Alani Gauthier

Mr. Williams
H American Literature
30 April 2015
Tell-Tale Heart Analysis
Edgar Allen Poe is an author that writes within the Dark Romanticism realm which is
filled with sinful actions and guilt. Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe is by far one of my
favorite short stories. Tell-Tale Heart was published in 1843 and it is told by an unnamed
narrator who tries to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed.
Although Tell-Tale Heart uses an unreliable narrator, it makes the story more interesting
because it reveals the narrators paranoia.
Tell-Tale Heart is a short story not a poem, but for some reason sifting this story makes
it that more special. There is not that much symbolism, but there is plenty for me to touch on.
After reading Tell-Tale Heart about ten times, I found two symbols; the old mans eye and the
watch. In the story, the old mans eye is blue with some sort of film or covering on it. The old
man could possibly have some type of medical condition, but the blue eye could also mean that
the characters have issues with their inner vision. Line 6 states It chills the very marrow in his
bones. It seems as if the eye has some sort of special powers because the narrator is always
bothered by it. It is clear that the narrator has some sort of disease that makes all his senses very
sensitive. The watch is a piece of symbolism that is something else. In the story, the narrator

mentions a watch four different times. A watch is usually a representation of time; the watch
watches time and tells the tales of time. In some instances each tick of the watch could be
movement closer to death like in line 4, A watchs minute hand moves more quickly than mine
did.
In my opinion, Tell-Tale Heart is filled with imagery because I can picture each aspect
of the story. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.
(8) Although this line is gross and violent, it is an intense line of imagery. As far as figurative
language is concerned, similes, metaphors, and personification are used. Death, in approaching
him had stalked with his black shawdow before him, and enveloped the victim is an example of
personification because death is not a person. At length a simple dim ray, like the thread of the
spider, shot from out the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye. The narrator compares the light
to a spider thread because of how thin it is. Jumping shifts to tone, the narrator writes in a
dreadfully nervous sort of sad tone. Tell-Tale Heart has a sad tone because it is obvious that the
narrator has a mental or physical illness and once he commits the murder it becomes even sadder.
To me, the sad tone comes from all the nervousness within the story and it never goes away. The
tone and theme continue throughout the story with each line becoming intensified. Poe did a
fantastic job with this short story because every time I read Tell-Tale Heart I discover
something new.