Theme: Stylistic peculiarities of

E.A.Poe’s short stories.

University: Kyrgyz National University of Kyrgyzstan

I. Introduction
II. Stylistic peculiarities of E.A.Poe’s short stories
1.Stylistic Techniques
A.Rhetorical strategies and tone in Poe's writing
B. Interrogative and exclamatory sentences contributing to a unique style
2.Timeless Narrative
A. The universal resonance of Poe's works
B. Insight from Robert Shulman's essay on Poe's understanding of obscure
mental processes
3.Shared Stylistic Elements
A. Identification of common stylistic elements across the stories
B. Use of caesura as a rhetorical device
4.Imagery in Poe's Works
A. Poe's mastery of imagery in depicting characters and settings
B. The emphasis on sensory experiences in "Cask," "Tell-Tale," and "Pit"
C. Analysis of how imagery contributes to the overall impact of each story
III. Conclusion
 Edgar Allan Poe's works, crafted within his short-lived existence, captivate
diverse audiences with their eerie tales delving into the darker aspects of
human nature. Poe employs first-person narration, a stylistic cornerstone
evident in stories like "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Pit and the Pendulum,"
and "The Tell-Tale Heart." These frequently anthologized works feature
unreliable male narrators, potentially mentally unstable and unequivocally
criminal. Despite their dubious traits, Poe skillfully utilizes the first/second
person perspective and a distinctive tone to elicit a pathetic appeal from these
narrators to their respective audiences. Employing rhetorical strategies,
interrogative and exclamatory sentences, and leaving certain plot elements
shrouded in mystery, Poe achieves a unique and compelling writing style.
These stylistic techniques result in a timeless narrative that resonates with a
broad audience, delving into the intricacies of the human experience. Robert
Shulman, in his essay "Poe and the Powers of the Mind," contends that Poe
possessed unique insight into obscure mental processes, demonstrating
remarkable understanding and control for the sake of his art. Without this
distinctive style, Poe's stories might have been dismissed as a fleeting, morbid
trend. Instead, readers consistently revisit Poe's flawed characters, seeking a
connection to their own psyches within the broader context of human nature.
The role of the narrator, often a puzzle, is scrutinized in Greta Olson's
"Reconsidering Unreliability: Fallible and Untrustworthy Narrators." Olson
challenges the simplistic categorization of narrators as either "reliable" or
"unreliable," drawing on the theories of critics Wayne Booth and Ansgar
Nunning. Characters like Montresor in "Cask" and the nameless narrators of
"Tell-Tale" and "Pit," often labeled as "unreliable," are examined beyond the
surface, considering the complexities of their guilt, including murder and
crimes during the Spanish Inquisition.
Olson categorizes unreliable narrators into two types: the fallible and the
untrustworthy. Fallible narrators may have impaired perceptions due to
limited education or experiences, whereas untrustworthy narrators exhibit
inconsistent personalities stemming from ingrained traits or current self-
interest. Unlike fallible narrators who can potentially grow out of their
limitations, once a narrator is deemed untrustworthy, their credibility is
irreparably damaged. This applies to the narrator in "Tell-Tale," who, like the
Underground Man, begins his tale with inconsistencies, ultimately confessing
to murder and revealing the corpse, showcasing his mental fragility and
unreliability.
The theme of untrustworthy narrators persists with Montresor and the
Prisoner from "Pit," both intentionally or unintentionally omitting crucial
information. Montresor never discloses a clear motive for the crime, and the
Prisoner keeps silent about the specific crime for which he is punished. While
the insanity and guilt of the "Tell-Tale" narrator are evident, many
untrustworthy speakers, including Montresor, leave room for speculation
about their mental states.
In contrast to traditional soliloquies delivered to a hushed audience, Poe's
narrators in "Cask," "Pit," and "Tell-Tale" are acutely aware of their audiences.
They seamlessly switch from first to second person, directly addressing their
listeners. Montresor appeals to the audience's knowledge of his soul, while the
narrator of "Tell-Tale" assumes the audience's opinion from the outset. The
exception lies in the protagonist of "Pit," who maintains an inner monologue,
although it's possible he narrates to an external audience at a later time,
mirroring the confession format in "Tell-Tale" and Montresor's disclosure of a
secret murder.
In each of the mentioned stories, these reflections contribute to crafting a
distinctive confessional tone. The central question persists: who does the
narrator envision as the listener? Could the audience be another character?
For instance, Montresor might be recounting his tale as a deathbed confession
—perhaps to a relative or priest—stating, "For the half of a century no mortal
has disturbed them" (Poe 160) when discussing the bones of Fortunato, his
victim. This inquiry also highlights a unique aspect of Poe's narrative style.
While Poe is renowned for revolutionizing the modern detective story, as
evident in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," he should also be acknowledged
for pioneering a type of narration ahead of its time: the narration of the
perpetrator.
In contemporary television mysteries, the shift has been from simple
detective stories to more complex narratives focusing not on "who" but rather
"why" and "how." All three stories feature narrators presenting their
perspectives—the opposition to the prevailing law and order. Psychoanalysis is
a potential avenue, but as per Floyd Stovall's "The Conscious Art of Edgar Allan
Poe," delving into the style of Poe's writing negates the need for twentieth-
century psychology. The meaning lies within the inner monologues of the
narrators.
Poe's short stories heavily rely on extended monologues, with "Cask"
incorporating necessary dialogue between characters. To emphasize the
narrators' minds, the stories minimize dialogue, showcasing distinctions in
sentence structures. The mad narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" exudes a
hurried voice, expressing paranoia from the outset. The use of capitalization,
exclamatory sentences, and repetitive adjectives and adverbs immediately
conveys the speaker's unstable state of mind and the urgency to elaborate on
his dominant feelings.
 The initial sentence establishes the story's tone as the narrator maintains
this structure throughout. Early paragraphs often begin with swift sentences,
exemplified by, "Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know
nothing" (Poe 173). This example showcases a breakdown of sentence length,
starting with five words, then four, and concluding with a three-word
sentence. Instead of incrementally adding words in reverse, Poe disrupts the
pattern with a complex sentence containing one independent clause and
multiple dependent clauses, providing an insight into the narrator's mind. This
fluctuation in sentence structure creates a sense of jumpiness and alarm for
readers.
In "Tell-Tale," the narration employs exclamatory sentences and rhetorical
questions, suggesting a relentless pace. Assuming the narrator confesses to a
specific listener, there's no pause for reaction; the narrator assumes
agreement or confirmation of insanity: "And have I not told you that what you
mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the sense?—now I say, there
came to my ears a low, dull quick sound…" (Poe 175). This unyielding narration
builds up to both the stylistic and literary climax, aligning with the story's
conclusion.
The story maintains a monologue form until the final sentence, spoken aloud
to investigating policemen: "Villains! Dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—
tear up the planks! Here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!" (Poe
178). This spoken confession signifies the narrator's inability to endure the
emotional rollercoaster, and the shift to dialogue suggests a natural endpoint
for the story.
Examining Poe's careful diction in the conclusion of "Tell-Tale" reveals the
narrator's pride rather than guilt, as words like "wisely," "caution," and
"foresight" highlight the narrator's belief in cunning. This pride continues when
the narrator instructs the policemen to "search—search well," and referring to
them as "villains" reveals the narrator's sense of righteousness (Shen 329).
The narrator in "Pit" differs in style from that of "Tell-Tale." Although facing
a compromising situation as a victim of the Spanish Inquisition, he's not a
murderer and is likely held under a flawed justice system. Unlike the alarming
tone in "Tell-Tale," the prisoner employs longer sentences for thoughtful
expression, using rhetorical questions to shape his tone. The "I" in italics
emphasizes his confusion and fear, yet he refrains from panic and quick
conclusions.
"Pit" reveals a distinct pattern resembling the up-and-down notion in "Tell-
Tale." The prisoner cycles through waking bewildered, figuring out
surroundings, and falling into darkness, repeating this process. This pattern
climaxes as the prisoner wakes and falls three times, a calculated choice by
Poe, given the literary significance of the number three.
Later in the narration, as the prisoner realizes his torturous predicament, his
sentences adopt the panicked tone of the "Tell-Tale" narrator. Discovering the
infinite pit, panic surfaces in the writing style with exclamatory sentences
building toward a climactic ending. However, "Pit" concludes differently, with a
sedated set of sentences introducing a deus ex machina element— the end of
the Inquisition by the French—a happy ending that stylistically fizzles.
Montresor in "Cask" is the most well-developed of the three narrators.
While readers delve into his ongoing inner monologue, dialogue plays a
significant role due to plot necessities. Montresor, despite strong pathos like
anger and jealousy, controls urges to outbursts, reflected in Poe's careful
structuring of sentence variety. His narrative structure uses compound
sentences, portraying revenge plans as careful, calculated, and cold.
Montresor's narration lacks hasty exclamatory or interrogative sentences,
suggesting he has taken time to plan the murder rationally.
In "Cask," Montresor employs etymological word choices, slipping Latin
words into the text, indicating an educated audience. The use of Latin, such as
when explaining his family motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" (Poe 157), and
concluding with "In pace requiescat!" (160) at the story's end, suggests a
connection to an educated confessor if Montresor is telling the revenge tale as
a death-bed confession, possibly to a priest.
Stylistically setting "Cask" apart from "Pit" and "Tell-Tale" is its reliance on
dialogue. The heart of the story involves Montresor luring his nemesis to an
untimely death, with Fortunato remaining oblivious. The necessary exchange
creates effective dramatic irony, with Fortunato's inebriated exclamations and
gesticulations building anticipation for an explosive conflict.
Despite distinct elements, there are stylistic ties among the stories,
representative of Poe's prose style. The use of caesura, a rhetorical device
inserting breaks, is evident throughout the narration. In "Tell-Tale," the
madman interrupts his thoughts with breaks, emphasizing details like "And this
I did for seven long nights—every night just at midnight—but I found the eye
always closed…" (Poe 174). Montresor also uses caesura, but as a deliberate
pause in thought, adding dimension and mystery to the plot, such as when
mentioning his heart growing sick due to the dampness of the catacombs,
indicating potential regret or satisfaction about his monstrous deed (Baraban
49). The pause allows readers to explore alternate outcomes momentarily
before being brought back to Poe's original intention.
Poe excels in creating vivid imagery in his stories, guiding readers to witness
events through the narrator's eyes, experiencing illusions and delusions that
victimize them (Burwick 423). In "Cask," detailed attention is given to
Fortunato's appearance, setting the stage for a sensory experience in the
Montresor family catacombs. The initial description becomes poignant when,
after imprisoning Fortunato, Montresor uses his torch, and only the jingling of
the bells on Fortunato's cap responds (Poe 160), turning a frivolous accessory
into the final "words" of a murdered man.
Similarly, in "Tell-Tale," the emphasis on the beating heart, described as a
low, dull, quick sound, drives the madman to murder. This incessant sound
becomes the climax, compelling readers to experience what the narrator
hears, whether delusional or not (Poe 177-178).
In "Pit," the sense of touch takes center stage as the prisoner, punished in
darkness, conveys his experience through detailed descriptions. The reader
feels the trembling, wild thrusting of arms, and perspiration, creating a
powerful connection. This sense of touch reaches its peak when an
outstretched arm saves the narrator, symbolizing France and literally
preventing another fall (Poe 146).
Poe's narratives engage readers by maintaining ambiguity in the narrative
voice, allowing them to psychologically relate to the flawed characters. His
technical approach goes beyond mere description, enabling readers to
empathize with the characters, suggesting that reading Poe may be a quest to
better understand ourselves.