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The Tell-Tale Heart Analysis

Categories: Literary Genres

  • Words: 1609

Published: Sep 17, 2024

Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his dominance of the gothic genre and adherence to his literary philosophy, "The Philosophy of Composition." The blend of these components is unmistakably shown in his brief tale, "The Tell-Tale Heart." In this essay, we will investigate how Poe consolidates critical parts of the gothic genre, as examined in class lectures, and how he applies "The Philosophy of Composition" to make a grasping and psychologically intense story.

The Gothic Elements in "The Tell-Tale Heart":

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is an excellent representation of Poe's skill at meshing the components of the gothic genre into his story. One key component of the gothic genre is the presence of melancholy and shocking settings, which summon a feeling of premonition (Poe). In the story, the narrator depicts the setting as a "dreadfully dreary" room, underscoring the severe and disrupting climate, an ordinary trait of gothic practice.

Poe also uses the macabre theme, a typical component of gothic literature. The core of the murdered elderly person, concealed underneath the flooring planks, fills in as a bizarre and chilling image of culpability and torture. The heart's persistent beating, which the narrator believes can be heard by others, enhances the mental frightfulness, adding to the gothic idea of the story. The narrator admits, "I felt that I must scream or die! and now - again! - hark! louder! louder! louder! Louder!" (Poe). This unrelenting sound intensifies the feeling of fear and dread, a marked element of Poe's gothic stories.

Furthermore, the theme of madness and psychological torture is vital to "The Tell-Tale Heart." The anonymous narrator's plummet into madness, driven by his fixation on the elderly man's "vulture eye," powerfully represents the gothic theme of psychological dysfunction (Poe). Poe skillfully dives into the profundities of the narrator's disturbed mind, describing the dull and bent considerations that torment him. This investigation of the human mind aligns with the gothic interest in the irrational and the psyche, a theme Poe frequently uses in his works.

Poe's "The Philosophy of Composition" in "The Tell-Tale Heart"

"The Philosophy of Composition" is a paper by Poe that frames his way of making artistic works, stressing cautious preparation and meticulousness. While "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a brief tale, it represents Poe's obligation to his scholarly thinking. One vital part of "The Philosophy of Composition" is the possibility that each story component should fill a need, adding to the general impact. This is evident when he states, "Had I been able, in the subsequent composition, to construct more vigorous stanzas, I should, without scruple, have purposely enfeebled them, so as not to interfere with the climacteric effect (5). In "The Tell-Tale Heart," everything about the depiction of the elderly person's eye to the thumping heart is carefully decided to uplift the reader's feeling of anxiety and to push the account. As Poe makes sense of in his paper, the writer should consider the impact they need to accomplish and then work in reverse to choose the components that will create that outcome. This is clear in the story, as each word and detail is designed to evoke dread and pressure.

Poe also examines the significance of solidarity and impact in "The Philosophy of Composition." He argues that a brief tale should have a particular emotional effect on the reader, and all that is in the story should add to that impact. This is evident when he says, "Having chosen a novel, first, and secondly, a vivid effect, I consider whether it can be best wrought by incident or tone-whether by ordinary incidents and peculiar tone, or the converse or by peculiarity both of incident and tone-afterward looking about me (or rather within) for such combinations of event or tone, as shall best aid me in the construction of the effect (Poe 1). In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the solidarity of impact is strikingly accomplished as the reader is brought into the narrator's developing paranoia and madness. The story's brevity and spotlight on a solitary, extraordinary emotion-fear-align impeccably with Poe’s standards. The narrative structure of "The Tell-Tale Heart" additionally exhibits Poe's adherence to his philosophy. He opens with the narrator's statement of mental stability, endeavoring to legitimize his activities to the reader, and afterward dives into the occasions paving the way to the homicide (Poe). This movement constructs tension and pressure, keeping the reader fascinated and genuinely drawn in, consistent with Poe's thought of owning a supported state of mind throughout the story.

Poe's utilization of first-person narration is likewise an outstanding component that fits inside his "Philosophy of Composition." The story's unwavering quality and viewpoint are being referred to, upgrading the reader's immersion in the storyteller's weakening mental state. As Poe specifies in his essay, the first-person narrative considers a more private association between the reader and the character, uplifting the story's effect. In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator's admission of his obsession and guilt states, "It's the beating of his hideous heart!" (Poe). This permits perusers to encounter the mounting fear close by.

In conclusion, in "The Tell-Tale Heart," Edgar Allan Poe marvelously consolidates the components of the gothic genre, as examined in class lectures, while sticking to his literary philosophy, "The Philosophy of Composition." The story's melancholy setting, grim themes, investigation of madness, and mental torture are illustrative of gothic custom. Moreover, all of the story is meticulously decided to accomplish a single, profound effect on the reader by Poe's "Philosophy of Composition." Poe's capacity to keep a supported state of mind, use first-person narration for personal reader commitment, and feel solidarity and impact is evident throughout the story. "The Tell-Tale Heart" epitomizes Poe's obligation to both the gothic genre and his unique way of narrating, leaving readers with an unpleasant and remarkable experience, repeating the feelings of his philosophy - to inspire "the death of beauty" and "the dawn of terror."

 

Works Cited

  • Poe, Edgar Allan. "The philosophy of composition." The Writer's Art: By Those Who Have Practiced It. Harvard University Press, 1924. 114-130.
  • Poe, Edgar Allan. The tell tale heart. GUNSTON LLC, 2023.

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In addition to visual imagery, Cisneros also employs sensory imagery to enhance the reader's experience of the novel. Throughout the story

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