Question

And at length I found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was—but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. —Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher". What is the benefit of using "I know not…" instead of "I don't know" or another more concise syntax?

Answer 1

what the narrator experiences in the story

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

It establishes an earlier time period.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is one of the reasons why it is convenient to use this phrase ("I know not...") as opposed to a different one. As a modern reader, we are usually more acquainted with phrases such as "I don't know." Therefore, we might find it strange to see other type of syntax being used. However, the advantage of this is the fact that such a phrase allows us to establish the time period of the story. From this, we can imply that the syntax belongs to an earlier time period.