Edgar Allan Poe is considered an influential author in the genre of horror and gothic tales that hint at what's out there (back cover by Van Leer). Poe is best known for his dark and gruesome imagery, focusing on death in order to provide his readers with a sense of terror within themselves by showing what one is capable of doing (Giammarco 5). These qualities are provided in Poe's short stories such as "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Man of the Crowd", and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" as they all describe various characteristics of different individuals brought into society through the device. of the narrator. Poe faced many challenges in his life from an early age, including loss, illness, a difficult upbringing, and heavy gambling and alcohol problems (Giammarco 4). However, these tragic events helped Poe become one of the most famous American poets of the 19th century (Giammarco 6). Poe exemplifies terror in "The Tell-Tale Heart" by indicating what humanity is capable of doing to conquer its fears. This is conveyed through the narrator's actions and tone when expressing his sanity, although he confesses to committing murder by being horrified by an old man's vulture eye and wanting to close it permanently. Poe's vivid and rhetorical language allows his readers to become aware of what is out there by allowing them to grasp the narrator's thoughts and mindset. This is revealed through the device of an ecphonesis, as it provides emotional and exclamatory phases to show the personality of the narrator who suffers from a psychological illness, mood changes and lack of intuition. For example, this device is used in the last paragraph of "The Tell-Tale Heart" because the use of exclamations allows readers to understand the feelings and emotions of the......middle of paper......em of what individuals are capable of doing. This is represented in Poe's story by showing the process and reasons for the ways in which some individuals may react and act due to certain fears or obsessions. (37)The use of dialogue, monologue, and the use of the first person allows readers to understand the narrator's sense of concern, values, and obsessions. Since readers are able to understand the process and thought behind the narrator wanting to kill the old man who has visited multiple times, it can provide a sense of fear in society as individuals can wonder who they trust since any individual can contain murderous actions when put under pressure. Poe incorporated numerous linguistic devices to terrify readers of what is outside of them, describing the narrator as terribly anxious, overwhelmed by stress, and having various mood swings.. (23)