Edgar Allen Poe

Edgar Allen Poe's style of writing in The Tell Tale Heart is mysterious. This short story shows the dark side of Poe. How one can be mad without knowing. Poe uses a lot of symbols in his writing such as the eye of the vulture, the evil eye. The narrator feels that the old man is judging him. Even though the old man had never wronged him, the guilt of what he is about to do forces him to do the unethical. The narrator decides he must rid himself of the eye by killing the old man who loved him. This is ironic because he wants to kill someone who has done nothing wrong to him. By the end we are able to feel and hear the guilt within this character. Whenever the police are at the house he hears voices and the voices he hears appear to be his conscience. We can also argue that the author was taking a shot at society. What one is capable of and how easily one can get away with murder. Making the point that we can only help ourselves by making the right decisions. Perceived as dark, spooky, and unpredictable Poe’s writing goes a greater distance. Most think of Poe’s writing in those three aspects, but Poe redeems the darkness at the end by making his character tell the truth. The diction used in this short story lets the reader know that it is taking place in another era. The voice in this short story is madness, which keeps the reader interested. He uses short choppy sentences that are capable of showing hostility.