Rhetorical Analysis Of The Tell Tale Heart

In the passage from The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, it is evident that carefully chosen language helps to convey specific tones in the passage. One tone common in this passage is that of stillness, loneliness, even that of silence. One way that the author conveys tone is through the way the main character proceeds about his work. Taken from the passage Poe writes, “And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so gently” (4-5)! In this line, the author shows a sense of stillness through the adverb gently. This shows that the door is being opened as stealthily as possible; in a still, motionless, and seemingly undetectable way. Edgar Allan Poe also writes, “Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust [my head] in! …show more content…
Words like cunningly show how carefully deceiving this character is being. The word slowly also contributes showing how still the situation really is. The character is taking great measures to remain in his subtle presence and not awaken the old man from his sleep. Taken from the passage, “ … I undid the lantern so cautiously-oh, so cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked)...” (10-11). The character is clearly trying to make minimal noise and to broadcast his presence in a minimalistic way. The words cautious and creaked show the painstaking attention to detail to ensure the still, stealthy silence. In conclusion, many words and details are used by the author to create a still, silent setting throughout the passage from The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan