Question 6 • CMS 2026-2027 English III CREDIT RECOVERY
Read the excerpt from Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher." I dared not -- oh, pity me, miserable wretch that I am! -- I dared not -- I dared not speak! We have put her living in the tomb! Said I not that my senses were acute? I now tell you that I heard her first feeble movements in the hollow coffin. I heard them -- many, many days ago -- yet I dare not -- I dared not speak! What is the effect of parallelism in this excerpt?
Answer
A
It emphasizes Usher’s melancholy nature.
B
It emphasizes Usher’s sense of terror.
C
It emphasizes Usher’s uncooperative attitude.
D
It emphasizes Usher’s physical illness.
Explanation
The repeated phrases “I dared not” and “I heard them” make Usher’s fear and panic sound increasingly intense. The repetition also highlights that he was terrified to speak even though he heard movement in the coffin. This parallelism emphasizes Usher’s sense of terror, rather than illness or an uncooperative attitude.
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