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The spectral presence of Edgar Allan Poe in Thomas Hardy’s works has been occasionally pointed out by critics that situate Hardy within the Gothic tradition. Both writers, as some critics have argued, demonstrate a distinct flair for Gothic horror. Yet the full scope of the affinity between Poe’s and Hardy’s Gothic sensibilities lies beyond their shared investment in Gothic trappings. Through a comparative reading of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) and Hardy’s
A Pair of Blue Eyes
(1873), this essay argues that both writers have recourse to the aesthetic principles inherent in Gothic architecture to construct their literary Gothic. The science of geometry provides an aesthetic template for the architectonics of these two literary works. Both Poe’s and Hardy’s characters evince an ontological merging with Gothic architecture. At the same time, a marked difference exists between these two writers’ Gothic aesthetic. Poe’s Gothic vision is highly mechanical and inorganic, whereas Hardy’s work exhibits an interplay between mechanical constructiveness and organic spontaneity. Hardy’s Gothic aesthetic is further complicated by the issue of architectural restoration, a corollary of his close involvement in the Gothic Revival during his architectural career. This essay not only strengthens the literary affinity between these two writers, but also contributes to the ongoing scholarly conversation about the intriguing relationship between Gothic architecture and Gothic literature. Particularly, it sheds new light upon the way in which Hardy’s first career as a Gothic draughtsman shapes his distinct Gothic art-principle.