Edgar Allan Poe

Name: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym — Chapter 24
Author: Edgar Allan Poe

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

Summary

“The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym — Chapter 24”, published in 1838, is a work by Edgar Allan Poe. It explores elements such as peg, Peters and savages.

Quotes from The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (Edgar Allan Poe)

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ The main body of the savages, upon reaching the broken canoe, set up the most tremendous yell of rage and disappointment conceivable. In truth, from everything I could see of these wretches, they appeared to be the most wicked, hypocritical, vindictive, bloodthirsty, and altogether fiendish race of men upon the face of the globe. It is clear we should have had no mercy had we fallen into their hands. They made a mad attempt at following us in the fractured canoe, but, finding it useless, again vented their rage in a series of hideous vociferations, and rushed up into the hills. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ This answered sufficiently well for the first four or five steps; but presently I found my imagination growing terribly excited by thoughts of the vast depths yet to be descended, and the precarious nature of the pegs and soapstone holes which were my only support. It was in vain I endeavored to banish these reflections, and to keep my eyes steadily bent upon the flat surface of the cliff before me. The more earnestly I struggled not to think, the more intensely vivid became my conceptions, and the more horribly distinct. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ For one moment my fingers clutched convulsively upon their hold, while, with the movement, the faintest possible idea of ultimate escape wandered, like a shadow, through my mind—in the next my whole soul was pervaded with a longing to fall; a desire, a yearning, a passion utterly uncontrollable. I let go at once my grasp upon the peg, and, turning half round from the precipice, remained tottering for an instant against its naked face. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ So rapidly bad these events passed, that we could scarcely believe in their reality, and were standing over the bodies of the dead in a species of stupid contemplation, when we were brought to recollection by the sound of shouts in the distance, It was clear that the savages had been alarmed by the firing, and that we had little chance of avoiding discovery. To regain the cliff, it would be necessary to proceed in the direction of the shouts, and even should we succeed in arriving at its base, we should never be able to ascend it without being seen. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ The canoe was modelled with the bow and stern alike, and, in place of turning it around, we merely changed our position in paddling. As soon as the savages perceived this they redoubled their yells, as well as their speed, and approached with inconceivable rapidity. We pulled, however, with all the energy of desperation, and arrived at the contested point before more than one of the natives had attained it. This man paid dearly for his superior agility, Peters shooting him through the head with a pistol as he approached the shore. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ After a long search we discovered a narrow ledge about twenty feet below the brink of the gulf; upon this Peters contrived to leap, with what assistance I could render him by means of our pocket-handkerchiefs tied together. With somewhat more difficulty I also got down; and we then saw the possibility of descending the whole way by the process in which we had clambered up from the chasm when we had been buried by the fall of the hill—that is, by cutting steps in the face of the soapstone with our knives. The extreme hazard of the attempt can scarcely be conceived ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ As we emerged into the open beach we saw, to our great dismay, an immense crowd of the natives pouring from the village, and from all visible quarters of the island, making toward us with gesticulations of extreme fury, and howling like wild beasts. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (1838)

“ The other end being tied round Peters' waist, I lowered him down over the edge of the precipice until the handkerchiefs were stretched tight. He now proceeded to dig a deep hole in the soapstone (as far in as eight or ten inches) , sloping away the rock above to the height of a foot, or thereabout, so as to allow of his driving, with the butt of a pistol, a tolerably strong peg into the levelled surface. I then drew him up for about four feet, when he made a hole similar to the one below, driving in a peg as before, and having thus a resting-place for both feet and hands. ”

Edgar Allan Poe

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Quotes from The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym… (Edgar Allan Poe)

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