What effects does starting the story with a quatrain in Latin have on your impression of the story?

The Latin quatrain, without translation, gives the story a feeling of mystery, religious overtones, and gravitas. For someone who doesn't know Latin, if the translation is not provided, reading the quatrain results in confusion and uncertainty. This is not unlike the narrator's state in the first paragraph, for he seems to be in a partial dream state where he does not fully comprehend or recognize the voices around him. Second, if one recognizes the words...

The Latin quatrain, without translation, gives the story a feeling of mystery, religious overtones, and gravitas. For someone who doesn't know Latin, if the translation is not provided, reading the quatrain results in confusion and uncertainty. This is not unlike the narrator's state in the first paragraph, for he seems to be in a partial dream state where he does not fully comprehend or recognize the voices around him. Second, if one recognizes the words as Latin, one may have the feeling of being in a Latin mass in a Catholic church. Again, this religious atmosphere matches the setting of the first paragraph because the man is on trial by the Spanish Inquisition, an institution of the Catholic Church. Finally, Latin generally impresses a reader, signifying a rich history and depth of learning. Latin is a very old language, so the quatrain gives the story a feeling of history and solemnity, both consistent with the mood Poe wants to create in the story. Even if the reader does not know Latin at all, the quatrain helps establish the mystery, religious context, and historical feeling of the story that Poe was aiming for.