Final answer:
A dreary, gloomy mood at the prison is created by inaccessible windows casting weak light, dark draperies, antique and tattered furniture, and a general atmosphere of sorrow and gloom. Melancholic poetry, desolate settings with decaying elements, and the melancholic portrayal in art and theater further contribute to the oppressive and sorrowful mood.
Step-by-step explanation:
Details that create a dreary, gloomy mood at the prison include the following: the large and lofty room with inaccessible, narrow windows and feeble light that fails to illuminate the space fully; the presence of dark draperies and tattered, antique furniture; scattered books and musical instruments that add no vitality; and an overwhelming atmosphere of sorrow and gloom.
In the yard, the overwhelming thickness of the walls and the Egyptian masonry contribute to the oppressive feeling. Descriptive elements such as the soft turf that oddly grows in such a harsh environment heighten the sense of despair. Poetry that includes dreary settings and repeating rhymes like "dreary"/"aweary" and "dead"/"said" also expresses dejection and the boredom of endless waiting. Visual descriptions like rusted nails, clinking latches, and black moss on flower plots further contribute to the creation of a miserable setting.
A painting by Gauguin is described as melancholy, with blues in the shadows conveying a prisoner's desolation. Similarly, the seasonal desolation on a golf course, with haunted, unused landscapes and an overpowering wind, underscores a sense of abandonment and misery. The melancholy House of Usher presents itself with bleak walls, vacant windows, and decaying trees, evoking utter depression in the observer. Even costumes in a play, such as a blue suit that changes appearance due to lighting, can signal shifts in mood, mirroring an altered state from strength to decrepitude.