Comparing Poe And The Tell-Tale Heart In The Dark Romanticism

An era’s influence is never to be overlooked in an author’s writing; it inspires the values, themes, as well as the overall context. Within the eighteenth century, the Augustan era began; this focused heavily on exploring the ability to channel an individual’s emotions into poetry, the underlying wisdom of satire and also how it can be employed to shed light on political situations. In the nineteenth century, the gothic era came to be and from this, the subgenre of Dark Romanticism branched off. The focus of this subdivision was to dispute society’s standards and modify the general belief at the time of the American transcendental movement. Notorious writers Edgar Allen Poe and Jonathan Swift wrote their pieces of literature over a hundred
An author’s writing style has a critical impact on how the narrative is interpreted by readers. In both pieces, there is a considerable amount of irony used to convey the underlying message. The protagonist in The Tell-Tale Heart attempts to convince the reader of his sanity by stating, “but why will you say that I am mad? The disease has sharpened my senses –not destroyed –not dulled them” (Poe 1). This statement is found within the first paragraph where the reader is not yet skeptic toward the protagonist’s sanity, however after reading this they begin to believe otherwise. Verbal irony is utilized constantly throughout the text in the form of dissimulation which further enforces suspicion towards the protagonists’ state of mind. Similarly, there is a vast expenditure of satire in The Modest Proposal. Swift presents the idea of eating children as the solution to the increasing Irish population in poverty and has also, “been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young health child well nursed, is, at a year
Poe uses this self-doubt to his advantage as he describes the old man’s room, “as black as pitch with the thick darkness” (Poe 1). Since there is no true description given of the room or why there is an especially thick darkness present within it, the reader is left creating a web of possibilities that plays on an individuals’ fear of what lies in the unknown leaving an eerie sensation. The darkness is also described as dense which creates a heavy feeling for the reader occupied with rejection and sorrow. Likewise, in The Modest Proposal, cannibalism is considered one of the most appalling actions that any human could partake in, yet the protagonist portrays it as the solution to eliminating the national burden felt amidst the poverty-stricken Irish. He comments that he would, “recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs” (Swift 3). Although his words are not literal, they are used to create fear amongst the readers. The alarming realization comes to mind that the wealthier class is capable of stooping to any extent; they have already taken so much from the Irish and the only step left would be to prevent further growth by eating their children. The destruction of this population showcases what has actually become of society however these people are incapable of dealing with the