Perspectives

Literary perspective

The short story “The Premature Burial” by Edgar Allan Poe belongs to the horror genre. Horror stories aim to frighten the reader by making use of events which are unexplained or otherwise terrifying. In this story, the author uses the widespread fear of being buried alive to shock and frighten readers. 

Quite often, horror stories frighten readers by claiming that everything that happened in the story is true. In this story, we are told that the narrator’s story is true, and that the cases of premature burial presented at the beginning are also true. 

Moreover, horror stories often offer detailed descriptions of the feelings of terror and helplessness felt by the characters placed in extreme situations. In this story, there are detailed descriptions of the narrator’s mental torment as he gives full reign to his imagination. The readers fe...