Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"


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The Tell Tale Heart was a thought provoking story that seemed to indicate that 'what goes around comes around.' The murderer who seems slightly deranged, to say the least. He seems to plan every move he makes perfectly. His caution and strategic thinking make him audacious, which will eventually lead to him overlooking one fatal mistake: he will not be able to live with himself. He will not be able to grasp any sanity he might have previously been able to preserve. Because of this, he will give himself away. His guilt will overcome his sense and he will eventually admit to the murder. I think the line that best exemplifies his terror that resulted from his overconfidence is the following paragraph: "The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: --It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears. No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath --and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men --but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!" I gave The Tell-Tale Heart four out of five stars because the cycle in which the story is written is consistent and poetic; the heart beat at which he chuckled will haunt him for the rest of his life.

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