My Thoughts
I thought this story was hilarious! The narrator, Signora Psyche Zenobia receives very important lessons in writing a great article by no other than the great Mr. Blackwood. Mr. Blackwood details the required steps to take in order to create the perfect article. Avoiding common innuendos, identifying and applying tones, using similies, and being sure to write piquant expressions from different languages.
The humor comes from the fact that Mr. Blackwood is likely correct in his palpably satirical advice under most circumstances. It is even funnier after reading a lot of Edgar Allan Poe's work and realizing that he incorporates the very same tactics described by Mr. Blackwood. It is rare to read a story by Poe that doesn't contain a few expressions in French or Latin. Perhaps this was a subtle joke on his behalf.
By the end of the story, Signora is ready to write her story... but she proves to be a terrible writer in her story "A Predicament".
My Rating
I rate this short story a 3.6 out of 4. I enjoyed the satire in this story and a lot of the advice is surprisingly useful due to the fact that many writers during this time seemed to incorporate the very same tactics. A book of similies and common expressions in other languages wouldn't be such a bad idea!
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