism. We obviously know that wherever the narrator is, it has curtains around the walls, but the rest of the setting is a complete mystery. The character is taken to a dark place where he and the reader has no idea what will happen. When he finally gets to see his surroundings by way of a spooky light coming from the floor, he describes it like a horrific room of some sort, which is a common setting for Dark Romantic works.
Another hallmark of Dark Romanticism is it's acceptance of sin and evil in the world. The whole premise of "The Pit and the Pendulum" is the Spanish Inquisition which tried heretics as sinners. Obviously this story accepts sin and evil because the narrator is being tortured to get him to confess to some sin he didn't commit.
Many Dark Romantic works also have a sort of twist ending where the authors try to trick or surprise the reader in some way. This is also a part of "The Pit and the Pendulum". Even though the reader knows that the narrator survives because of the reasons mentioned above, the ending is so jarring that it takes the reader completely by surprise. All of a sudden the man is standing terrified at the edge of the pit and the next, "The fiery walls rushed back! An outstretched arm caught my own. . . It was that of General Lasalle." (Poe 273). Such an abrupt ending catches the reader off-guard, which is exactly what it was intended for. Though not a conventional twist ending, it has the essence of the others of the Dark Romanticism style.
"The Pit and the Pendulum" has characteristics of Dark Romanticism practically screaming at the reader from the beginning to the end. Some are standard issue like the setting and the theme, and some have Poe's distinct flair to them like the psychology and the ending. Either way, the style of the Dark Romantics is present in "The Pit and the Pendulum".


Poe, Edgar A. "The Pit and the Pendulum." Glencoe Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. American Literature ed. Coumbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 263-73. Print.