Essential Tales And Poems Of Edgar Allan Poe Part 32

nf Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), German physician whose theory of "animal magnetism" (a drawing force between persons) developed into a method of inducing hypnotism known as "mesmerism," a forerunner of modern hypnotism.

ng Comfortable relationship; affinity.

nh Temperament.

ni Unbroken.

nj Reference to the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "For the Lord... shall descend... with a shout, with the voice of the archangel [angel of high rank], and with the trump[et] of G.o.d" (King James Version).

nk Probably The Arabian Nights or Tales of the Genii. The Arabian Nights or Tales of the Genii.

nl Curtained litters carried on poles.

nm Covered with decorative hangings.

nn Decorated with ribbons.

no Probably the hanuman, or langur, monkey.

np Minarets are slender towers with projecting balconies; are slender towers with projecting balconies; oriels oriels are large bay windows secured by brackets. are large bay windows secured by brackets.

nq The translation from Novalis (pseudonym of Friedrich Leopold von Hardenberg, 1772-1801) comes from Sarah T. Austin's Fragments from German Prose Writers Fragments from German Prose Writers (1841), which Poe reviewed in (1841), which Poe reviewed in Graham's Magazine Graham's Magazine (December 1841). (December 1841).

nr Open pavilion.

ns Or kris; heavy dagger or short sword with a wavy blade.

nt First governor-general of British India (1732-1818), whose methods became suspect; he was tried and impeached (1787) but was ultimately acquitted.

nu On the Ganges River; among the most holy cities in India.

nv Rajah of Benares who in 1781 led a revolt against Hastings's increasing tax demands.

nw Indian soldiers employed by the British.

nx Or Bengali; native or inhabitant of Bengal.

ny Large, potentially dangerous rush of blood to the head.

nz These venomous leeches (vermicular (vermicular means resembling a worm or its motions) are Poe's invention; leeches, bloodsucking water worms, were once used by physicians to bleed patients. means resembling a worm or its motions) are Poe's invention; leeches, bloodsucking water worms, were once used by physicians to bleed patients.

oa See note on p. 143.

ob Reference to the Bible, Ecclesiastes 12:6: "Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken" (KJV).

oc Derived by arguing from cause to effect.

od Poe probably derived this account from a story in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Democrat Democrat on December 5,1845. on December 5,1845.

oe Poe's source was "The Lady Buried Alive," in the Philadelphia Casket (September 1827).

of Medical practice of boring a hole into the skull.

og Firm affirmation.

oh Caused by deprivation of oxygen to the blood.

oi See note on p. 188.

oj Condition Condition of suspended animation and loss of voluntary motion. Madeline Usher's symptoms in "The Fall of the House of Usher" are cataleptic, and other Poe characters manifest similar symptoms.

ok Inclined to fantasize about graves or mausoleums ("charnel houses").

ol Incorrect quotation from Shakespeare's Richard II Richard II (act 3, scene 2): "Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs." (act 3, scene 2): "Let's talk of graves, of worms, and epitaphs."

om The idea of death (sepulchre (sepulchre means "tomb") hovers, black-winged, over him. means "tomb") hovers, black-winged, over him.

on Glowing.

oo Variant of "fantasies."

op Conscious; here referring to the dawning of his awakening, or sensory day, when suspended animation is departing.

oq That is, Death.

or Catamount, or mountain lion.

os Group joined for a common purpose.

ot Nothing is more detested by wisdom than too much cunning (Latin); no source has been found for this phrase in the writings of Roman rhetorician Seneca (c. 55 B.C. - c. A.D. 39).

ou Third floor, No. 33 Dunot Street, Faubourg St. Germain (French).

ov Reference to two previous detective tales (or, as Poe called them, ratiocinative tales), "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Mystery of Marie Roget." The latter story, not included in the present volume, is often considered one of Poe's lesser works.

ow Chief commissioner.

ox Woman's dressing room, bedroom, or private sitting room (French).

oy Fully informed (French).

oz Natives or inhabitants of Naples. Condescension exists here; the Frenchman considers himself naturally superior to these foreigners.

pa Here, hotel hotel refers to a large house, perhaps a mansion. refers to a large house, perhaps a mansion.

pb Robbers who prey upon pedestrians.

pc That is, a magnifying gla.s.s.

pd Dust particles created by a boring tool (gimlet).

pe Dr. John Abernethy ( 1764-1831 ), a prestigious British surgeon. Again Poe either had a memory lapse or he wished to test his readers; the circ.u.mstances actually pertain to another surgeon, Sir Isaac Pennington (1745-1817), which were recounted in a jest book, Nuts to Crack Nuts to Crack (1835), by Richard Gooch, which Poe reviewed in the (1835), by Richard Gooch, which Poe reviewed in the Southern Literary Messenger Southern Literary Messenger (December 1835). (December 1835).

pf Writing desk.

pg Procrustes, son of Poseidon in Greek mythology, was a robber who forced victims to lie on his bed, stretching or cutting off their legs to make them fit; Theseus killed him by using his own villainous tactics.

ph Properly determined.

pi Unusual (French).

pj Above all else; preeminent (French).

pk It's a safe bet... that every widely accepted idea, every accepted convention, is stupid, because it suits the ma.s.ses (French).

pl The Latin words translate, respectively, as "seeking votes (for office)"; "religious observances," or maybe "superst.i.tions (beliefs)"; and "respectable or honorable men (perhaps those of one's own political party)."

pm Mathematicians. Both this term and the Latin just preceding attest to Poe's wish to impress his readers with his learnedness and sophistication; he may also have been testing their own awareness of language.

pn English scholar Jacob Bryant (1715-1804), author of A New System; or, An a.n.a.lysis of Antient Mythology, A New System; or, An a.n.a.lysis of Antient Mythology, Poe goes on to quote from the 1807 edition, published in London. Poe often drew upon Bryant in his writings. Poe goes on to quote from the 1807 edition, published in London. Poe often drew upon Bryant in his writings.

po Intriguer, one who plots against another's welfare. These characteristics are reinforced later when Dupin remarks that the Minister "is a desperate man, and a man of nerve," and a "monstrum horrendum" "monstrum horrendum" (Latin for "horrible monster"). (Latin for "horrible monster").

pp Force of inertia (Latin). This is another example (in the Prefect's thinking) of not integrating imagination with rationalization. In other words, the Prefect would never suppose that the letter might be in plain sight instead of concealed in some obscure hideaway.

pq Boredom; the Minister in this respect joins ranks with characters like Roderick Usher ("The Fall of the House of Usher") or old Mentoni ("The a.s.signation"), whose boredom signals ill fortune for them.

pr Receptacle for formal calling cards.

ps The Latin, slightly misquoted, comes from the Aeneid, Aeneid, an epic poem by Roman writer Virgil (70-19 B.C.): "the descent into Avernus [that is, h.e.l.l] is easy" (6.126); Avernus was a smoldering Italian volcano. an epic poem by Roman writer Virgil (70-19 B.C.): "the descent into Avernus [that is, h.e.l.l] is easy" (6.126); Avernus was a smoldering Italian volcano.

pt No such remark has been traced to Angelica Catalani (1780-1849), renowned Italian opera singer and teacher.

pu Horrible monster (Latin); Poe gives the phrase a psychological twist.

pv Castle, palace, or mansion. The opening paragraphs of this tale bear significant similarities to the opening of "The Fall of the House of Usher."

pw That is, theories of mental derangement.

px Mischance, accident. The "thoughtlessness" mentioned by Maillard foreshadows subsequent events in the tale in which the visitor's unawareness leaves him unprepared for the final contretemps, which results in his bodily and emotional tarring and feathering.

py Family or household members (French).

pz Reduced to absurdity (Latin).

qa Literally, "moon madness," from folk beliefs that phases of the moon were linked with human behavior, and that lunatics tended to frenzied behavior during a full moon. Poe draws upon such beliefs elsewhere-for example, in "The Sleeper"; an eerie moon also illuminates the closing of "The Fall of the House of Usher," a tale in which crazed states become paramount.

qb Discredited; viewed with contempt.

qc The veal is coated with crumbs, then braised and grilled; veloute veloute sauce is a white sauce flavored with parsley and white stock (from chicken or veal); sauce is a white sauce flavored with parsley and white stock (from chicken or veal); Clos Clos de de Vougeot Vougeot is a high-quality red Burgundy wine. is a high-quality red Burgundy wine.

qd Dining room (French).

qe Poe meant the French phrase to read "old court"; ville ville (French for "town") is a misprint for (French for "town") is a misprint for vieille vieille ("old"). ("old").

qf Fine needlepoint or bobbin laces with floral designs.

qg Natives of one of the southern provinces in France.

qh Sons of Anak, a giant mentioned in the Bible, Numbers 13:33, therefore having voracious appet.i.tes.

qi Showing no astonishment (Latin)-that is, sophisticated.

qj Metal alloy resembling pewter.

qk Probably a reference to Charles-Paul de k.o.c.k ( 1793-1871 ), French writer of lurid novels.

ql Reference to Marquis Pierre-Simon de Laplace (1749-1827), French mathematician and astronomer; his interest in the moon perhaps aligns him with the lunacy previously mentioned.

qm My friend (French); perhaps an ironic response.

qn "A horrible deformed huge monster, deprived of light" (Latin); quotation from Virgil's epic poem the Aeneid. Aeneid.

qo Morsel (French).

qp Rabbit prepared like cat (chat is (chat is French for "cat"); this combination paves the way for the essentially comic names and comedy involved in the bracketing of disparate names that follows. French for "cat"); this combination paves the way for the essentially comic names and comedy involved in the bracketing of disparate names that follows.

qq Pumpkin pie made of shoes (soulier (soulier is French for "shoe"). is French for "shoe").

qr Rogue, rascal, scoundrel (French).

qs A boullard boullard is a ball and a is a ball and a teetotum teetotum is a spinning top; the pairing is understandable. is a spinning top; the pairing is understandable.

qt That is, undressing and thus approaching the nudity of the famous statue of Venus.

qu Trifle (French).

qv That is, yells given in conjunction or harmony.

qw My G.o.d! (French).

qx Haughtiness (French).

qy Greek tyrant (c.570-554 B.C.) of Sicily, who tortured victims by placing them within a bra.s.s bull statue, then building a fire beneath it; the victims' cries simulated a bull's roaring.

qz Tricked; this paragraph epitomizes what will befall the hapless narrator.

ra Pell-mell; confusedly (French).