The House

from The Fall of the House of Usher

by Edgar Allan Poe

first published in 1839

(one year before my house was built)

... at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.

I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees ...