Language

The language of the short story “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe is highly descriptive, and it sometimes resembles a scientific report including several medical terms, but it does not pose big difficulties in understanding the text. The text is very narrative and descriptive, focusing on the action and the characters’ appearance.

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Imagery

Stories create imagery through the use of descriptive words which form figures of speech such as epithets, metaphors, similes, etc. In Poe’s text, most imagery is related to the character of M. Valdemar, the author employing multiple epithets to depict his physical state. Here is one example of a highly descriptive passage:

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Moreover, here we will focus on:

• Similes and comparisons
• Metaphors
• Repetition
• Sensory details

Similes and comparisons

The author also employs similes and comparisons to better convey the looks and reactions of the characters, helping readers to imagine them more readily. The lower limbs of M. Valdemar are “resembling those of John Randolph”.

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Symbols

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