and darkness. Poe used many of the real life tragedies he experienced as inspiration for

his gothic style of writing. Poe dealt with many aspects of death and madness in his

stories, madness again is playing a key role in the plot. In this short story Poe used

literary devices such as point of view and symbolism to give it a more dramatic effect and

add to the madness the narrator portrays.

Poe's use of the point of view device is very evident in "The Tell-Tale Heart".

The madman that speaks through the entire story talks in an unreliable first person view.

Because of the man's obvious madness you are not sure what is taking place in the

introduction and what the actual events of the story were. Although there is a definite

madness in the man's attitude and he is constantly aware of it yet he makes many claims

that he is not mad at all. "You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should

have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded-with what caution-with

what foresight-with what dissimulation I went to work!...Ha!-would a madman have been

so wise as this?" He is obviously well aware of his madness b

madness. The bond between him and the eye is also seen in how directly puts the light

none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had

saying that he is not mad because he puts so much effort and wisdom into his deeds. It is

made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever."

kind of an ironic statement that he justifies his madness in the wisdom he shows in the

became more distinct:...until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears...I

Symbolism is another literary device that Poe used strongly in "The Tell-Tale

gazed upon it...but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person; for I had

Some common words found in the essay are:
Raven Poe, Tell-Tale Heart, louder louder, tell-tale heart, beating heart, louder louder louder, beating heart narrator, narrator tries, story narrator tries, story poe, tries justify, story narrator, man's eye, eye narrator, view symbolism,
Approximate Word count = 1148
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)