Death is defined as, "The termination or extinction of something." Edgar Allen Poe uses this description in "The Fall of the House of Usher" in different ways. Poe's intention when writing "The Fall of the House of Usher" was not to present a moral, lesson, or truth to the reader; he was simply trying to bring forth a sense of terror to the reader. Poe's mind works this way, and critics believe this statement, especially …showed first 75 words of 1018 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1018 total…eventually led to his death. Edgar Allen Poe achieves his lasting effect on the reader at the end. The horror that he wanted the reader to experience is linked to the death or "fall" (as in the name of the story) of a brother, sister, family name, and house. All this desired effect puts the reader into shock, but also brings out a good side. Life after death was the underlying meaning to this story.