English 102 course overview

Tell-Tale Heart

Philosophy of Composition in the "Tell-Tale Heart"

The central elements of this philosophy used by Edgar Allan Poe are length, method, and unity of effect (Xroads 2013). In all of his works, he advises writers to follow a set of criteria for producing literature. These are to plan the written product from the beginning to the end of the literature before they embark into writing anything. The end should always be in their overall focus. By keeping the end in mind, they can set the tone and lay out the details. While they do this, they should also determine the effect they want to make on their readers. The conclusion should constantly remain in mind. The literary piece should be short enough to be read with interest in one sitting by readers. It should not be too long that readers must put it aside and return to it another time. If this is not done, distractions will diminish the impact the literary piece may have begun making. And Poe recommends that writers work hard on what they are writing. He dispels the greater influences of inspiration and intuition on any great work (Xroads).

In all of his works, Poe uses this philosophy, which contains the three elements (Xroads 2013). The philosophy was graphically used in "The Raven" as in "The Tell-Tale Heart," a short story. The "Tell Tale Heart" consists of less than 3 full pages. Poe dynamically selected the words he used to create this effect. This short story is among his shortest, yet it effectively presents a study of paranoia and mental deterioration in the narrator-lead character. There are no excess details in his story in order to intensify the focus and delineation of the murderer and his demented mind (Xroads).

As to method, Poe maintains that writing must be methodical rather than the product of intuition or spontaneity (Xroads 2013). He presents his lead character and the contents of his mind in an analytical and methodical manner. As part of his method in this short story, he exposes the psychological contradictions, which combine to lead to a murder and construct the profile of the murderer. The narrator admits to being nervous and unable to understand why anyone should consider him mad. He argues against the perception of madness by others by displaying his high and rational capacity to sense and perceive. He emphasizes that his hypersensitivity to what is going on around him and the world as the very proof of his sanity rather than as a symptom of madness. He claims to possess special knowledge about sanity and this knowledge appears to provide him to relate the murder in a precise and complete manner without implicating himself. He also uses sophisticated tools of narration in order to make a plea of sanity. But to the keen and objective observer, the madness of the narrator reveals itself when he unknowingly lays out the murder, which itself betrays his insanity, which he forcefully tries to deny and hide (Xroas).

Poe uses the third element of unity of effect by expressing that fiction should be created only after its author determines how the end will be and what emotional impact he wants to create and the readers' emotional response to the fiction (Xroads 2013). The combination of these decided results constitutes that unity of effect. When the author or writer decides on these effects, then he or she can determine all other details, which shall be infused into the fiction. These details include tone, theme, setting, characters, conflict and plot (Xroads).