"No heavings hint that winds have been
On seas less hideously serene...."See in text(Text of the Poem)
These two lines contain alliteration, or the repetition of consonants, in the words “heavings,” “hint,” “have,” and “hideously.” The repetition of an unvoiced, soft consonant like “h” reinforces both the poem’s gloomy tone and its flowing, eerie rhythm.
This line uses diacope, a device in which a word is repeated in succession with intervening words in between. Poe repeats the word “many” in order to reinforce the poem’s rhythm while also developing the spectacular image of the silent city.
"The melancholy waters lie.
..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
Poe uses personification, or the attribution of human feelings or qualities to nonhuman things, in his description of the sea. He portrays the water as melancholy, which is an adjective meaning a prolonged state of gloom or sadness, and lying beneath the sky “resignedly.” Personification in this context creates tone and supplements the rich imagery of the doomed city.
"Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
This line uses polysyndeton, or the repetition of conjunctions like “and,” “but,” and “or” in rapid succession. Poe uses polysyndeton to ensure that readers understand that every type of person imaginable ends up in this city after death.
