The Oval Portrait

Contemporary English has very specific rules for when upper- and lower-case letters are used. But in Poe’s day, the rules for capitalization of nouns were in flux. Previous practice had been to capitalize most nouns, but by Poe’s time, it was more and more accepted to use lower case for common nouns, except for stylistic purposes. In “The Oval Portrait,” Poe capitalizes just two common nouns: “Art” and “Life.” For instance, he describes the painter as “passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art” (483). Poe’s use of capitals in the words “Art” and “Life” is intended stylistically, to draw attention to the importance of these words and lend them philosophical weight. Since one of the story’s main thematic interests is The Relationship Between Art and Life, these two words are singled out for this unusual capitalization.

Repetition is a broad term used to describe the deliberate re-use of elements like words, phrases, sounds, and grammar. Several forms of repetition throughout “The Oval Portrait” create the rhythmic language Poe is known for and serve to emphasize ideas. For example, the repetition of the word “long” and the restatement of the idea of devotion in “Long—long I read—and devoutly, devotedly I gazed” (481) emphasize how much time is passing while the narrator is helplessly enthralled with the portrait. Parallel structure, a form of repeated grammar, creates rhythm and emphasizes the relationship between ideas, such as “[b]ut it could have been neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the countenance” (482). Yet another form of repetition is the alliteration—the repetition of initial sounds—found in passages such as “the first flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses” (482). The alliterative pairing of “f” sounds, “c” sounds, “d” sounds, and finally “s” sounds creates a highly rhythmic passage.