writing assignment for the tell tale heart

56 The Tell-Tale Heart Essay Prompts, Topics, & Questions

Looking for “The Tell-Tale Heart” essay topics? The short story by Edgar Allan Poe, a recognized master of horror fiction, is definitely worth analyzing!

🔝 Top-7 The Tell-Tale Heart Essay Topics

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In your “The Tell-Tale Heart” essay, you might want to write about the story’s characters, themes, or symbols. In any case, our article will be helpful. Find here all you might need to write a paper on Poe’s short story, including essay examples, prompts, questions, and topic ideas.

• The Tell-Tale Heart Psychological Analysis & Critique
• The Tell-Tale Heart (1843)
• Gothic Romanticism in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”, Nathaniel Hawthorn’s “The Birthmark”
• The Tell-Tale Heart Essay
• The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Poe
• Edger Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” Analysis
• The Investigation of Ethical Issues in The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pond

The Tell-Tale Heart Point of View Analysis

Poe wrote the novel from the first-person point of view. The protagonist tells the story of a murder while stating that his senses were destroyed by “the disease” but he’s still sane. Think why this might be important. Is the mad person’s narration reliable?

How different would be the story if it were told by the old man or police officers?

Symbols in The Tell-Tale Heart

If you’re writing “The Tell-Tale Heart” symbolism essay, you may choose one or few symbols in the story:

• The old man’s eye. Analyze why the eye catches the attention of the killer. The narrator calls it the “vulture eye” and “evil. In your essay you can explain why the narrator does not dare to kill the old man when his eye was closed, and the crime was committed only when he saw the open eye.
• The old man’s heart. The heart in the novel symbolizes the killer’s conscience and his humanity as he finally confesses. Analyze why the narrator hears the heartbeat twice.

Another point to consider in your “The Tell-Tale Heart” essay is the analysis of the connection between time and heart. Time is compressed and stretched.

It pulses as the heart. But time also symbolizes death and the killer acts as part of a watch. Thus, the heart in the novel symbolizes life, and, through time, it turns out to be a symbol of death.

The Tell-Tale Heart Literary Analysis

Typical academic articles are hard to read because of complex words and compound sentences. When you read Poe’s masterpieces, you read them quickly because the author writes in short sentences.

Poe uses many figures of speech like similes, personification, anaphora, and irony. Analyze how these figures help Poe to convey the main idea to the reader.

The Tell-Tale Heart Characters

There are four characters you might want to explore in your character analysis: the narrator, police officers, the old man, and the neighbor.

All of them play an important role in the plot. For example, the narrator is mentally ill person who doesn’t make a difference between the “unreal” and “real.” There are also a few signs that he rarely sleeps. You can analyze how his insomnia might impacted his actions and desire to kill.

In case you need some examples to help you with “The Tell-Tale Heart” assignment, here are the excellent ones:

• The alternative explanation of the murder in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” The story’s narrator has an apparent mental illness, but what can be the other reason for the murder he commits? Why would anyone plan the crime so accurately? Discuss this matter in your paper.
• “The Tell-Tale Heart” narrator in court: the best defense possible. If the murderer from “The Tell-Tale Heart” would end up in court, how would you defend him? Analyze the short story and develop creative ways of protecting the leading character.
• The importance of the heartbeat as a symbol in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Even after the victim dies, the killer keeps hearing his heartbeat. Is it a hallucination? What can it symbolize? Think this through and note your opinions.
• What’s the role of nature in Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”? The change of the seasons brings challenging weather, especially for the postman in Poe’s short story. What does it represent? How are nature and weather significant for the plot?
• Is “The Tell-Tale Heart” narrator trustworthy? How can the reader know that the narrator is telling the truth? What if he’s hiding something? You can consider this problem and come up with unique thoughts.
• What Is the Theme of “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Is the Mood of “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Genre Is “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Is the Conflict in “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Does the Heart Symbolize in “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Is the Tone of “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Is the Central Idea of “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
• What Point of View Is “The Tell-Tale Heart”?

If you’re looking for “The Tell-Tale Heart” essay topics or ideas to add to it, check IvyPanda’s free samples of high-quality papers!

• The Murderer’s Motivation Depicted in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• The Characters of Nervousness in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Morality in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Paranoia in Prose and an Analytical Treatment of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Stylistic Analysis of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Sanity of the Narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Poe’s Use of the Senses in “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• The Role of the Gaze in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• An Analysis of the Creating of an Atmosphere of Horror and Build Tension in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Writing Styles in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe
• Stability of Characters in “To Build a Fire” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Styles of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Versus “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Feeling of Madness Throughout “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe
• The Inspiration From the Authors’ Lives in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Inescapable Truth: An Analysis of “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Rationalization and Suspense in Poe’s “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Identity as an Important Part of “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Analysis of Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• “The Tell-Tale Heart” Character Analysis of Main Character

Good topic sentences are a usual part of the essay writing. If you need help understanding what they should look like, check out the examples below. They show the topic sentences for every paragraph in a single essay:

Topic: Death in “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

• Introduction: The theme of death is the primary key to understanding the narrator and his case in Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
• Body paragraph 1: At first, it looks like the hero commits murder as he thinks the old man is about to pass away anyway.
• Body paragraph 2: Then, the main character confesses that he murdered the elderly man because of the “vulture eye,” which hints at his madness.
• Body paragraph 3: Finally, the readers ascertain that the protagonist is mentally ill, which explains the lack of a plausible motif.
• Conclusion: The significance of death in the short story is that it helps analyze the narrator’s chain of thought and understand his motivation.
• The Importance of Suspense in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Horror and Figurative Language in “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Imagery Through the Eye of “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• The Attempt to Prove a Man’s Sanity in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Psychosis and Guilt in “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Literary Elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Philosophy of Composition in the “Tell-Tale Heart”
• The Reflection of the Soul in Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart”
• Role of Realism in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Mental Challenges in “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• The Themes of Surveillance and Control in “Discipline and Punish” by Michael Foucault and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Narrator’s Story in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• Similarities Between Edgar Allan Poe and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” as a Gothic Horror
• Techniques Used in Writing “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Red Room”
• Understanding Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”: Insanity or a Stroke of Brilliance
• Mind Games and the Narrator Madness in “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• A Comparison of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe and the Work of Raymond Carver
• Misperceptions and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
• “The Cast of Amontillado” vs. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Alan Poe
• Morality in “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
• Internal Conflict in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
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IvyPanda. (2024, September 28). 56 The Tell-Tale Heart Essay Prompts, Topics, & Questions. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/the-tell-tale-heart-essay-examples/

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Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” Lesson Plan

This Common Core aligned lesson is designed for students to gain a clear understanding of Poe’s use of tone and mood in the “Tell Tale Heart.”  The lesson is broken down into activities that occur before (into), during (through), and after (beyond) reading the short story. Learning is scaffolded throughout the lesson, giving students a chance to build a solid foundation with the “Tell Tale Heart” before progressing into deeper critical thinking skills.

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain how Poe used mood and tone in the “Tell Tale Heart” to create suspense within the reader.
• Copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart” for each student. Click here to download a free PDF version.
• Materials required for the additional lesson components will vary based on your needs.

ANTICIPATORY ACTIVITY

• Use this free one-page biography or this short video clip to introduce students to influential American author Edgar Allan Poe. Foreshadow the darkness and mystery students will encounter in the “Tell Tale Heart” by discussing some of the tragic events in Poe’s life.
• As a class, read Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart.” Click here to play a dramatic interpretation of the text as you read through it with your class. In order to help students gain a clear understanding of the plot, stop and discuss the different story elements  (exposition, raising action, climax, falling action, and resolution) as the narrative moves along. You can also have students record the “Tell Tale Heart” plot using this free printable graphic organizer. 
• Students review and summarize the plot of “Tell Tale Heart” with a comic book activity . In order to complete the assignment, students add illustrations and dialogue to a total of ten comic book scenes. The scenes should cover the entire plot of a “Tell Tale Heart” in a summarized version with contemporary language.   You can differentiate by requiring advanced students to write their own abridged version of the narrative. The bullet points below include the narrative I provide for each comic book square:

Mad?  I am not mad! Look at how calmly I can tell you the story.  The old man’s eye was like a vulture’s.  It was pale blue with a thick film over it.  I made up my mind to kill the old man even though he did nothing wrong. For a week I was very careful. Every night at midnight, I would slowly open the old man’s bedroom door to peek upon the eye, but it was always closed.  On the eighth night, I slowly opened the door and my finger slipped on the lantern.  The old man cried out, “Who’s there?”  I didn’t move for an hour.  I knew the old man was wondering what had made the sound.  I slowly opened the door again.   The eye was open and staring straight at me.  It chilled my bones.  I could hear the old man’s heart thumping. The time had come.  I threw the bed over him and he was stone dead.  His eye would not bother me anymore. You would not think I’m crazy because I concealed the body so well.  There was no trace of the old man under the floorboards, and the bathtub caught all the blood. Neighbors heard yelling and called the police.  I was perfectly calm when they arrived, and I invited them in for tea.  I sat on the very floor above the dead body.   After searching the house and finding nothing wrong, the officers decided to sit and chat.  I wasn’t feeling good.  My head ached from the noise.  The noise got louder and louder. I couldn’t stand it anymore! I told them, “I admit the deed! Here! Here! It is the beating of his hideous heart!”

“I loved this activity to check comprehension with some of my students who are less than thrilled with reading but love art.” -Melissa S.

The final portion of the lesson utilizes a differentiated close reading strategy that provides students with an opportunity to analyze and understand Poe’s use of tone and mood.  Students complete three readings of the selected excerpt from “Tell Tale Heart.” Each reading is standards aligned and provides an objective, skill focus, and text-based questioning. Students will need a copy of the excerpt they can write on to complete the close reading. If writing on the excerpts is not an option, these plastic sleeves will allow students to complete the close reading activities without writing directly on the paper. Also, t he excerpt and subsequent instruction is differentiated based on student ability. Here’s how I break the close reading for advanced, intermediate, and emerging readers:

Advanced Readers

(Excerpt) But even yet I refrained and kept still.  I scarcely breathed.  I held the lantern motionless.  I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye.  Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased.  It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant.  The old man’s terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! -do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am.  And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror.  Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still.  But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst.  And now a new anxiety seized me -the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man’s hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room.  He shrieked once -once only.  In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him.  I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done.  But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound.  This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall.  At length it ceased.  The old man was dead.  I removed the bed and examined the corpse.  Yes, he was stone, stone dead.  I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes.  There was no pulsation.  He was stone dead.  His eye would trouble me no more. If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body.  The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.  First of all I dismembered the corpse.  I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings.  I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye –not even his -could have detected any thing wrong.  There was nothing to wash out -no stain of any kind -no blood spot whatever.  I had been too wary for that.  A tub had caught all -ha! ha!

1st Reading: Main Idea (Students listen as teacher reads aloud.)

• Write a one-sentence summary of the text.

2nd Reading: Vocabulary (Students read with a partner.)

• Use context clues to define r efrained, precautions, hastily, & wary without using a dictionary

3rd Reading: Tone & Mood (Students read independently.)

• Tone: How did the story sound coming from the writer?  Answer using an adjective.  Highlight sentences and phrases that support your tone choice. 
•  Mood: How did the story make you, the reader, feel?  Answer using an adjective.  Highlight words that contribute to that mood. 

Intermediate Readers

(Excerpt) If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body.  The night waned, and I worked hastily , but in silence.  First of all I dismembered the corpse.  I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings .  I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye –not even his -could have detected any thing wrong.  There was nothing to wash out -no stain of any kind -no blood spot whatever.  I had been too wary for that.  A tub had caught all -ha! 

• Write a one-sentence summary of the excerpt.
• Use context clues to define precautions, hastily, and wary without using a dictionary.

3rd Reading: Tone & Mood (Students read independently.) 

• Mood: How did the story make you, the reader, feel?  Answer using an adjective.  Highlight words that contribute to that mood. 

Emerging Readers

(Excerpt) If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body.  The night waned, and I worked hastily , but in silence.  First of all I dismembered the corpse.  I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

• Use context clues to define precautions and hastily without using a dictionary.
• Tone: Does the story sound disturbing? Highlight sentences and phrases that sound disturbing.
• Mood: Does the story make you feel creepy? Highlight words that are creepy.

The formative assessment requires students to explain how Poe’s use of tone and mood in “Tell Tale Heart” creates suspense within the reader. Students will need access to the previously analyzed excerpt in order to complete the assessment.

Advanced Readers: Open-Ended Response

Explain how Edgar Allan Poe used tone and mood in “Tell Tale Heart” to create a feeling of suspense within the reader.

Intermediate Readers: Cloze Paragraph

Edgar Allan Poe used tone and mood to create suspense within the reader.  The tone of the excerpt above from Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart” can be described as _______________.  For example, the author writes, “____________________________________________” (paragraph ___ ).  Additionally, the mood can be described as _______________.  For instance, the narrator explains, “_________ ___________________________________” (paragraph ___ ).  Poe’s use of a _______________ tone and a _______________ mood create suspense.

Emerging Readers: Guided Response

Tone:  Copy a sentence from the passage that sounds disturbing. Mood: Write three words from the passage that make you feel creepy.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5: Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

“This was the perfect differentiation for my class, while reading the exact same material!” -Brittany B.

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The Tell Tale Heart Analysis Activities

Sep 19, 2023

More than any other short story writer, Edgar Allan Poe still captures the imaginations of his readers 150 years after his death. What I love most about his writing is that he appeals to even the most reluctant readers. In order to teach his most classic short story, however, you will definitely want to think about including The Tell Tale Heart Analysis Activities   for varying levels of student abilities.

More often than not, students enjoy the process of delving deeply into twisted plots and even more twisted characters. They become fascinated by Poe’s tales because the stories appeal to every one of us for various reasons. In The Tell Tale Heart, Poe describes the slow yet growing madness of a person bent on the death of an old man simply because of his eye, yet we are morbidly captivated.

We WANT to know the end! We NEED to know the end!

To help our students comprehend this frightening piece of iconic American literature, let’s guide them by focusing on specific areas for The Tell Tale Heart Analysis !

Need help with Test Prep? Check out this  FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities  to help students achieve success on standardized tests!

Table of Contents

5 Ways To Help Your Students Focus on The Tell Tale Heart Analysis

1.  focus on vocabulary.

To know every word in the dictionary is impossible. And for some students, knowing every word in a short story is just as impossible. Why not expose your students to the most important words of “The Tell Tale Heart” before they even begin reading? They will most certainly thank you as they read the entire story.

Here are 3 examples from the story to help your students as they work on The Tell Tale Heart Analysis:

• mad-crazy, insane
• dreadfully-awful, horrible
• cunningly-clever, deceitful

ACTIVITY IDEAS:

• Identify 5 words and look them up. Many times, students have access to technology, so they can easily search for and write down definitions!
• After looking up the definition of a word or several words, students can research synonyms and antonyms for each word.
• When students become more familiar with their vocabulary words, they can create a quick image for each word.
• Students can present their words, meanings, and images with the class; they will learn other ways of seeing words from their classmates!

Need simple-to-use vocabulary graphic organizers ? See below!

Having a brain freeze when teaching vocabulary? CLICK BELOW!

2. Focus on Plot

Identifying plot elements might seem super basic, but because of Poe’s use of higher-level language, many students may struggle to accomplish this goal. Make sure to explain each element first before your students begin to go more deeply into The Tell Tale Heart analysis!

PLOT ELEMENTS-

Exposition:  the introduction to the characters, setting, and conflict; helps to set the stage for the reader

Rising Action:  action that takes place after the exposition and leads up to the climax; develops the characters and builds suspense

Climax:  the most important part of the story; highest point of action that causes a change in some way

Falling Action:  action that takes place after the climax; leads to the resolution

Resolution:  the end of the story that resolves the conflict, reveals a change or lack thereof in the main character, and ends with a reflection connected to the meaning of the story

Click below for help with identifying the plot elements of this classic story!

Check out this post for more help with teaching the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe!

3. Focus on Characterization

Focusing on characterization is the next level of analysis beyond plot and vocabulary. The goal is to get students to identify the traits of a character–primary or secondary–and/or how a character changes throughout the text.

THE TELL TALE HEART ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERIZATION STEPS:

•  Choose a character to analyze: the narrator or the old man.
•  Identify 3-5 pieces of evidence throughout the story for that character.
•  Analyze how the character changes from beginning to end.
•  Write a paragraph or create visuals that highlight the changes.

If you want a step-by-step way to teach The Tell Tale Heart Analysis , click below!

Make examining character traits simple and easy for any passage with this Graphic Organizer Pack for characterization . It will help middle and high school students examine how the author uses textual evidence for a specific purpose, making The Tell Tale Heart analysis even more effortless!

4. Focus on Theme

Theme is simply a message from a story. Usually, we write a theme in 1 or 2 sentences, not a single word or phrase.

When students take the time to synthesize all of the information from a reading passage, they can come up with a more universal message relating to various topics!

Let’s say that you want your students to do The Tell Tale Heart analysis focused on creating thematic statements.

First, you will want to identify major topics in the story. Ex. murder, insanity, crime, hate, prejudice

Next, you will want to link the above ideas to what actually happens in the story.

Lastly, based on the topics and evidence, you will want to write a message linked to what the author is trying to about the topic.

EXAMPLE THEMES:

• Insanity will lead people to do horrific things if unchecked.
• People should not judge someone based on physical characteristics.

Check out this THEMES MADE EASY Pack for help with teaching themes as a part of The Tell Tale Heart analysis!

5.  Focus on Psychoanalytic Criticism

This method is a bit tougher than the rest. Through psychoanalysis, we can examine the mental and emotional states of the characters as well as their implications. Then, the major objective would be to connect the character(s) to the author.

From what we know about Edgar Allan Poe, this type of analysis might be super interesting for students. They could research Poe’s background and try to make connections to this particular story!

Consider the following:

• Poe’s early life
• Poe’s addictions
• Poe’s marriage
• Poe’s family
• Poe’s education
• Poe’s career
• Poe’s death

By focusing on the psychological aspects of the narrator, students will find some VERY convincing similarities.

Need more fun lessons and activ ities that help you teach The Tell Tale Heart analysis ? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep !

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