Dark Romanticism and The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum was a short story written by Poe highlighting the effect of terror on a prisoner captured and condemned to death by the Spanish during the Inquisition. Dark Romanticism was characterized by it's subject matter and the style. It was a branch of the Transcendentalist movement with less optimism and hope for the human race. Dark Romantics were less inclined to sympathize with man and believed all of our faults were wrought on by sin and self-destruction. Also in light of the Transcendentalists instead of viewing nature as a safe haven for self-realization and a spiritual place, the Dark Romantics saw it as an evil force that worked to it's own advantage and destroyed any who stood in it's way with force. The first example of Dark Romanticism comes with this quote in the story, "I saw the lips of the black-robed judges. They appeared to me white -- whiter than the sheet upon which I trace these words -- and thin even to grotesqueness; thin with the intensity of their expression of firmness, of immovable resolution, of stern contempt of human torture (Digital.)" In this excerpt the author tells of his condemnation at the hand of some unknown judges. His fate is sealed by these unknown being whom we are given the interpretation of seeing them as somewhat demonic. This condemnation to torture is an example of the sinful nature of man and his contempt for his fellow being. The rest of the story plays off of fear and attempts to immerse the reader in the man's cell so they can feel the same horror as him. Most Dark Romantic stories (especially Poe's) tend to depend on the supernatural to aid the story, but in contrast The Pit and the Pendulum is much grittier and realistic. One of the most effective images that Poe utilizes in the story is the image of Death hanging the pendulum that will eventually kill the narrator. It is extremely effective due to the impending nature of death for all of us and it is a metaphor for this. It is also effective in that Death is a traditionally frightening image and what better image than that of the face of death to evoke fear in the narrator and by extent the reader. Poe is masterfully able to use the primary senses to put the reader in the shoes of the narrator and truly frighten them. Due to this ability the reader feels as if they are in the shoes of the narrator and the effectiveness of the short story is multiplied and has a lasting effect on the reader. These are simply a few of the characteristics of Dark Romanticism that Poe demonstrates in his short story The Pit and the Pendulum and through his excellent use of symbolism and metaphorical representation he crafts a haunting tale of a doomed man and what could possibly be last days on Earth after his condemnation at the hand of seemingly demonic judges. The man's tale and his attempt to survive are a classic and remain with the leader long after they have read it.

Poe, Edger Allan. “The Pit and the Pendulum” In American Literature. Willhelm, Jeffory, comp. McGraw Hill. Columbus, 2009. Print.