Tell Tale Heart Suspense

Words: 509
Pages: 3

Edgar Allan Poe is a master at using the literary devices,specifically the device of setting.This is demonstrated in many of his stories like “Tell Tale Heart”.In this story Poe uses three of the basic elements of setting these were elapsed time, mood and atmosphere, and population. As stated before Poe uses many of the basic elements of setting.However one of the most common ones is mood and atmosphere. This is seen very often throughout the story.For example the quote in page 531:3 says “I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye...”. This quote shows the reader that the narrator was stalking the old man using a dark lantern that revealed the old man’s “vulture” eye.The mood and atmosphere also helps show how the narrator is being driven to madness.This is supported by the quote on page 541:7 where it says “I talked …show more content…
Another element of setting that Poe uses expertly in “Tell-Tale Heart” is elapsed time.Poe uses elapsed time to show readers the dedication of the narrator in stalking the old man.This is shown in page 531:3 when the narrator says “And this I did for seven long night every night at midnight.”Poe also uses elapsed time to show how long the narrator took in his precautions in covering up the murder.This is supported by the quote on page 541:3, the quote reads as follows “When I had made an end of these labors it was four o'clock still dark as midnight.”. The final example of elapsed time in “Tell-Tale Heart” is in page 541:7.On the seventh paragraph the narrator starts panicking as he believes that the cops knew he was responsible because they had not left the