How Does Poe Create Tension In The Tell Tale Heart
John De Cleene
English
Harris
Due: December 2, 2010
Horror and Tension Within The Tell Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe is most famous for his remarkable gothic fiction stories. In fact, some would almost consider him to be the father of them. One of his most recognized pieces is The Tell Tale Heart. This particular tale tells the story of a man who in the end turns out to be insane when he hears the beating of a dead man’s heart. The narrator kills an old man who did nothing wrong. The only thing that made the narrator kill the old man was the old man’s “vulture eye.” If it weren’t for the literary devices used by Poe the tale would not be what it has become. He creates an atmosphere of horror and tension by focusing greatly on the different …show more content…
His use of metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, punctuation and dictation help make the story so spine-chilling and blood-curdling. Without theses story elements Poe’s tale would not be what it has come to be. Metaphors are used to help people understand something by comparing it to something else that is more understandable, “He had the eye of a vulture -a pale blue eye, with a film over it.” This metaphor shows how the narrator saw the eye. He didn’t just see it as any other eye; he saw it as more. He thought of it as a piercing eye from a vulture. In the tale the narrator tells the reader that the reason he wants to kill the old man is because of the old man’s eye. This metaphor helps the reader understand truly how much the narrator didn’t like the old man’s eye. The reader starts to understand the narrator more and more and can now begin to truly understand the narrator’s insanity. In addition to metaphors there are similes. Similes are similar to metaphors because they are also used to compare and contrast objects or ideas. They are formed when words are put together that almost create an image in your mind. Poe’s use of similes also helps contribute to his atmosphere of horror and tension, “black as pitch.” This simile gives the reader an idea of exactly how dark it is. It is impossible to see, no light at all. Since this simile is used the reader now has a true understanding of what the narrator sees and they now almost feel as if they are in the story themselves. Personification is another story element that Poe uses in his tale. Personification is used to bring objects or anything abstract to life and give it human-like qualities, “Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim.” With this use of personification is Poe’s tale death is now brought to life and has
English
Harris
Due: December 2, 2010
Horror and Tension Within The Tell Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe is most famous for his remarkable gothic fiction stories. In fact, some would almost consider him to be the father of them. One of his most recognized pieces is The Tell Tale Heart. This particular tale tells the story of a man who in the end turns out to be insane when he hears the beating of a dead man’s heart. The narrator kills an old man who did nothing wrong. The only thing that made the narrator kill the old man was the old man’s “vulture eye.” If it weren’t for the literary devices used by Poe the tale would not be what it has become. He creates an atmosphere of horror and tension by focusing greatly on the different …show more content…
His use of metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, punctuation and dictation help make the story so spine-chilling and blood-curdling. Without theses story elements Poe’s tale would not be what it has come to be. Metaphors are used to help people understand something by comparing it to something else that is more understandable, “He had the eye of a vulture -a pale blue eye, with a film over it.” This metaphor shows how the narrator saw the eye. He didn’t just see it as any other eye; he saw it as more. He thought of it as a piercing eye from a vulture. In the tale the narrator tells the reader that the reason he wants to kill the old man is because of the old man’s eye. This metaphor helps the reader understand truly how much the narrator didn’t like the old man’s eye. The reader starts to understand the narrator more and more and can now begin to truly understand the narrator’s insanity. In addition to metaphors there are similes. Similes are similar to metaphors because they are also used to compare and contrast objects or ideas. They are formed when words are put together that almost create an image in your mind. Poe’s use of similes also helps contribute to his atmosphere of horror and tension, “black as pitch.” This simile gives the reader an idea of exactly how dark it is. It is impossible to see, no light at all. Since this simile is used the reader now has a true understanding of what the narrator sees and they now almost feel as if they are in the story themselves. Personification is another story element that Poe uses in his tale. Personification is used to bring objects or anything abstract to life and give it human-like qualities, “Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim.” With this use of personification is Poe’s tale death is now brought to life and has