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How Is Diction Used In Edgar Allan Poe's Farewell To A Funeral

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The poem is likely about bells. In the first section, there are sleighs decorated with silver bells, which ring merrily in the winter night. The second scene takes place in a wedding, during which golden bells ring. The third section introduces itself with brazen alarm bells clanging as a fire wreaks havoc in the area, while the last section concludes itself with iron bells and a funeral to address the dead. The speaker is a person, and is likely an observer. Poe uses situational irony in section two to disguise the true horror that the poem holds, giving the later sections greater influence. During the wedding, the speaker observes that the radiant sound of the golden bells “dwells / on the future!...tells / of the rapture that impels”, …show more content…

The devastating rampage of the fire causes “turbulen[t]...frantic...desperate…[and] horr[ific]” feelings, creating an acute sense of helplessness (38, 45, 47, 55). By using these words, an atomsphere of panic and despair becomes prominent, leading slowly to the idea that there is no hope to be found. This type of tone further emphasizes the lack of control present in life and evokes deep and personal feelings. With the usage of tense diction, Poe builds a mood of panic and brings into light the utter absence of true authority in a person’s …show more content…

While the beginning half of the poem feels joyous and lighthearted, it is masked by a thin facade. This is portrayed by the nighttime setting and the shakiness of the seemingly cheerful terms, such as the verses “while the stars, that oversprinkle / all the heavens, seem to twinkle” (6-7). In the latter half of the poem, the tone becomes openly dark. The speaker probably sees this poem and its four sections as stages in life, which quickly dive from a bright atmosphere to a downright distressing one. Together, they represent the idea that happiness is

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