Metzengerstein

short story by Poe

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July 20, 2026

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"Metzengerstein" is a Gothic short story by Edgar Allan Poe that explores the theme of metempsychosis, or the transmigration of souls. The tale centers on a feud between two noble families, the Metzengersteins and the von Berlifitzings. After the head of the von Berlifitzing household is killed by a member of the Metzengerstein family, the soul of the deceased is believed to pass into the body of a horse. This horse ultimately leads the murderous Metzengerstein to his own demise. The story is characterized by its dark atmosphere and supernatural elements, typical of Poe's work.12

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Edgar Allan Poe
Themes, technique, and legacy
dissolution (“Ligeia,” “Morella,” “Metzengerstein”), and his tales of fatality (“The Assignation,” “The Man of the Crowd”). Even when he does not hurl his characters into the clutch of mysterious forces or onto the untrodden paths of the beyond, he uses the anguish of imminent death as the means…
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dissolution (“Ligeia,” “Morella,” “Metzengerstein”), and his tales of fatality (“The Assignation,” “The Man of the Crowd”). Even when he does not hurl his characters into the clutch of mysterious forces or onto the untrodden paths of the beyond, he uses the anguish of imminent death as the means…
Read More