In the short story Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, Poe creates an eerie suspense in

multiple scenes giving a creepy feeling to the tale . For example, Poe uses the technique of
describing the characters fears and anxieties, in the scene where the character is describing
why he killed the old man. He writes, I think it was his eye! yes it was this! He had the eye of a
vulture-a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold;and so
by degrees-very gradually-I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself
of the eye forever.(82). This creates suspense for the reader by describing his irrational fear of
the old man's eye, virtually why he killed the old man and gives a unsettling chill as you learn
about is fear. It also gives suspense by describing the fear with vivid words that give all but a
vague picture of the old man's gloomy eye. Poe also uses the technique of repeating words or
phrases in the very last scene where the narrator starts to freak out and admit to killing the old
man. After the narrator starts to freak out he says , I could bear those hypocritical smiles no
longer! I felt that I must scream or die!-and now-again!-hark! louder! louder-Villains! I shrieked,
dissemble no more! I admit the deed!-tear up the planks!-here,here!-it is the beating of his
hideous heart!(87). This gives suspense by repeating words, and using intense punctuation to
portray how the character is feeling. The repeated words gives a sense of anxiety and being
overwhelmed, and the intense punctuation gives the frantic and jumbled feeling to the scene.
Poe gives a strong feeling of suspense throughout the short story that puts a chill down your
back.