THE LIFE AND DEATH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE Logan Bell 10/18/2013
Sophomore English
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DIRECTIONS Arrows like this move forward. Arrows like this move
backward. Arrows like this show bonus information. This icon sends
you to the quiz. This icon brings you to the menu.
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OBJECTIVES You will be able to provide details about the life
of Edgar Allan Poe, including specific important events such as his
marriages and death. You will be able to list at least five of Poes
works and be able to provide basic information about some of his
more popular writings. You will be able to list several reasons why
Poe is still studied and celebrated so long after his death.
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MENU Directions Teacher Slide Objectives Early Life Writing
Career Death and Legacy Summary Quiz will become available after
all sections are completed.
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TEACHER SLIDE
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EARLY LIFE Edgar Allan Poe was born Edgar Poe in the city of
Boston, on January 19, 1809. He was the second of three children.
His parents both came from theater backgrounds. After Poes father
left the family in 1810 and his mother died of tuberculosis the
year after, Poe was taken into the home of John Allan, a Scottish
merchant. Poe took Allans name into his own, though he was never
officially adopted by him.
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AN ARTISTS INTERPRETATION OF A YOUNG EDGAR ALLAN POE
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In 1827, Poe enlisted in the Army, listing his last name as
Perry and listing his age as 22, when he was actually 18. It was in
this year that he published his first book, a collection of poetry
entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems. Only 50 copies were originally
printed, and the book was mostly ignored. The few surviving copies
have become extremely valuable (one sold in 2009 for $662,500). Poe
left the Army in 1829 and joined West Point in 1830. Poe soon
sought to be discharged, disobeying orders so that he would be
court martialed and relieved of duty. He plead not guilty to
insubordination and was promptly discharged.
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PHOTO OF WEST POINT CAMPUS
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WRITING CAREER After leaving the military for good, Poe tried
to support himself solely through his writing. In 1833 Poe won an
award for his short story MS. Found in a Bottle. This brought him
to the attention of Thomas White, who brought Poe on as the
assistant editor of his periodical Southern Literary Messenger. It
was around this time, in 1835, that Poe married his 13 year old
cousin, Virginia Clemm, who listed her age as 21 on the marriage
license.
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PORTRAIT OF VIRGINIA CLEMM
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In 1842, Virginia began to show signs of what was known then as
consumption, and what is now called tuberculosis. She died in
January of 1847. Her death had a profound effect on Poe, causing
him to drink to excess and influencing the themes of his works. It
is believed that the death of both his mother and wife led to many
of his works centering around the death of a beautiful woman. In
1845, Poe published The Raven, earning $9, but establishing himself
as a household name. This newfound popularity led to an upsurge in
interest in his older works, such as The Murders in the Rue Mourge,
which is hailed as the father of the modern detective story, and
The Black Cat, which is now considered a classic horror tale.
Though these are now considered classics, the most Poe was ever
paid for a work was $100
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RESEARCH EXERCISE Using internet resources, research at least
five of Poes works, either poetry or prose. You should provide the
date published, genre, and a short summary of the plot. Some links
to get you started- List of Poes works (Wikipedia link, so only use
it to find the titles of his works) List of Poes works Short
summaries (Do NOT plagiarize) Short summaries More summaries More
summaries
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DEATH AND LEGACY On October 3 of 1849, two years after the
death of Virginia, Poe was found wandering the streets of
Baltimore, delirious and reportedly calling out the name Reynolds.
Poe was taken to Washington Medical College, never becoming
coherent enough to explain what had happened to him. Edgar Allan
Poe died on October 7, 1849. Poes cause of death is not known, but
theories alleging everything from cholera, epilepsy, syphilis,
rabies, and even murder have emerged.
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Despite his untimely death, Edgar Allan Poe had a lasting
impact on the Gothic style of writing, as well as American
literature as a whole. Poe is credited by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(creator of Sherlock Holmes) as the creator of the detective story.
Poe was also an influence on early Sci-fi author Jules Verne, who
would even write a sequel to Poes The Narrative of Arthur Gordon
Pym. Poes influence extends to contemporary literature, as he is
listed as an influence by writes such as, Agatha Christie, H.P.
Lovecraft, and Lemony Snicket. One of the last known images of Poe,
taken in 1849.
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THINKING ACTIVITY Take time to think about the ways in which
Poe influenced modern literature and culture. What books, movies,
music, and T.V. shows do you think were influenced by Poe? Do you
think Poe gets too much or too little credit? Support your
answers.
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SUMMARY Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809 and died on
October 7, 1849. He was married to his cousin, Virginia Clemm until
she died. Although he is widely celebrated today, Poe was never
financially successful during his lifetime. Many modern writer cite
him as an influence. Whats Next? Reading and analyzing his more
famous works. Gaining a better understanding of the themes and
motifs of his works.
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IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE REST OF THE SECTIONS, YOU MAY
CONTINUE ON TO THE QUIZ Good Luck!
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1.WHERE WAS POE BORN? A.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania B.BostonBoston
C.LondonLondon D.AntarcticaAntarctica
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OOPS! Try again!
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SLOW DOWN NOW! You either didnt read the question or didnt read
the content. Maybe you should take your time.
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2.POES FIRST WORK WAS TITLED WHAT? A. The RavenThe Raven B. The
Tell-Tale HeartThe Tell-Tale Heart C. TwilightTwilight D. Tamerlane
and Other PoemsTamerlane and Other Poems
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3. WHAT DID VIRGINIA CLEMM DIE OF?
A.Consumption/TuberculosisConsumption/Tuberculosis B.CancerCancer
C.AlcoholismAlcoholism D.Laughing to deathLaughing to death
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4.WHAT WAS THE MOST POE MADE FROM SELLING ONE OF HIS WORKS?
A.$9$9 B.$3.50$3.50 C.$100$100 D.He was never paid for his workHe
was never paid for his work
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5. IN WHAT YEAR DID POE DIE? A.18491849 B.18631863 C.18321832
D.He is still livingHe is still living
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CONGRATULATIONS! Way to pay attention to the PowerPoint! Now
that you know all about Edgar Allan Poes life, we can start to
learn about the meaning in his works! This assignment is done, you
may exit it now.
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TEACHER SLIDE This CBI meets the diversity requirement by
having large text, allowing collaborative work, and allowing for
different ways of learning.