Plot & Structure
This is the number of stanzas in "The Haunted Palace."
Six stanzas
The 'two luminous windows' of the palace symbolize these features of the human face.
The eyes
The entire poem uses this extended literary device, where the palace stands for the human mind.
Extended metaphor / allegory
The central theme of the poem is the destruction of this.
The human mind / sanity / reason
The 'king' who once ruled the palace represents this in the poem's allegory.
The rational mind / the intellect
In the first two stanzas, the palace is described in this emotional state.
Happy / glorious / radiant
The 'yellow' and 'ruby' colors of the palace's banners and door represent this.
Royalty, beauty, and a healthy mind
Poe uses this sound device in "Through the pale door / A hideous throng rush out forever."
Alliteration
Poe wrote this poem partly in reference to a person's condition, which is this.
Mental illness / madness
The valley in which the palace sits is described using this adjective, suggesting isolation.
Lonely / secluded (the Valley of the dim West)
This event causes the palace to fall from happiness into horror.
Evil things take over
The 'pale door' through which 'a hideous throng rush out' symbolizes this part of the body.
The mouth
'No magic shall defeat' is an example of this literary device
Hyperbole/Personification
The poem suggests that once evil conquers the mind, recovery is this.
Impossible / the mind cannot return to its former state
The 'evil things in robes of sorrow' that assault the palace represent these.
Dark thoughts / madness / mental illness
The final stanza describes 'vast forms' that do this, signaling the mind's total collapse.
Move through the pale door laughing, but no longer smiling
The 'river' that flows past the palace represents this.
Clear, rational thought
The repetition of the word 'but' at the start of stanza four creates this effect, marking a sudden dark turn.
Juxtaposition
The poem warns that a beautiful mind, once lost to chaos, becomes only this.
A haunted ruin / a shadow of its former self
In the final stanzas, the 'echoes' and 'melody' of the palace have turned into this.
Discordant music / horrible laughter
The poem shifts from third person observation to this tone in the final stanza, making the horror feel inescapable
Mournful/Depressed tone
The 'pearl and ruby' of the palace's door are compared to these in the original poem.
Lips
Describing the palace as having 'wandering' and 'echoing' features is an example of this device.
Personification
The contrast between the 'well-tuned law' of the early stanzas and the chaos of the final ones reflects this broader conflict in the poem.
Order vs. chaos / reason vs. madness
This phrase from the poem names the spirits who once danced to the king's instrument.
"A troop of Echoes"