During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heav
ens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. —Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher" Which of the following is true about the author’s syntax in this passage? It suggests a magical element to the story.
It suggests the narrator is lost quite frequently.
It suggests the narrator traveled without thinking of the time.
It suggests the narrator is terribly angry with someone.
Answer: I would contend that the right answer is the C) It suggests the narrator traveled without thinking of the time.
Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that in these introductory lines from "The Fall of the House of Usher," which Poe first published in 1839, it is possible to infer that the narrator had been traveling for a while ("during a whole day") and, suddenly, he found himself near his destination, his friend's house. There are no indications of him being lost or angry, so options B and D can be discarded. In addition, the syntax does not suggest a magical component, since he uses adjectives such as "dull," "soundless," and "dreary" to describe his journey and what he encountered along it, and those words do not suggest a magical setting.
