The Raven & The Fall Of The House of Usher
By M.N.
Edgar Allen Poe has written a myriad of novels, poems, and short stories. Two of his
most recognizable works are The Fall of The House of Usher and Raven. Though these two
writings are similar in many ways, they are also very different. One way this can be seen is
through the writing style and theme. Another way they can be compared is the actual type of
writing used in each. Lastly, they can be compared in the use of symbolism in each.
One way that they can be compared is by the type of writing used in each. To start off,
they both share the gothic genre. Like many other works by Poe, both The Raven and The Fall of
The House of Usher are written in the gothic style. This style, often characterized by its gore,
horror, and other dark subjects, is heavily present in both of the pieces of literature. For example,
in The Raven, the main character adds to the gothic theme with his “unstable” mental state. This
can be seen as the narrator slowly loses sanity. This happens as he asks the bird questions,
gradually revealing his thoughts. In The Fall of The House Of Usher this is shown through the
setting, a gloomy deteriorating house in the woods. For example, in one passage the narrator
talks about how the sight of the house gives him a feeling of depression. In both the stories, Poe
uses a mixture of setting, characters, and symbolism to get the gothic theme across.
Though these two stories are similar in writing style, in this case theme, they are also
different. This is in the form of the literal type of writing. The Raven is presented via a poem,
whereas The Fall of The House of Usher is a short story. This is shown in many ways. Firstly,
