tale imitation german short story american writer poet print published pages philadelphia saturday magazine story follows young frederick family carries long standing feud family suspected causing fire kills family patriarch frederick intrigued previously unnoticed horse punished cruelty home catches fire horse carries flame latin serves story living plague dying shall death follows conventions gothic fiction conventions consequently critics scholars debate intended story taken seriously considered satire gothic stories regardless elements introduced common future writing including castle power evil story follows orphan raised aristocratic household critics suggest autobiographical connection author story submitted entry writing contest saturday win newspaper published january published permission twice lifetime subtitle dropped final publication intended include collection tales club called collection produced plot summary story told unnamed person narrator takes place hungary unspecified date opening passages describe centuries long rivalry wealthy families bitter families old knows far dates narrator states origin appears rely ancient prophecy shall fearful fall rider horse mortality shall triumph baron orphaned young age inherited family fortune age age changes publications equipped enormous wealth power begins exhibit particularly cruel behavior behavior heir days receives inheritance stables rival family catch fire neighborhood attributed act arson story day home sits staring old depicting enormous colored horse belonged clan horse frederick sees rider killed dagger soon frederick sees horse assume energetic human expression immediately frederick opens door leave action causes shadow fall exactly spot murderer outside sees men handling horse counterpart horse men tell frederick new remarkable fiery colored horse found stables letters branded forehead says supposed course initials castle positive denying knowledge horse frederick takes ownership horse moment page appears tells frederick small portion missing presumably containing image horse frederick hears time later old died fire tried save horses burning stable frederick ferocious horse frederick touch arrival seemingly day day rides animal addicted interested affairs house society eventually begins live extent neighborhood suspect mad sick overwhelmingly night frederick mounts horse ride forest hours later castle catches fire crowd watch flames soon horse carrying rider clearly control animal sight makes present utter word horrible animal leaps flames rider disappeared amid chaotic fire killing clan immediately fire died away calm horrified observe cloud smoke settle castle shape distinct figure horse publication history originally sent saturday entry writing competition prose works including duke decided loss entries won judges apparently liked print months later january edition published attached acknowledged tale published likely paid initial publication subtitle tale imitation german added republished southern literary messenger january likely capitalize popular interest german horror removed publication collection tales tales collected tales club tale collection announced actually printed club fictitious literary society author called group abolish literature monthly meeting member present story case speaker white graduated according early draft baltimore saturday ran advertisement calling subscribers collection apiece week later newspaper announced author withdrawn pieces expectation printed philadelphia pennsylvania considered publishing collection stories called horse shade edition printed publications included line mother death consumption young baron says path prayed follow wish love gentle disease child mother died presumably consumption wife virginia tuberculosis died death altered personal view fictional sick sick women wishing death romantic view death uncommon writing ode inspired analysis explicitly stated implied horse story references belief soul person transferred living death evidence lack history recognition horse certainly prophecy referencing story read warning human soul overtaken evil created doesn suggest moral evil created person hatred pride traditional elements tale obvious example old castle typical gothic fiction story includes typical gothic themes scholar refers hints secret sins family rivalry gothic conventions staple popular fiction europe united_states decades time utilized considering subtitle tale imitation german critics scholars disagree fact intended story satire genre purposely elements gothic humorous evidence stories published tale jerusalem comic tales written said intended half half satire story uses irony form humor despite family prophecy mortality shall triumph opposite occurs suggestion written satire disputed especially revisions removed exaggerated material german generally european overtones story medieval setting time place plot left indistinct atmosphere story combines realistic supernatural worlds depicting emotional states likely influenced works called precursor fall house usher later works elements uses typical later works decaying building oddly shaped rooms remote property vivid colors underground themes vengeance overwhelming power evil future works depict characters extreme wealth examples narrator restored fortune gold bug uses teeth symbol time horse teeth described later use teeth sign mortality lips teeth man facts case sound teeth hop frog obsession teeth death fire later reused story hop frog punishment popular horror fiction time shows horror tales stand focusing blood gore explored minds characters better understand story autobiographical overtones castle representing richmond home foster father count reading represent young orphaned young age found writing story destroys destroyed return focusing final fire scene recalling fatal richmond theatre fire december occurred weeks mother actress died critical response german nature stories collection tales mentioned review december variety marked deep painful interest german school admirer wrote personal debt heavy inspiration story phantom main character punished horse murdered adaptations adapted component segment starred romanian composer wrote musical score piano based story called italian singer famous work song named present album lyrics heavily tale
Metzengerstein