Mad Perspectives Interwoven
All writers have the ability to weave an enticing story, coaxing our minds to build our reality around the heart of their experiences and narrations. In the poem “The Raven” and the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” both by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrators convey impractical and illogical experiences, leading the audience to question whether they can tell the truth. Poe’s poem “The Raven” describes the pity of the narrator suffering from the loss of his passed widow, only to meet a talking Raven that causes another torrent of emotions. In Poe's short story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the speaker is obsessed with an old man’s ‘vulture’ eye, claiming he is not mad. The speakers from both texts portray their inner insanity
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Despite his previous amused response to the talking raven, the narrator in “The Raven” becomes fearful and frantic as he is reminded of the memories of his passed widow Lenore, leading to his eternal madness. Becoming gradually afraid of the Raven, the speaker shrieks, “‘Leave my loneliness unbroken!-quit the bust above my door! /Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!’/ Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore’/...And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor/Shall be lifted-nevermore!”(Poe 4). As the narrator assumes that the Raven is here to haunt him of the memories of Lenore, he orders the Raven to leave him in peace. Despite his efforts, he admits that the pain and remembrance the Raven has caused will lie with his soul forever. This shapes the speaker’s character to be regretful and desperate, and his soul to be permanently damaged, making him in an unstable state to tell a reliable narrative. Likewise, the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” goes demented after the regret of his murder fills him up. His attempts to ignore the rage of the beating heartbeat of the dead man are useless, and his agony and remorse cause him to give in to admitting. Although he is confident that no one will figure out his crimes, the speaker soon starts to notice a ringing that became “more distinct:-it continued and became more distinct…Oh God! what could I do? I foamed-I raved-I swore!... It grew louder-louder-louder!... I felt that I must scream or die!-and now-again!-hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!- ‘Villains!’ I shrieked, ‘dissemble no more! I admit the deed!...’”(Poe 4). The narrator is suffering from a great amount of torment as an uncanny ringing tone fills his mind, making torrents of pain dion. It is likely that the taunting ringing noise is