The Mood And Setting Of Tell Tale Heart And The Cask Of The Amontilliado

Edgar Allan Poe is poet like no other, he’s made some of the most compelling stories that entice the reader to mysteriously keep on reading and wondering what will happen next. In Poe’s more popular stories like “Tell Tale Heart” and “The Cask of the Amontillado” he uses humor and horror to create the setting by the tone he uses, the very specific details and or descriptive words and the use of repetition. Poe was described as the father of horror with his mysterious outlook on life, giving poetry an entirely new meaning, and rewriting the rules for what poetry has become worldwide.

Poe burns through a brief period in setting the disposition in his short story, 'The Tell-Tale Heart' From the opening sentences, he ambushes the reader with a climatic flood of insidiousness thoughts. Franticness, powerful faculties and murder are only a couple of the thoughts displayed in the initial two passages. He snatches the readers advantage promptly and keeps on building the pressure as his storyteller recounts to the remainder of his story. In, 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Poe uses his tone to give the setting a trembling feel: “'To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea' (Tell Tale Heart, Poe, 1843). Poe is not at all a soft-hearted guy as we can see. The type of words he uses and the way he uses them sets the tone of the story, giving the reader a frightened feeling of what might happen next.

With more to come, Poe not only uses horror to create such an immense setting but uses humor to enlighten the reader with his manipulative techniques. Poe’s use of persuasive humor allows him to combine his story with other themes such as horror to give the setting a slight twist on his overall point of view, the descriptive words he uses helps the story flow with what Poe is saying: “Thusly, he welcomes Fortunato to taste from the container of Amontillado, Amontillado being the new wine. The term barrel derives to coffin, the hilarious method for leading to Fortunatos coffin. Fortunatos is spoken to as a trick who falls to this joke not realizing that it implied to his death.” (The Cask of the Amontillado, Poe, 1847). Poe has used his descriptive details and humorous techniques to give the reader a deeper feeling into what he believes in. Poe describing what the amontillado is gives the readers a better understanding of what might happen next.

Poe has used numerous methods for creating stories that many people love, repetition is one of those literal techniques that gives the setting of “The Tell Tale Heart” a horrific theme to it. His use of repetition gives the story a suspenseful feel, giving the reader a desire for what will happen next: “Slowly, little by little, I lifted the cloth, until a small, small light escaped from under it to fall upon—to fall upon that vulture eye!' (Tell Tale Heart, Poe, 1843). Poe repeating “To fall upon” he’s giving the readers a feel for the horror that Poe’s currently experiencing. It also adds tension to the situation that Poe cannot escape.

In Poe’s more popular stories like “Tell Tale Heart” and “The Cask of the Amontillado” he uses humor and horror to create the setting by the tone he uses, the very specific details and or descriptive words and the use of repetition. Poe has clearly changed the game for poetry and has given a new perspective towards the setting of his horrific stories, leaving his readers with a want for more. Nonetheless, Poe’s expertise in creating a new wave in poetry will only leave the thought of where poetry will stand in the future. But for now, we can appreciate what Poe has brought us and only hope his work will influence others to create stories such as impulsive as his were.