One way to think about Poe’s use of sound in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is to think instead of the importance of silence. Silence is an expression of power for the narrator–by being silent, or be silencing noises (the old man’s heartbeat) he asserts control over his surroundings. Noises, on the other hand, represent the intrusion of disorder, a kind of aural mess that has to be “cleaned up.” The aural pattern in the story is...
One way to think about Poe’s use of sound in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is to think instead of the importance of silence. Silence is an expression of power for the narrator–by being silent, or be silencing noises (the old man’s heartbeat) he asserts control over his surroundings. Noises, on the other hand, represent the intrusion of disorder, a kind of aural mess that has to be “cleaned up.” The aural pattern in the story is one of silence and sound.
This pattern is evident in the old man’s murder. The narrator has silently put his head into the room – he inadvertently touches the lantern and makes a noise, alerting the old man. The narrator then remains absolutely still (“for a whole hour I did not move a muscle”). Finally, the old man groans (“the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe”). The sound of the old man’s heart beat becomes louder and louder: finally, afraid that “the sound would be heard by a neighbor,” the narrator springs on the old man and kills him, restoring silence again.
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