What makes literary works considered great, and furthermore what makes the greatness of the work withstand the test of time? The answer to both of these questions is the same. Greatness of literary work that withstands the test of time is due to the fact that their meaning is still seen and identified with by people today, and still evokes interest in the reader, even though these works were written decades, sometimes centuries earlier. When works of literature have with stood the test of time, and are still considered great, these works are analyzed as to why they are so. One author's work that has come under much critical analysis to what aspects of his work make them so great is Edgar Allen Poe. Two works in particular that have come under analysis are "The Cask of Amontillado", and the "Black Cat". Under analysis, it has been determined that there are three aspects of Poe's writing that make his stories literary classics. These three aspects of his writing are style, theme and use of irony. What are these three aspects, and how are they used in Poe's work?

Edgar Allen Poe's literary style has been anal

second part of his style which is the use of the first person narrative that both "The Cask of Amontillado", and the "The Black Cat" posses. These two connected parts, the perception and first person narrative, give the stories a sense of realism. Although by pure critical analysis of the story, a reader may determine that the central characters of the stories "The Cask of Amontillado, and "The Black Cat" are insane, not only for there actions, but there thinking as well. As readers, we should not look at Poe's stories objectively. "There is no possible way to obtain from any of Poe's gothic tales an objective viewpoint because every word is relayed to the reader directly though the narrator"(Saliba 70). We believe in all the narrative that the central character gives, not only on what he sees and does, but also about what he is thinking. "...the dramatic action of all the stories is directly created by the narrative voice"(Saliba 70). This is precisely Poe's intention. As readers, if we believe that the characters are insane, and there perception of the world is clouded, we would not believe that what the characters see and feel is not really happening, then we miss Poe's intentions entirely:

yzed in many different ways. It is believed that it is the style and the view that the reader is given that make his short stories so compelling. His style is made up of two closely connected parts that influence the structure of his stories greatly. The first part of his style is the perception that Poe gives the reader. The perception that the reader gets can only be achieved by the

On the other hand, the other use of irony is created and sustained by the pattern of the story. For example, Fortunado believes that he is a wine expert, which is used as the lure for him enter the catacombs. Also, Fortunado is wearing the cap and bells of a fool, a fool who is ironically about to be buried alive (May 80). The last, subtlest, and the greatest of the ironies in the story, is the confession. If we analyze the way the story is written, it starts of telling the story in the first person present, but in the last paragraph, turns to telling the story in the past tense. This change in tense has brought about many hypothesis and theories as to why there would be a change in tense. "We legitimately hypothesize that the listener is a priest and that Montresor is an old man who is dying and making a final confession"(May 80). Yet this perfect revenge brings about two ironies, both closely related. The first is that, as Montresor is telling the story, and though the climatic ending, he feels that his revenge is just, and feels no remorse for his actions, yet as he describes, after a half century he is confessing to his crimes, which would show sorrow, and forgiveness of his sin. ""The thousand injuries of Fortunado I had borne as

Some common words found in the essay are:
Black Cat, Cask Amontillado, Black Cat1843, Mystery Imagination, Allen Poe's, Cast Amontillado, black cat, cask amontillado, Montresor Fortunado, Amontillado Shrout, Amontillado Montresor's, amontillado black, premature burial, edgar allen, Edgar Allen, amontillado black cat, cask amontillado black, aspects poe's, stories cask amontillado, telling story, buried alive, person narrative, main characters, edgar allen poe, aspects poe's writing,
Approximate Word count = 3577
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)