Day and night Quote by Edgar Allan Poe
““It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. 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.””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: The Tell‑Tale Heart, 1843
The narrator describes an obsessive, irrational fixation on an old man's eye that drives him to murder, illustrating how irrational fear can dominate rational thought.
In simple terms: An irrational fear leads to violent action.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront irrational obsessions before they dictate behavior.
Themes
obsession
guilt
madness
perception
violence
Mood
uneasy
tense
dark
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- mental health counseling
- creative writing analysis
- crime investigation
Key Concepts
psychology
irrational fear
moral conflict
Questions to Reflect On
- What irrational fear controls your actions?
- How can you differentiate intuition from obsession?
A Different Perspective
The narrator’s logic is unreliable, making the justification questionable.
![“Here’s what I think we face. 2. Here’s what I think we should do. 3. Here’s why. 4. Here’s what I think we should keep an eye on. 5. Now talk to me (i.e., tell me if you [a] don’t understand, [b] cannot do it, [c] see” quote by Robert I. Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e29/robert-i-sutton-26980_quote_here-s-what-i-think-we-face-2-here-s-wha_2133452.jpg)
