Word Choice & Tone
"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing." (The Raven) The words wondering and fearing help create what mood?
What is a mood of uncertainty and fear?
"Why will you say that I am mad?" Which character in The Tell-Tale Heart says this?
Who is the narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart?
In The Fall of the House of Usher, the narrator notices a long crack running down the mansion. This is an example of what literary element?
What is symbolism?
Which theme is developed in The Raven through the speaker's obsession with Lenore?
What is grief can consume a person?
Claim: The narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart is unreliable.
Evidence: Which detail best supports this claim?
A. He lives with an old man.
B. He claims he can hear things in heaven, earth, and hell.
C. He speaks to police officers.
D. He opens the old man's door each night.
B. He claims he can hear things in heaven, earth, and hell.
"I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow." What connotation does the word sorrow add to the description of the House of Usher?
What is sadness, depression, gloom, and emotional heaviness?
The narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" insists he is sane while claiming to hear things in heaven, earth, and hell. What does this suggest?
The narrator may be unreliable.
In "The Fall of the House of Usher," what does the house's crumbling condition symbolize?
The destruction of the Usher family.
Which theme is developed in The Tell-Tale Heart after the narrator hears the heartbeat?
What is guilt cannot remain hidden forever?
Claim: The Raven develops a theme of lasting grief.
Which quote BEST supports this claim?
A. "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!"
B. "Upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door..."
C. "Open here I flung the shutter..."
D. "The silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain..."
A. "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!"
"The silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain..." How does Poe's word choice primarily affect the tone?
What is eerie and suspenseful?
Why should readers question the narrator's version of events?
His actions contradict his claims of sanity.
When readers suspect disaster is coming before the characters do, what literary technique is being used?
What is foreshadowing.
What theme is shared by The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart?
What is overwhelming emotions can lead to suffering?
Claim: Poe creates suspense in The Fall of the House of Usher.
Which detail BEST supports this claim?
A. The narrator visits an old friend.
B. The house is located in the countryside.
C. A mysterious fissure runs down the front of the mansion.
D. Roderick enjoys reading books.
C. A mysterious fissure runs down the front of the mansion.
"A dull, dark, and soundless day..." Why does Poe group these words together?
What is to create a gloomy atmosphere and prepare readers for a dark story?
Which narrator is more trustworthy: the narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart or the narrator of The Fall of the House of Usher?
The narrator of The Fall of the House of Usher.
The Raven repeatedly says "Nevermore." What does the raven most likely symbolize?
What is permanent loss, grief, or hopelessness?
How do the events in The Fall of the House of Usher help develop the theme that fear can destroy people?
What is Roderick's fear and isolation contribute to his downfall?
Claim: The narrator's guilt causes his downfall in The Tell-Tale Heart.
Which event provides the STRONGEST evidence for this claim?
A. The narrator opens the old man's door each night.
B. The narrator hides the body beneath the floorboards.
C. The narrator speaks with the police.
D. The narrator confesses to murder.
D. The narrator confesses to murder.
"Death was approaching him with his bitterest grimace." Which figurative language technique is used and why?
What is personification, used to make death seem threatening and unavoidable?
Name an action that contradicts the narrator's claim of sanity from The Raven, Tell Tale Heart, The Fall of Usher the House.
In The Fall of the House of Usher, the fall of the mansion at the end is symbolic because it represents what larger idea?
What is the destruction of the Usher family line?
What theme connects The Fall of the House of Usher, The Raven, and The Tell Tale Heart?
What is the human mind can be overwhelmed by fear, grief, or guilt?
Claim: The raven symbolizes the speaker's inability to escape grief.
Which quote BEST supports this interpretation?
A. "Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling..."
B. "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!"
C. "Open here I flung the shutter..."
D. "Perched upon a bust of Pallas..."
B. "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!"