Analyzing the Authors
Dancing with the Devil
Sentence Starters
Talking Thanatopsis
Viewing Vocabulary
100
Washington Irving, at age ____, began examining law and its legalities. a. 12 b. 14 c. 16 d. 18
What is (c) 16
100
Tom and his wife are unhappy because they _____________. a. work too much b. live in the woods c. have no children d. fight about money
What is (d) fight about money
100
The corrupt ____________ charged 20 percent interest.
What is usurer
100
What does the speaker say that nature does for you when you are happy? a. speaks nonsense b. shows her beauty c. heals illnesses d. displays sharpness
What is (b) shows her beauty
100
gloomy; sad
What is melancholy
200
At the age of ______________, Bryant penned “Thanatopsis” – a poem inspired by his wanderings in the countryside. a. 14 b. 16 c. 18 d. 20
What is (c) 18
200
The narrator describes the devil's face as "begrimed with soot, as if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges." The author most likely chose this imagery because ______________. a. people know this is what the devil looks like b. it increases the dark mood of the scene c. his readers can identify with a life of toil d. he wanted to contrast Tom and the devil
What is (b) it increases the dark mood of the scene
200
____________ in land deals held the promise of quick profits.
What is speculating
200
The speaker says that when you are worried about death you should _______________. a. visit the graves of family members b. stay at home and think about the sea c. pray in the woods for an easy death d. go outside and enjoy nature's beauty
What is (d) go outside and enjoy nature's beauty
200
greed; immoderate desire for wealth
What is avarice
300
In 1824, Irving published ______________ presenting the riveting tale of “The Devil and Tom Walker” which was not received well by consumers and critics. a. Astoria b. Bracebridge Hall c. Salmagundi d. Tales of a Traveller
What is (d) Tales of a Traveller
300
Tom begins praying and reading the Bible because he ____________. a. wants to escape the devil b. thinks God can give him more money c. finds good friends who love him d. feels bad about cheating people
What is (a) wants to escape the devil
300
The ____________ sight of the graveyard chilled him.
What is melancholy
300
Who does the speaker say you will lie with when you die? a. your closest friends b. some elderly people c. kings and good people d. angels and spirits
What is (c) kings and good people
300
the act or practice of harassing or oppressing with ill treatment
What is persecution
400
Becoming the editor-in-chief of the ______________, Bryant held this position until his passing in 1878. a. New York Herald b. New York Observer c. New York Evening Post d. New York Times
What is (c) New York Evening Post
400
Tom is successful at working for the devil because Tom ____. a. knows a lot about lending money b. is the only moneylender in Boston c. is known for his bargain with the devil d. is greedier than the devil
What is (d) greedier than the devil
400
He was a strict ____________ of other people's vices
What is censurer
400
Bryant most likely lists different kinds of people at the end of the second stanza to ______________. a. stress the importance of families b. make you think about your family c. highlight the inevitability of death d. explain why death will be happy
What is (c) highlight the inevitability of death
400
boastful showiness; display meant to impress others
What is ostentation
500
At the age of 13, Bryant published – “The Embargo” – a poem satirizing the policies of President ______________. a. John Adams b. Thomas Jefferson c. James Madison d. George Washington
What is (b) Thomas Jefferson
500
What does the devil do to Tom at the end of the tale? a. meets Tom at the church b. hides Tom's wealth in the woods c. encourages Tom's faith in God d. carries Tom away on a horse
What is (d) carries Tom away on a horse
500
Hard economic times are ____________ for moneylenders.
What is propitious
500
What advice does the poet seem to offer about how to live? a. Worry only about remembering the dead b. Spend time outside so you appreciate death c. Live with an acceptance, not fear, of death d. Find love and happiness for yourself in nature
What is (c) live with an acceptance, not fear, of death
500
one who expresses harsh criticism or strong disapproval
What is censurer
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