EDGAR ALLAN POE

Gothic Lit- Academic

Name:______

American Literature- Mrs. Small and Mr. O’Donnell

Key Gothic Traits Defined

Supernatural Elements:

Horror:

Terror:

Unreliable Narrator:

Claustrophobic Settings:

Theme of Confinement:

Theme of Sin & Guilt:

Theme of Isolation & Alienation:

Key Traits of Gothic Literature

DIRECTIONS: Reflecting on the Gothic works we have read, complete the chart providing specific textual examples. You will NEED to use your stories/book to do so. While quotes are not required, please provide a page number for each example.

Gothic Trait / The Black Cat / Annabel Lee / The Raven
Supernatural elements
Horror (EW!)
Terror (Oh no!)
Unreliable narrator
Claustrophobic setting/theme of confinement
Theme of sin and guilt
Theme of isolation and alienation

“The Black Cat”

Vocabulary – Complete each sentence below by writing the correct word on the line.

Atrocity – cruel crime or act Neglected – failed to care for Unburden - relieve
Deliberately – on purpose Irritable – easily bothered Disposition – one’s nature
Despair – hopelessness Remorse – deep regret Torment - torture
Perverseness – stubbornly turning from what is good
  1. Juan liked to ______his brothers by calling them names and chasing them.
  1. Smoking after the doctor had told her to quit shows the ______in Mary’s nature.
  1. Nancy’s soothing ______helps her comfort cancer patients.
  1. The thief showed no sign of guilt or ______for robbing those poor people.
  1. Because Mike had no sleep last night, he has been ______and jumpy all day.
  1. Manuel took a long walk, hoping to ______his mind after the test.
  1. Louise gave up hope and fell into ______when the third attempt to save the trapped miners failed.
  1. The pitcher was thrown out of the game because he ______threw the ball at the batter.
  1. The grass was knee-high because Adam had ______to mow it.
  1. The soldiers committed an ______when they bombed the hospital.

During Reading Questions

Multiple Choice Questions – Circle the letter of the best answer on the line.

1.  The narrator tells the story from

  1. an insane asylum
  2. prison
  3. a secret hideout

2.  As a child, the narrator

  1. spent most of his time with his schoolmates.
  2. did not like animals.
  3. had a kind and obedient nature.

3.  The narrator says that he changed for the worse because

  1. his wife nagged him.
  2. he drank too much.
  3. he was going insane.

4.  The narrator blames Pluto’s hanging on

  1. his wife’s fear.
  2. the spirit of perverseness.
  3. the animal’s uselessness.

5.  After the narrator hangs Pluto,

  1. his wife tries to leave him.
  2. he stops drinking.
  3. his house burns down.

6.  When he sees the image of the cat in the plaster, the narrator

  1. looks for a natural cause
  2. begins to hate the second cat.
  3. has his first feelings of guilt.

7.  One likeness between Pluto and the second cat is that

  1. both cats try to kill their owner.
  2. each cat has only one eye.
  3. the cats never seem to sleep.

8.  The splotch of white on the breast of the second cat

  1. turns into the shape of a ghost.
  2. grows until the black cat turns white.
  3. looks like a gallows.

9.  The narrator kills his wife

  1. while laughing.
  2. on purpose.
  3. in self-defense.

10.  The narrator’s crime is discovered because

  1. the cat alerts the police.
  2. neighbors see the ghost of the dead wife.
  3. the basement catches fire.

Vocabulary Review

These sentences are taken from the story. Circle the meaning of each word in dark type.

  1. “But tomorrow I die, and today I hope to unburden my soul” (3).
  2. Relieve b. Torture c. Find
  3. “From the time I was an infant, I was known for my obedient and kind disposition. I was so tenderhearted that my friends made fun of me” (4).
  1. Family b. Plans c. Nature
  2. “Day by day, I grew more moody and irritable. I cared less and less about other people’s feelings” (5).
  1. Touchy b. Determined c. Unsure
  2. “I not only neglected them, but abused them. I still cared enough about Pluto to keep from mistreating him” (5).
  1. Ignored b. Studied c. Hit
  2. Then I deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!” (5).
  3. Accidentally b. Purposely c. Hurriedly
  4. “I blush, I burn, I shudder while I write about this damnable atrocity” (5).
  5. Pain b. Crime c. Feeling
  6. “And then, as if to defeat me once and for all, came the spirit of perverseness” (6).
  7. Goodwill b. illness c. wrongfulness
  8. “My soul longed to torment itself – to be violent to itself – to do wrong just for the sake of doing wrong ” (6).
  1. Torture b. Protect c. Please
  2. “I hung it with tears streaming from my eyes and with bitterest remorse” (6).
  3. Hatred b. Interest c. Regret
  4. “The destruction was complete. Everything I owned was swallowed up. From that point on, I gave in to despair” (7).
  5. Cruelty b. Hopelessness c. Fate

Characterization

A character’s personality is shown through the character’s feelings, thoughts, and actions. This way of showing traits is called characterization. In “The Black Cat,” the narrator goes through six stages of change. Those changes are listed below. Conclusions about the narrator’s character are also given.

After reading the stage and the conclusion, write three examples from the story that back-up each conclusion. This will be written in the evidence section. Use the man’s thoughts, feelings, and actions as evidence. The first one is done for you.

Stage 1: From childhood to the point where “his personality completely changed for the worse” (3-5).

Conclusion: The narrator’s love for animals, especially Pluto, is important to him.

Evidence:

1.  “I was fond of animals” (4).

2.  “how much happiness animals can bring” (4).

3.  “Pluto…was my favorite pet and playmate” (4).

Stage 2: From the time he begins drinking to when he hangs Pluto (5-6).

Conclusion: The narrator loses control of himself and is overcome by perverseness.

Evidence:

1.  ______

2.  ______

3.  ______

Stage 3: From the fire to the time he murders his wife (6-10)

Conclusion: The narrator is haunted by guilt.

Evidence:

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______

Stage 4: From after the murder of his wife to the arrival of the police (12-13)

Conclusion: The narrator feels little guilt and is sure of success.

Evidence:

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______

Stage 5: From the time the police go down into the cellar to the time he taps the wall (13-14)

Conclusion: The narrator becomes brash and reckless.

Evidence:

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______

Stage 6: From the moment after he taps the wall to the end of the story (14)

Conclusion: The narrator feels trapped and damned.

Evidence:

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______

Name:______Date:______Pd:______

After Reading Questions/Quiz

(15 Points)

Directions: Please answer each question on a separate sheet of paper using complete sentences. Write neatly and proofread your work. This will count as a quiz grade.

1.  The narrator says from the beginning that he is not mad (insane). Do you agree or disagree with him? Give examples from the story to support your view.

2.  What does the gallows shape on the second cat’s chest suggest? Do you think the gallows marking is real or does the narrator just imagine it? Explain your answer.

3.  Choose at least 5 vocabulary words and write a summary of the story “The Black Cat”

Name: ______Date:______Pd:______

“Annabel Lee”

Reading Questions

Definitions: One of the most critical components to understanding poetry is the vocabulary in the poem. Define the following terms BEFORE you read the poem.

Seraphs

Covet

Kinsmen

Sepulcher

Dissever

Poetry Terms: define each term and find two examples of each from the poem. Make sure you not only write down the examples, but also the line number on which they appear.

Alliteration

Assonance

End rhyme

Simile/Metaphor

Imagery

Discussion

1. Why do you think Poe chose the sea as the setting for Annabel Lee’s grave?

2. What do you notice about Poe’s choice of words? Are the words varied or repetitive? What effect does this achieve? (Hint: think about the setting)

3. What words would you use to describe the mood of this poem?

4. What is uncharacteristic about the angels in this poem? What message does this send?

5. What happens to Annabel Lee? How does it happen?

6. What is the theme of the poem?

“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Name: ______Date:______Pd:___

“The Raven”

DIRECTIONS: First we will listen to a recording of the poem to try and establish TONE and MOOD.

·  Define tone-

·  Define mood-

·  At the start of the recording, how does the man sound? Does he seem sad, tired, excited, etc.?

·  Does his tone change at all throughout the reading? If so, jot down lines which noticed as “tone shifts”. What does his tone of voice seem to reflect about his state of mind at these points?

·  At the end of the poem how would you describe the narrator? Who/what is impacting him? How would you guess he feels?

DIRECTIONS: Now read “The Raven” and complete the questions as you go. Write in complete sentences.

1.  What is the narrator (abbreviated as NV, or narrator voice) doing at the start of the poem?

2.  What sight/sound/smell disturbs him? What does he assume it is? (stanza 1)

3.  What time of year is it? What possible symbolic meaning is there to this season/month? (What is happening to the earth/vegetation?)

4.  What does the NV hope to find in his books (stanza 2)

5.  Why is Lenore “nameless here for evermore”?

6.  How does the NV respond to the noise of the curtains? (stanza 3)

7.  Why does he say “t’is some visitor” several times? What is the NV trying to do?

8.  When the NV initially opens his door what does he find? (lines 19-24)

9.  As the NV stands there staring into the dark, what does he say he thinks about? When has darkness had a similar effect on one of Poe’s protagonists? (lines 25-27)

10.  The NV closes his door and hears a noise again, this time at his window. What does he think it may be? (lines 34-35)

11.  How would you describe the manner of the raven which enters? (line 38) Does it seem like a typical bird? Why/why not?

12.  Where does the NV think the bird came from? (Note: read the footnote for “Plutonian shore”) (line 47)

13.  Does it seem odd that the NV and the bird are conversing? What possible explanation may there be for this? (Consider what may have recently happened to the NV.)

14.  What does the NV think the bird will eventually do? (line 58) What does this line seem to indicate about the NV’s personal history?

15.  What explanation does the NV provide for why the bird continues repeating “nevermore”? What may the bird’s master been like?

16.  What does the NV do to his cushioned seat? (lines 67-70) What does he begin thinking about?

17.  What adjectives in lines 73-78 make the mood particularly creepy?

18.  Who is the NV talking about in lines 77-78? How does he seem to feel about this?

19.  What possibility does the NV consider in lines 79-84? Who does he think sent the raven? Why?

20.  How does the NV respond to the raven’s comment “Nevermore” here? How where does he think the bird came from? (lines 85-90) What does he want to know? (Translate the line, “Is there balm in Gilead?”)

21.  What question is the NV asking the raven? (lines 91-96)

22.  What does the NV demand the bird do now? (lines 97-102) What impact has the bird had on the NV? Reference a line from the text.

23.  Does the bird do as the NV demands? (line 103)

24.  How has the narrator changed since the opening of the poem? (line 106)

Put the events in “The Raven” in order by writing the numbers 1-6 on the lines provided.

·  The raven comes in and perches above the narrator’s door. ______

·  The narrator yells at the raven to leave. ______

·  The narrator whispers “Lenore” into the hallway. ______

·  The narrator questions whether the bird is natural or supernatural. ______

·  The narrator reads by the fire. ______

·  The narrator hears something at the window and opens it. ______

Poetic Elements

Define the following:

·  Internal rhyme –