Seemal Sheikh (Stylistics)

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Seemal Sheikh
Ma’am Sidra Ahmed
LIT 3601 Intro to Stylistics
27th April, 2023
Stylistic devices in the short story “The Tell-tale Heart”
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a well-known example of Gothic literature
that employs a variety of stylistic methods to produce a spooky and suspenseful atmosphere.
Symbolism, foreshadowing, and point of view are few of the major stylistic tropes used
throughout the entire novel.
Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism extensively in “The Tell-Tale Heart” to heighten the
creepy mood and make the narrator’s psychological state clearer. Symbolism is the use of
symbols that have a deeper meaning beyond its literal interpretation. The old man’s eye serves as
a potent metaphor for the narrator’s remorse and paranoia in the story. The narrator claims that
the eye is “pale blue with a film over it” and that it seems to follow him around. A further potent
signal in the narrative is the narrator’s audible heartbeat. It symbolises the lifeline of the elderly
guy and also acts as a metaphor for the narrator’s remorse. The watch is another symbol of time
and the inevitability of death. The narrator listens to the watch ticking, which represents the
passing of time and the narrator’s own impending doom. Additionally, the story’s overall
darkness serves as a symbol for the narrator’s troubled mental state. Overall, it represents the
wrongdoing he has done and the darkness that has devoured him.
Foreshadowing is a literary technique in which an author hints at or suggests what will
happen later in the story. It can be used to create suspense and tension, as well as to deepen the
reader’s engagement with the story. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Poe employs a number of
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foreshadowing techniques to heighten tension and give away the conclusion of the story. The
thorough planning and preparation for the murder, as well as the narrator’s mounting remorse
and paranoia, presage the eventual breakdown of his sanity and the exposure of his crime. For
instance, the narrator’s preoccupation on the old man’s eye in the opening line foreshadows the
eye’s significance in the story’s finale. Before the murder, the narrator showed kindness to the
elderly man, which hinted at his remorse and internal anguish. For example, “I was never kinder
to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him.” This passage foreshadows the
narrator’s sinister intentions towards the old man, as well as his eventual guilt. The narrator’s
assertion that his “madness” is really only an over-acuteness of the senses also suggests that he
will eventually confess and that he thinks he will outsmart the authorities. Overall, Poe’s use of
foreshadowing in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a key element in building suspense and engaging the
reader in the story.
The point of view Is used by the author to build suspense and anxiety throughout the
story. Point of view refers to the perspective or vantage point from which a story or narrative is
told. The novel is delivered from the perspective of an unknown narrator who also happens to be
the main character. His perspective has been warped by his own lunacy and remorse. With this
point of view, the reader can see the narrative through the narrator’s perspective as he plots and
carries out his crime. The narrator’s point of view is untrustworthy throughout the entire novel,
leaving the reader unsure of whether or not what they are being told is accurate. The reader is
left wondering about the narrator’s intentions and actions as a result of the ambiguity and
uncertainty this produces. As the reader tries to determine the validity of the narrator’s
statements, this induces a feeling of tension and anxiety. The reader goes on a journey through
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the narrator’s declining mental state, which gives Poe the opportunity to examine themes of guilt
and madness.
In order to strengthen the author’s point and establish a specific mood or environment,
stylistic elements are used throughout the text. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe
employs a variety of stylistic techniques to establish a tense and eerie atmosphere that pulls the
reader into the narrative and heightens their emotional response. For instance, the story’s overall
tone is dark and frightening and the use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and point of view all
contribute to the building of tension and discomfort. Poe may engage the reader more deeply and
deliver his point in a style that is memorable and impactful by using these stylistic methods. In
essence, the stylistic methods employed in “The Tell-Tale Heart” work to increase the impact of
the story and make it a more potent literary piece.
In conclusion, “The Tell-Tale Heart” makes use of a variety of stylistic techniques, all of
which have been purposefully chosen in order to enhance the reader's experience and the impact
and efficacy of the narrative.

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Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” The Poe Museum, 1843, poemuseum.org/the-
tell-tale-heart/.

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Sheikh 1

Ma’am Sidra Ahmed

LIT 3601 Intro to Stylistics

27th April, 2023

Stylistic devices in the short story “The Tell-tale Heart”

throughout the entire novel.

Foreshadowing is a literary technique in which an author hints at or suggests what will

reader in the story.

the story and make it a more potent literary piece.

and efficacy of the narrative.

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