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Post by Mr. Thomas on Nov 18, 2013 12:52:48 GMT -5
Son coeur est un luth suspendu; Sitot qu'on le touche il resonne. – De Beranger
Translation: "His/her heart is a poised lute; as soon as it is touched, it resounds".
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Post by emmanuelluna on Nov 18, 2013 16:16:59 GMT -5
Emmanuel Luna
Mr. Thomas
English 11
11/18/13
C. A part of the reading that confused me was when Poe was talking about his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, and says, “Although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet I really knew little of my friend.” This quote confused me because for me it raises the question of how can someone be another’s friend if they don’t know anything about the other person. Not only that, but the fact that he says they were “intimate associates” makes it harder to believe that they were actually friends at all.
D. A quote that stood out to me was when Poe was describing his friend and said, “To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave.” This quote stood out to me because of how dark it is and how grim and despairing he describes his friend and his friend’s life. This quote stood out to me because it gives a really grim and meaningless feeling to Usher’ life because according to him, everything inspires horror in him.
E. An idea that stood out to me in the reading was when Roderick Usher was talking about his family and says, “Her decease,” he said, with a bitterness which I can never forget, “would leave him (him the hopeless and the frail) the last of the ancient race of the Ushers.” These lines stood out to me because of the despair they show that Roderick must go through and in general, the dark tone of the reading. This darkness and despair really stands out and is the norm for Poe’s writings.
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Post by johnmarano on Nov 18, 2013 17:44:07 GMT -5
John Marano
Mr. Thomas
English 11
18 November 2013
C. I want to question some things that grabbed my eye throughout the reading. Why does Edgar Allan Poe always go into such dramatic detail when he describes a room? Does he do this because it is somewhat important or does he just like to entertain the readers? Just like in the last story we read, he does the same thing. WHY? Does the Usher have a serious fear of anything? What is he afraid of??? D. I like how this story is kind of going the opposite path in terms of other stories we read this year. Edgar Allan Poe has a great tendency to create such gloomy and dark stories, and this was another one. A quote that really backs up my opinion on how dark the story is, is ““I know not how it was but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.” This quote is explaining how the narrator is almost depressed by the House of Usher. The narrator shows how his fear takes over him and kills his spirit. I felt that this quote does a good job explaining how Edgar Allan Poe only sees darkness taking over his spirit.
I. Wow I thought this was so ironic. Emmanuel Luna’s response to (C) also confused me. Edgar Allan Poe says, “Although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet I really knew little of my friend.” I really didn’t understand this because this quote is almost explaining how he is lonely. He is talking about his friend though? Like why does he bring him up if he barely considered them friends? I have a strange feeling that this quote will be important, but than I feel like it wouldn’t. I like how Emmanuel brought this up because it also confused me.
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Post by joeroperti on Nov 18, 2013 18:17:56 GMT -5
Joseph Roperti Mr. Thomas English 11 18 november 2013
C. So far with reading two pieces by Edgar Allen Poe, I have raised the same question of why he is descriptive of dreadful and creepy details. I thought it might be to try and help the reader invision the scene or time, but to me it is a little excessive. Does he do it to try and make the person give the room or scene their own interpations through the descriptive language. I enjoy it but i can rarely understand it with only reading it once. E. A quote that really stood out to me was when Poe described his own friend "To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave." I couldn't think of one time i could ever describe one of my friends or even acquaintances like that. Poe's writing really sticks out at times more then other especially with his attention to detail. I. I liked how my peer John Marano drew the same idea with questioning Poe. I feel that many of our class mates would have the same ideas because we aren't used to such dark readings, but i think it is a good change of pace for all of us.
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Post by georgebaroudos on Nov 18, 2013 18:33:47 GMT -5
George Baroudos Mr. Thomas English 11 18 November 2013
A – It seems rather odd that a boyhood friend, who went MIA, would call upon an old friend to help him because he is ill. Some friends I would jump for, but considering they haven’t spoken in years would affect my decision. If the letter written was heartfelt I would take it into consideration. I won’t lie, that scares me. I’m unsure how I would react. I hope that in all my decision-making I do the right thing. I strive to do the right thing and if I believe that attending to my acquaintances needs is what is right I will do it.
D – “I found him a bounden slave” (4). This quote makes me think because I believe in many ways we are slaves. The word bounden to describe slaves stuck out. In so many ways as human beings we are bound to something. This certain something must be done or their will be consequences. As students we are forced to go to school. When we enter the work force, we aren’t forced to get a job but ramifications will come about if we don’t work. Sometimes we will bind ourselves to a job just because it pays the bills. The world is such a complex place that we don’t even realize some of things we do. Most things we do we do because we are forced to maintain a certain lifestyle.
I – The question continues to arise, how is this gothic? In many ways this piece is similar to the Masque of the Red Death. There is consistency in the scenery, long and winding halls. This in many ways speaks to Poe’s mysteriousness and also to his vivid description. These descriptions give me chills but I am able to envision myself in his scenario. There is also a connection in the architecture Poe describes. In both pieces he makes references to gothic art and tapestries. Poe had to maintain these trends and gave himself a trademark style.
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Post by eointunney on Nov 19, 2013 18:54:09 GMT -5
Eoin Tunney Mr. Thomas English 11 19 November 2013
D. I feel Edgar Allen Poe does an extremely good job creating a gothic imagery in this story. Many of the lines throughout the story portrayed a sense of darkness and even sadness. In the first paragraph Poe writes, “I looked upon the scene before me – upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain – upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows…” I feel this imagery of the house shows how amazing Poe is at writing these gothic style stories.
I. Just like Emmanuel Luna, I was extremely confused when Poe wrote, “Although, as boys, we had been even intimate associates, yet I knew little of my friend.” I felt this was weird because no one in today’s world would want to be friends with anyone if they knew nothing about the person. Since I thought this was confusing, I was wondering if it had a deeper meaning.
C. Another thing I was confused about was when Madeline finally died. On page 5, Poe says, “For several days ensuing, her name was unmentioned by either Usher or myself: and during this period I was busied in earnest endeavours to alleviate the melancholy of my friend” The reason why this confused me is because this line makes it seem like they waited several days to actually bury her.
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Post by 1adams12 on Nov 19, 2013 20:09:57 GMT -5
11/19/13
C. The things that I didn't understand were few. The lines "I had so worked upon my imagination as really to believe that about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity--an atmosphere which had no affinity with the air of heaven, but which had reeked up from the decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn--a pestilent and mystic vapour, dull, sluggish, faintly discernible, and leaden-hued" (Page 2) brought up many questions for me. For one, how is there an atmosphere and of what kind? Also, is the atmosphere from the dead Ushers as well? Another thing that bothered me was when the narrator went into the house that creeped him out so much. If it creeps the narrator out so much, why did he go in there? When is this happening?
D. While I was reading, the line that I liked so much was "his action was alternatively vivacious and sullen. His voice varied rapidly from a tremulous indecision (when the animal spirits seemed utterly in abeyance) to that species of energetic concision--that abrupt, unhurried, and hollow-sounding ennunciation--that leaden, self-balanced and perfectly modulated guttural utterance, which may be observed in the lost drunkard, or the irreclaimable eater of opium, during the periods of his most intense excitement" (page 4). The reason I liked this line so much is because it describes how Roderick Usher is when he is happy. It also shows you the personality of Roderick Usher.
I. I want to try and clarify Eion's C. The quote that you pointed out can be confusing, but after a lot of rereading and finally understanding it the 10th time, I think they buried Madeline and then they mourned after they buried her. Then they did not mention her name for fear of upsetting each other till several days when they finally got over the death of Madeline. How they got over the death so quickly, I do not know. During the time that Roderick mourned for Madeline, the narrator tried the best he could to remove the melancholy from his friend.
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Post by danokeefe15 on Nov 19, 2013 20:10:37 GMT -5
Danny O’Keefe
Mr. Thomas
English 11
19 November 2013
C. What confused me about the story is that Roderick thinks that the house is unhealthy and that it actually creeps him out. Why would Roderick still be living in the house if he felt that it was unsafe. The language and how detailed it is can also be very confusing, I came across some words that I’ve never even seen and sometimes it can be wordy due to how detailed it is.
D. “I had learned, too, the very remarkable fact, that the stem of the Usher race, all time-honoured as it was, had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch; in other words, that the entire family lay in the direct line of descent, and had always, with very trifling and very temporary variation, so lain,” this quote stood out to me because it showed what type of people the Ushers were and helps the reader understand the reading more
E. Although the reading is creepy and weird I still find it to be very interesting. I like how everything that is brought up has a deeper meaning or has a story behind it. I just wish it wasn’t too confusing and that it would get to the point without rambling about pointless things.
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Post by matthewsegarra on Nov 19, 2013 20:19:11 GMT -5
Matthew Segarra Mr. Thomas English 11 20 November 2013 C. There were some things in this part of the story that were questionable. What is Poe’s incentive when he describes rooms? They always seem to have a deeper and darker meaning. Is he trying to make us think, or is he just trying to scare us? This seems like a reoccurring theme, he does this in the last story also. I also feel like the Usher is fearless, he seems to show no fear. He has to be afraid of something, if so, what is it?
D. This quote caught my eye, “To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave.” I think this is a good quote because I liked the way he used a metaphor to describe his friend’s situation. He says that he cannot change the way of life he was born into and he cannot do anything about it. I. To answer Emmanuel’s question to response C, some people are very secretive. You may think you know a person, but they could be hiding a lot of things from you and everyone else. For example, your best friend may not want to tell you about his family’s financial struggle, or that he has a terminal illness that will kill him, but does that make him any less your best friend? Some people have a difficult time sharing personal details.
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Post by bourdonm15 on Nov 19, 2013 21:17:44 GMT -5
Matthew Bourdon Mr. Thomas English 11 11/19/13 F. I continue to really enjoy Edgar Allen Poe’s attentiveness to detail. “From the paintings over which his elaborate fancy brooded, and which grew, touch by touch, into vagueness at which I shuddered the more thrillingly, because I shuddered knowing not why” (Page 5). This is a perfect example of how Poe takes things in the house such as the paintings of the usher and vividly describes how it made him feel and the appearance of the painting to the audience or reader. His detail and eerie, suspenseful diction really makes his stories ten times more interesting and intriguing to the audience. C. I really was confused of what was the meaning of the little intro before the beginning of the story. “Son coeur est un luth suspendu; Sitot qu’on le touché il resonne. De Beranger.” (Page 1) What necessarily was the meaning for why would Edgar Allen Poe include this in the story? What does it have to do with the story? I was pretty confused as to why that was even present in the story. What was the significance, especially since it was before the story began? I am very curious to find out. I. I agree with Emmanuel’s comment on Roderick Usher’s line about his family. The man is basically depressed as the whole tone of the story is. He is very sick in the first place and only he and his sister remain from his family. The depressing tone is correlative with the writing style of Edgar Allen Poe.
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Post by matthewchan on Nov 19, 2013 21:31:10 GMT -5
Matthew Chan Mr. Thomas English 11 19 November 2013
C. The main question everyone is asking about is how is this story gothic? We can tell by the haunted house, the dreary landscape, the mysterious sickness, and the doubled personality of Madeline and Roderick. One thing that I also noticed was that the narrator doesn’t exactly tell us where and when this story takes place. The only thing the narrator uses to describe the setting is the weather and the landscape around the haunted house. Does this also have to do with Gothic as well? A. I find it weird how the narrator doesn’t know that Roderick has a sister. The narrator has been a friend of Roderick for years and doesn’t know anything about her. In today’s society, many friends know their friends well and know if they have a brother, a sister, or if they are the only child. It is rare in some cases to not know if your best friend has siblings or not. E. I liked the way Edgar Allan Poe wrote this story. It is very Gothic-like and makes you feel like you’re part of the story. I liked the narrator describes Roderick when he first sees him. He describes him as pale and less energetic than before. The narrator also states that Roderick is somewhat afraid of his own house. When Roderick sees him, he tells the narrator that he is suffering from fear and nerves and his senses are not normal. Could this also be Gothic-like as well?
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Post by poulong15 on Nov 19, 2013 22:10:42 GMT -5
Gregory Poulon
Mr. Thomas
English-11
18 November 2013
The one thing that I really liked about Edgar Allen Poe’s stories, and I’m going to have to disagree with john, is the detail that he actually gets into, just to describe to his readers something so vague. I really like how the story depicts a picture ion your mind that makes it a lot more interesting to read. It makes you think of what the reading is actually about and it helps you get into the reading. I really like how almost half the words in this story are adjectives Poe uses to paint a picture in our minds.
After reading only the first half of the story” the fall of the ushers” I was a little confused with some of the things that the author was talking about. I really did not understand why out of everyone he calls his friend that he has not talked to in so many years. Maybe this move was a reaction he had because he was under so much stress, but my first reaction would probably be someone who I am close with and would make a good effort to come and safe me. Although I do not know all the circumstances he was in, this action sounds a little un-clear and maybe the end of the story will clarify my misconception I have.
I would lastly like to comment on George’s quote. The quote “I found him a bounden slave” is a very powerful quote, but the way George compares it to us, is where I am a little skeptical. How can we, and how people live today be considered slaves. We live a very good life, and we cannot refer ourselves to slaves. People who endured pain and worked extremely hard and got no reward for it would be considered a slave.
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Post by scanley73 on Nov 20, 2013 0:01:12 GMT -5
C. Why does Poe spend so much time describing the situation and everything going on? He seems almost to need to put every little description in there. While it does create a stronger image I feel as though he could still portray the same image with less words. He doesn’t need to get so detailed in the descriptions to the point where an entire paragraph I dedicated to the description of one solitary room. Also, I agree with what Segarra said about is there a reason he is obsessed with rooms? He seems to have an obsession of describing every single room that there is. I. To answer Matthew Chan’s question of how this story is gothic, it is gothic because of its dark and gloomy atmosphere and the fact that it does deal with how the human mind works. There is a fear that the house is unhealthy as if Roderick sees it as a living thing. Plus the illness that afflicts Madeline is though provoking because no one has been able to figure out what is wrong with her. Although it may not be clear from the start that this is a gothic story the evidence is definitely there. A. Although it is not related to the story in any way I relate to when the narrator says that Usher was a childhood friend of his but they have slowly grown apart. I have grown apart from some of my best friends from when I was little. Again, not related to the plot I just made a connection there between the story and my life.
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Post by michaelannunziata on Nov 20, 2013 12:14:32 GMT -5
Michael Annunziata Mr. Thomas English 11 11,20,13 C. One thing that has been interesting in my eyes about Edgar Allen Poe has been that almost every piece that he has written has something to do “darkness”, depression and dreadful details. He rarely writes details that have the same characteristics as being nice or gloomy. I don’t know why this is but I do know that his style of writing has given me lots to think about and why he writes this way. I mean shouldn’t a person write about good things, and this makes me wonder how he life wise and if it affects the way he writes. That is why I found this most interesting but also most confusing about Edgar Allen Poe. E. Although I spoke about the reading being very creepy, and why he makes his writing that way, I also found it extremely interesting. His style is weird but has its own way of being incredible. His details and the way he combines everything makes me realize why he can be considered as one of the best in the world. That’s what I found most interesting about the reading and Edgar Allen Poe. A. One thing that caught my attention was why the narrator doesn’t know Roderick has a sister. It just doesn’t make sense to me. For example with my friends and I we all know who’s brother is which and whether or not our friends have siblings not only to protect them but also to be a good friend and be there for my friends siblings and well as just being there for that friend.
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Post by rodriguezj15 on Nov 21, 2013 0:24:49 GMT -5
Joel Rodriguez Mr. Thomas English 11 November 20, 2013 The Fall of the House of Usher B. Edgar Allan Poe’s description of the setting can be very specific for a reason, like in “The Masque of Red Death.” In this story his description of the house is very specific for a reason too. He says, “Perhaps the eye of a scrutinizing observer might have discovered a barely perceptible fissure (pg.5).” Poe means by this is that only if you look closely would you see crack in the house but it looks like it’s in good condition. He goes on to say, “A glance, however, at his countenance, convinced me of his perfect sincerity,” about Roderick (pg. 6). These lines tell the reader that the house is sort of a symbolism for Roderick. A. Roderick’s situation is very relatable to many people. On the surface he looks like he is doing fine, but he has a lot of problems. Roderick did what people should do in that situation, “with a view of attempting, by the cheerfulness of my society, some alleviation of his malady (pg. 4).” He asked his close friend for consolation in his troubling time. H. Setting up the stage would not be hard at all with Poe’s specific description of the mansion. Lines like, “the carvings of the ceilings, the sombre tapestries of the walls, the ebon blackness of the floors, and the phantasmagoric armorial trophies,” just make my job easier (pg. 5). And just to add to the gothic atmosphere I would put a fog machine.
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