The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

his bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this?

And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the
lantern cautiously—oh, so cautiously—cautiously (for the
hinges creaked)—I undid it just so much that a single thin
ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long
TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been
1 nights—every night just at midnight—but I found the eye
and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease
always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it
had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them.
was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And
Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in
every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the
the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.
chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by
How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how
name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the
healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
night. So you see he would have been a very profound old
man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my
2 looked in upon him while he slept.
brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.
Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the
4
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious
old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me
in opening the door. A watch’s minute hand moves more
insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!
quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the
yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a
extent of my own powers—of my sagacity. I could scarcely
vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell
contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was,
upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very
opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of
gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old
my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea;
man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever.
and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly,
as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back—but no.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen
3 His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for
know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should
the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers),
have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—
and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door,
with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to
and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the
whole week before I killed him. And every night, about
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I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern,
midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh, so
when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old
gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for
man sprang up in the bed, crying out—“Who’s there?”
my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no
light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would
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I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I
have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it
did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear
slowly—very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old
him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening;—
man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head
within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon

acute - sharp 1 vexed - frustrated; disturbed

object – purpose sagacity – the quality of good judgment
dissimulation – concealment of thoughts and feelings
 just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct,
watches in the wall. precisely upon the damned spot.

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the 10

And now have I not told you that what you mistake for
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groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of madness is but over-acuteness of the senses?—now, I say,
grief—oh, no!—it was the low stifled sound that arises from there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a
the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound
the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the well too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It
world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the
deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted soldier into courage.
me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and
pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had 11
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely
been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I
had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish
upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker,
could not. He had been saying to himself—“It is nothing but and louder and louder every instant. The old man’s terror
the wind in the chimney—it is only a mouse crossing the must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every
floor,” or “it is merely a cricket which has made a single moment!—do you mark me well? I have told you that I am
chirp.” Yes, he has been trying to comfort himself with these nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night,
suppositions; but he had found all in vain. All in vain; amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a
because Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for
black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the
was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst.
caused him to feel—although he neither saw nor heard—to And now a new anxiety seized me—the sound would be
feel the presence of my head within the room. heard by a neighbor! The old man’s hour had come! With a
loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without He shrieked once—once only. In an instant I dragged him to
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hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little—a very, the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled
very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it—you cannot gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes,
imagine how stealthily, stealthily—until, at length, a single the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did
dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length
crevice and full upon the vulture eye. it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and
examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed
It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes.
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gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would
blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow trouble me no more.
in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s

crevice – a crack or narrow opening 2 tattoo – a rhythmic, steady tapping

©2018 erin cobb imlovinlit.com

 If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere
when I describe the wise precautions I took for the long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My
concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they
hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct:—it
cut off the head and the arms and the legs. continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to
get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the definitiveness—until, at length, I found that the noise was
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chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then not within my ears.
replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human
eye—not even his—could have detected any thing wrong. No doubt I now grew very pale;—but I talked more
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There was nothing to wash out—no stain of any kind—no fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound
blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had increased—and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick
caught all—ha! ha! sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when
enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath—and yet the officers
When I had made an end of these labors, it was four heard it not. I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but
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o’clock—still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles,
hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down in a high key and with violent gesticulations, but the noise
to open it with a light heart,—for what had I now to fear? steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the
There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by
perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been the observation of the men—but the noise steadily increased.
heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of foul play Oh God! what could I do? I foamed—I raved—I swore! I
had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it
office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually
premises. increased. It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the
men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they
I smiled,—for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen heard not? Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—they
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welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The suspected!—they knew!—they were making a mockery of
old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my my horror!—this I thought, and this I think. But any thing
visitors all over the house. I bade them search—search well. was better than this agony! Any thing was more tolerable
I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no
treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my longer! I felt that I must scream or die!—and now—again!—
confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!—
here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild
audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the “Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the
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very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim. deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—it is the beating of
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced his hideous heart!”
them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I

scantlings – wooden beams 3 vehemently – forcefully, intensely

suavity – sophisticated, polished gesticulations – dramatic hand gestures
deputed – appointed derision – ridicule or mockery ©2018 erin cobb imlovinlit.com