A TELL-TALE HEART

By Edgar Allan Poe

Prepared by : MARY, FARHANA, RAIHAN, HIDAYAH

EDGAR ALLAN POE

A brief biography

MASTER OF HORROR AND THE FATHER OF THE DETECTIVE STORY

Born – 19 January 1809 in Boston.

parents were both actor and actress. Father abandon the family when he was still 2 years old.

Adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Allan of Richmond, Virginia.

Entered college at the University of Virginia.

went to Boston, joined millitary academy to get income.

Live with his aunt, , Maria Clemm, his natural father’s sister.

He was working for the editor of a magazine

His Aunt Maria even gave permission to Edgar to marry her daughter, his cousin, Virginia. She was just 13 at the time. Poe was 26.

Edgar’s drinking problem caused him to lose his job

The same dreaded disease (TB) that killed his mother and brother also took the life of his wife.

deep depression, thoughts of suicide, his drinking worsened, and many suspected drug abuse. It was during this time, however, that much of his best work was written!

He was found unconscious on the steps of an abandoned hotel in the middle of the slums of Boston on October 3, 1849. Apparently he had drank and drugged himself into a deadly stupor. He never regained consciousness. He died at the age of 40 on October 7, 1849.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

HYPERBOLE• The narrator made an overstatement or exaggerated language

when he said that “ for an hour I did not move a muscle which he is not actually possible to not move a muscle for one hour.

Evidence: page 2, paragraph 1. “I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and the meantime I did not hear him lie down .”

SIMILE• When the narrator use the word “as” and

saying that “ his room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness”

• Evidence: page 2, paragraph 1. “ his room was as black as pitch with….”

SYMBOL• The bed symbolize the murder weapon.

• Evidence: page 3, paragraph 1. “ in an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. “

IRONY• The narrator keeps saying that he is not crazy but when he

describes his actions and all the actions that make him appear crazy.

• Evidence : page 1, paragraph 3. “ I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him.”

PERSONIFICATION• The narrator personifies death and says something about Death

has chosen the old man.

• Evidence: page 2, paragraph 3, “ because death, in approaching him had stalked with his black …..”

MORAL VALUES

DO NOT HATE PEOPLE FOR THEIR FLAWS

• The narrator hate the old man just because of the old man’s eyes and he did try hard to get rid of the eye and finally he killed the old man.

• Evidence: page 1, paragraph 2. “ he never wronged me. He had never given me insult….. I think it was his eyes!.. i made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

• At the end of the story, the narrator finally drown by his own guilt and he suffered the consequences of his evil deeds.

• Evidence: page 3, last paragraph. “ Villains! Dissemble no more! Admit the deed! – tear up the planks! Here, here! – it is the beating of his hideous heart!

ALWAYS DO THINGS CAREFULLY AND

THOROUGHLY

• The murderer had done the murder very carefully and once he has done the deeds he went to examine the corpse either there was any pulsation of his heart.

• Evidence: page 3, paragraph 1, “ I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. …there was no pulsation.