Tuesday, June 17, 2014

In the short story, "The Cask of Amontillado", how does Edgar Allan Poe use the 5 senses of literature?

In any setting, the five senses are taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. In terms of literature, imagery is descriptions of something in terms of the five senses. Imagery forms mental pictures of things through the use of words.

There is lots of imagery in "The Cask of Amontillado," from the descriptions of the characters to the setting. For instance, while descending into the catacombs, Monstressor continuously points out how uncomfortable it is down there. He uses words like "damp," "moisture," and "foulness"  and similes such as "the niter hangs like moss" which make the reader imagine what it smells, feels, and looks like in the underground tomb.  Poe also strengthens the imagery in the story by describing the sounds of Forunato's bells ("jingled"), his cough ("Ugh! ugh! ugh!...), his laugh ("Ha! ha! ha!-he! he!"), as well as his screams at the end of the story ("For the love of God, Montressor!"). Through his use of imagery, Poe helps the reader imagine what is happening in the story. This heightens the suspense of the story and the horror of the protagonist's actions.

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