The Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher

The impetuous fury of the entering gust nearly lifted us from our
feet. It was, indeed, a tempestuous yet sternly beautiful night, and
one wildly singular in its terror and its beauty. A whirlwind had
apparently collected its force in our vicinity; for there were frequent
and violent alterations in the direction of the wind; and the exceeding
density of the clouds (which hung so low as to press upon the turrets
of the house) did not prevent our perceiving the lifelike velocity with
which they flew careering from all points against each other, without
passing away into the distance. I say that even their exceeding
density did not prevent our perceiving this—yet we had no glimpse
of the moon or stars, nor was there any flashing forth of the lightning.
But the under surfaces of the huge masses of agitated vapor, as well
as all terrestrial objects immediately around us, were glowing in the
unnatural light of a faintly luminous and distinctly visible gaseous
exhalation which hung about and enshrouded the mansion.

which words and phrases that
suggest extremes, whether
of emotion, action, or size.

What is
noteworthy about
this storm?


What greater
meaning do these details
give to the storm?

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Last updated by Aslan
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Consider words like " tempestuous", "whirlwind", and " velocity". The storm has a sense of evil to it. The storm, like the house, personifies unnatural and dark forces.

But the under surfaces of the huge masses of agitated vapor, as well
as all terrestrial objects immediately around us, were glowing in the
unnatural light.