Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe: Author Study

Objectives:

1. Define SYMBOLISM.

2. Examine Edgar Allan Poe’s Background and identify key events which influenced his work.

3. Read “The Raven” and identify its narrator and key events and explain how SYMBOLS communicates the poem’s theme.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does Poe use SYMBOLS to communicate theme in his poem “The Raven”?

WARM UP: Symbolism

Individually: Find the definition of Symbolism in your TEXTBOOK.

With your partner: Compare definition of Symbolism and come up with examples of popular symbols in our culture.

With your pods: I will show you an image of a symbol that we will be analyzing in the next text. Predict what ideas this symbol might represent.

Before you DISCUSS… Write down ideas about what this SYMBOL

might represent in the poem we are about to discuss.

Compare your ideas with your pod groups.

Review American Romanticism

1. 18th Century complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement

2. Reaction against Rationalism and the Industrial Revolution.

3. Valued feeling over reason and believed truth could only be arrived

through imagination.4. Nature as superior to industry and

technology.

Identify prior knowledge about Edgar Allan Poe

EDGAR ALLAN POE

Everything I know…

After you watch preview video, use

circle map info to write background

paragraph.

E.A. POE

As you watch video, fill in circle map with important information about author’s background.

Use the following paragraph frame:

_______can be described as ______. He was born________ and spent most of his life________. While ________, he became interested in ________.Additionally, ________________. His writing attempts to ______________ by _______________.

Can you describe Edgar Allan Poe’s background by writing reflection. Examine Edgar Allan Poe’s Background and identify key events which influenced his work?

_______can be described as ______. He was born________ and spent most of his life________. While _____________, he ___________________________.Additionally, ________________. His works are an example of Romanticism because ______________ _______________.

“The Raven” SUMMARY: The narrator tries to read to keep his

mind off his lost love Lenore (she’s dead), when he suddenly hears a “rappin’” (tapping) on his door. He opens the door and finds no one there but a raven who perches itself atop a bust of Athena (Goddess of wisdom and war) and keeps repeating the word, “NEVERMORE!”

Who is the NARRATOR? Compare the STATE OF MIND of the narrator at the beginning and THE END OF THE POEM.

What does the raven SYMBOLIZE?

Why does the raven keep repeating “NEVERMORE!”?

WHAT EFFFECT DOES THE RHYME SCHEME HAVE ON THE TONE & MOOD OF THE POEM?

First read…

Number the lines. 5 at a time.

Quick-Read: 3 minutes Skim through the text and circle KEY words or

DICTION that convey TONE and seem important to THEMES.

Share first annotations with your partner and decide on most precise word to describe tone from the TONE TOOL LIST.

Second: ANNOTATE Underline sentences or phrases that help you

understand the text’s THEME. Use the following questions to guide your annotations.

What is the author’s tone? What word choices or DICTION does he make to communicate the appropriate tone?

Find examples of the author’s use IMAGERY & SYMBOLS to support his argument and accomplish his purpose?

How does RHYTHM & RHYME create MOOD? What theme or big idea is conveyed by

the poem?

Listen to “The Raven”

With your pods discuss “The

Raven” 1. Who is the NARRATOR? Compare the STATE OF

MIND of the narrator at the beginning and THE END OF THE POEM.

2. What does the raven SYMBOLIZE?

3. Why does the raven keep repeating “NEVERMORE!”?

4. WHAT EFFFECT DOES THE RHYME SCHEME HAVE ON THE TONE & MOOD OF THE POEM?