those who think

[Mher]

What does the author imply by saying "those who think"? Could you put the underlined part another way?
"To be buried while alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of these extremes which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality. That it has frequently, very frequently, so fallen will scarcely be denied by those who think." (http://poestories.com/read/premature)

 

[The Maltese Falcon]

I think here Poe is making a distinction between 'thinkers' (i.e educated people who use their heads to think in depth about complicated subjects) and people who are not thinkers (i.e unintelligent people who do not think about subjects such as this). He is saying that 'those who think' would not deny that people are frequently buried alive. Perhaps he is stating this to reinforce the credibility of the statement i.e if people who think cannot deny it, then it must be a known truth.

If I were to put the underlined part another way, it would be:

"That it has frequently, very frequently, so fallen will scarcely be denied by those who spend time thinking about such matters."

I hope this helps!
TMF

 

[Mher]

I think here Poe is making a distinction between 'thinkers' (i.e educated people who use their heads to think in depth about complicated subjects) and people who are not thinkers (i.e unintelligent people who do not think about subjects such as this). He is saying that 'those who think' would not deny that people are frequently buried alive. Perhaps he is stating this to reinforce the credibility of the statement i.e if people who think cannot deny it, then it must be a known truth.

If I were to put the underlined part another way, it would be:

"That it has frequently, very frequently, so fallen will scarcely be denied by those who spend time thinking about such matters."

I hope this helps!
TMF

Maybe Poe implies that the regular nature of that phenomenon can't be denied by the people who are well aware of it (who have heard about it many times). What do you think about it?

 

[BobK]

Notice, by the way, that Poe uses 'terrific' to mean - of such a kind as to cause terror.

b