Discover Edgar Allan Poe’s satirical and macabre tale, ‘A Predicament,’ and read the complete story online for free.
Often overshadowed by his more famous tales of terror, A Predicament (1838) showcases Edgar Allan Poe’s sharp, underappreciated talent for satire and grotesque humor. Originally published as “The Scythe of Time” under the pseudonym “Littleton Barry,” this story is part of a duo with its companion piece, How to Write a Blackwood Article. It follows the hilariously melodramatic misadventures of the narrator, Signora Psyche Zenobia, as she attempts to gather sublime and sensational material for a magazine submission. In her quest for a suitably awe-inspiring experience, she climbs the towering steeple of a cathedral in a nameless European city, only to find her head trapped in the narrowing aperture of a giant clock face, with the minute hand slowly advancing toward her neck.
The story is a brilliant parody of the “sensational” Gothic literature popular in the magazines of Poe’s day. Zenobia’s narration is a masterpiece of comic irony, as she describes her gruesome, slow-motion decapitation with the exaggerated, analytical detachment of a bad writer trying to sound profound: “The clock was upon the stroke of seven, and the minute-hand was, I saw, upon the very edge of my field of vision.” The result is both horrifying and absurdly funny. Poe mocks the literary taste for overwrought suffering while simultaneously demonstrating his own mastery of suspense and gruesome detail.
A Predicament is essential reading for a full appreciation of Poe’s range. It proves he was not just a purveyor of darkness but a keen critic of literary fashions and a writer who could wield humor as deftly as horror. The story’s blend of the ludicrous and the lethal is uniquely Poe, reminding us that the line between comedy and terror is often vanishingly thin.
On this page, you can enjoy this neglected gem from the master of the macabre. We offer the complete 1838 text for online reading.
Book Info
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | A Predicament (The Scythe of Time) |
| Author | Edgar Allan Poe |
| Year of Publication | 1838 |
| Genre | Satire, Grotesque, Humor, Gothic Parody |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Legal Status | Public Domain |
| Format | Online Reading |
Read A Predicament Online
Ascend a cathedral steeple for the sake of literature. Begin Psyche Zenobia’s disastrous adventure by exploring the story interactively below.
This preview introduces the pompous Signora Zenobia, but the full, hilariously gruesome sequence of her “predicament” is available in the complete text for our subscribers.
A subscription unlocks this Poe satire and our entire library of his tales, from the horrific to the humorous. Explore the full spectrum of a genius’s imagination.
About A Predicament
The story’s power lies in its sustained tone of ridiculous earnestness. Zenobia is utterly serious about her ridiculous quest, which makes the satire land perfectly.
Parody of Sensational Journalism
How to Write a Blackwood Article provides the “instructions”: the aspiring writer must seek out “sensations”—experiences of pain, terror, and the sublime. A Predicament is Zenobia’s literal-minded attempt to follow this recipe. Poe is lampooning publications like Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, which filled their pages with first-person accounts of extreme, often implausible, suffering.
The Grotesque Mechanism of Death
The clock is a perfect Poe-esque instrument: it is mundane, mechanical, and inexorable. The horror is not supernatural but bureaucratic, the result of bad architectural planning and worse judgment. The slow, ticking approach of the minute hand creates a suspense that is both genuine (we feel her panic) and absurd (the situation is so stupid).
The Unreliable and Comic Narrator
Zenobia’s voice is the star. Even as she describes her head being severed, she remains preoccupied with style, observation, and philosophical musings. Her detachment is the joke. She notes the “intense—the miserable, the overwhelming curiosity” to see what her body will do after decapitation. This mixture of the analytical and the horrific is pure Poe.
Companion to ‘The Blackwood Article’
The two stories are best read together. The first provides the satirical setup; the second executes it with brutal, literal-minded efficiency. A Predicament shows what happens when bad literary advice is taken to its logical, lethal conclusion.
Why Read A Predicament Today?
In an age of social media oversharing and the relentless pursuit of “extreme” experiences for content, Poe’s satire feels freshly relevant. It mocks the performance of suffering and the vanity of seeking sensational material at any cost.
It is also simply a wonderfully entertaining and clever story. It showcases Poe’s versatility and his sharp critical intelligence. To read A Predicament is to laugh with Poe at the excesses of popular culture, even as you wince at the ingenious mechanical horror he devises for his foolish heroine.
FAQ
Can I read A Predicament for free?
Yes, you can read the beginning for free via our interactive preview. The complete short story is available with a subscription.
Is this a horror story or a comedy?
It is a horror-comedy or a grotesque satire. It uses the devices of horror (suspense, gore, impending doom) for comic and satirical effect. The primary intent is to make you laugh, albeit uneasily.
Should I read ‘How to Write a Blackwood Article’ first?
It is highly recommended. Reading the “instruction manual” first makes A Predicament infinitely funnier, as you see Zenobia meticulously following each terrible piece of advice.
What happens at the end?
Spoiler: Zenobia’s head is severed by the clock hand. But the story continues briefly from her detached perspective, as she observes her headless body stumbling down the stairs—the ultimate “sensation” for her article.
Can I read it on my phone?
Absolutely. It’s a short, punchy tale perfect for a quick, entertaining read on any device.