The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar

The language employed in “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” is very specific and detailed in the frequent passages involving Valdemar’s medical condition and the strange effects the mesmeric trance has on his body. Poe uses a lot of very visceral language to describe the unnatural or altered states of Valdemar’s body (e.g., Valdemar’s “lustreless” eyes, the “cadaverous hue” of his skin, his “swollen and blackened tongue” [101], the “profuse out-flowing” of “pungent” liquid from beneath his eyelids [102], and, finally, the “nearly liquid mass of loathsome—of detestable putridity” [103]). These descriptions are intended to make the readers feel, smell, and visualize the grotesque scene Poe is depicting, and, accordingly, to be repulsed by them. These grotesque descriptions in combination with the mystery of liminal death intentionally create a discomforting experience for the reader.

In this case, the lack of a common literary device becomes a device in its own right. In literature, an author’s job often entails describing people, places, and events to us in clear terms that allow us to recreate a picture in our mind, to visualize the story. In certain areas, Poe does this to a significant degree in this story, extensively describing the condition of Valdemar’s body in precise terms, highlighting what is easily communicable.