Edgar Allan Poe

1. Edgar Allan Poe 12th GradeEnglishMiss Moyer Proceed to Menu

2. Menu Click here to go to the review question. • The Raven • The Tell-Tale Heart • The Fall of the House of Usher • The Masque of the Red Death • To Helen • The Murders in the Rue Morgue • The Cask of Amontillado • Poe’s Life Click on each of the above links to visit the slides and read the given information. Once finished reading, complete the review question.

3. The Raven • "The Raven" is a narrative poem, first published in January 1845. • It tells of a talking raven’s mysterious visit to an upset lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness. The lover is mourning his lost love, Lenore. The raven heightens the man’s distress with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore". Return to Main Menu

4. The Tell-Tale Heart • "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story, first published in 1843. • It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately, the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards. Return to Main Menu

5. The Fall of the House of Usher • "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story, first published in September. • The story’s narrator is summoned by his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher, to visit him during a period of emotional distress. The narrator discovers that Roderick’s twin sister, Madeline, is also sick. She takes a turn for the worse shortly after the narrator’s arrival, and the men bury Madeline in a tomb within the house. They later discover, to their horror, that they have entombed her alive. Madeline claws her way out, collapsing eventually on Roderick, who dies in fear. Return to Main Menu

6. The Masque of the Red Death • "The Masque of the Red Death was first published in 1842. • A bloody disease, called the Red Death, ravages a kingdom. Prince Prospero retreats to his castle and throws a lavish masquerade ball, for himself as well as other wealthy nobles, to celebrate his escape from death. At midnight, a mysterious guest arrives and, as the embodiment of the Red Death, kills Prospero and all his guests. Return to Main Menu

7. The Murders in the Rue Morgue • “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” was first published in 1841. • In this detective story, Poe introduces the sleuth C. AugusteDupin. When the Paris police arbitrarily arrest Dupin’s friend for the murders of a mother and daughter, Dupin begins an independent investigation and solves the case accurately. Uncovering evidence that goes otherwise unnoticed, Dupin concludes that a wild animal, an orangutan, committed the murders. Return to Main Menu

8. To Helen • “To Helen” was first published in 1831. • The narrator praises Helen for her beauty, which he compares to a ship bringing a "weary, way-worn wanderer" to his home. Her classic beauty has reminded him of ancient times, and he watches her stand like a statue while holding a stone lamp. Return to Main Menu

9. The Cask of Amontillado • "The Cask of Amontillado“ was first published in 1846. • The story is about the narrator's deadly revenge on a friend whom he believes has insulted him. The vengeful Montresor repays the supposed insults of his enemy, Fortunato. Luring Fortunato into the crypts of his home with the promise of Amontillado sherry, Montresor entombs Fortunato in a wall while the carnival rages above them. Return to Main Menu

10. Poe’s Life • Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. • Within three years of Poe’s birth, both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia. • In 1826, Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia • He published his first book, Tamerlane,when he was only eighteen. • Poe enlisted in the United States Army and later attended West Point, from where, after eight months, he was thrown out. • At the age of twenty-seven, Poe married Virginia Clemm, who was not yet fourteen. • Poe died on October 7, 1849 at the age of forty. The exact cause of Poe’s death remains a mystery. Return to Main Menu

11. Review Question • Which one of Poe’s works involves a character named Prince Prospero, who tries to escape death, but ultimately, death finds him as well as his companions?A. The Cask of AmontilladoB. The Murders in the Rue MorgueC. The Masque of the Red Death

12. Not quite. Try Again! • “The Cask of Amontillado” is about Montresor’s revenge on Fortunato. Click here to go back to the review question.

13. Not quite. Try Again! • “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is about Dupin’s quest to find the real murderer of a mother and daughter. Click here to go back to the review question.

14. Correct! • “The Masque of the Red Death” is the right answer. Great job! Click here to go to the final slide.

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