An essay on the literary devices used by Edgar Allan Poe in his horror short story The Tell-Tale Heart. Discover how imagery, repetition, and humor create suspense, The Tell - Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, is a chilling and macabre short story that has captivated readers for generations. This psychological thriller explores the gothic elements, motiveless murder, and Shakespearean influence of Poe's classic short story. Read a brief summary and major theme. Most critics agree that there are two main motifs in the story: the narrator's identification with the man he kills and the psychological introduction. The introductory part will present The Tell - Tale heart 1843, by Alan Edgar Poe, introducing the main characters, viz. the narrator and the old man. The story opens with the unknown narrator confessing that he is agitated but not senseless or crazy, as some would like to think. We will write a custom essay on analysis. Last update. “The Tell - Tale Heart” was published in the first issue of a short-lived literary magazine called Pioneer in. The magazine has been published. Literary and critical analysis of “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Human beings have all experienced guilt, the consequence of a wrong committed, and the manipulation it exerts on decisions. In the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart", author Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates the theme that guilt is strong and has the power to overcome conscience, Abstract. The TellTale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story written in the horror genre. He describes committing a murder and then confessing because he was tormented by the culprit. “The Tell-Tale Heart” is filled with many symbolisms and hidden meanings, such as how the beating heart is the guilt building inside the narrator. Edgar Allan Poe truly poured his heart, no pun intended, and soul into this project: Write my article. You will not be charged yet. He decided to put the old man on the ground and crush him with the bed. In the story it then says “his eye would bother me no more”. Again, this shows the psychotic nature of this man. The man was obsessed with the old man's eye. In my opinion, the murder cannot be justified.