“The Raven” Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Assumptions After looking at Poe’s picture, or thinking about any previous knowledge you have on Poe, give me some adjectives that describe his personality.

What do you want to learn about Poe? Fill in the first two sections of your KWL chart now.

Overview of Edgar Allan Poe Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts His mother, Elizabeth Poe, died shortly after in Poe was taken in at the age of 2 by an affluent tobacco merchant and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. John Allan.affluent The Allan’s baptize Poe as Edgar Allan Poe on January 7, Poe moved to England with the Allan’s and attended school there.

Poe continued… In 1820 Poe returned to the United States. In 1826 he enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he became estranged from his foster father after accumulating gambling debts.estranged Unable to pay off his debts or support himself, Poe dropped out of school and joined the United States Army. In 1827 Poe paid to have his first collection of poems published Tamerlane and Other Poems.

Poe continued… On May 16, 1836 Poe, age 27, marries his cousin Virginia Clemm. Clemm is thirteen. Virginia dies of tuberculosis in January Poe becomes very depressed and starts drinking heavily, leading to debt, illness, and ostracizing from society. ostracizing October 3, 1849, Poe is found unconscious on the streets of Baltimore. He is taken to a hospital and dies on October 7, 1849 at the age of 40. No one knows the exact cause of his death.

“The Raven” First published in the New York Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845 The poem was an instant sensation, and brought Poe critical acclaim. acclaim

Test Your Knowledge!! Vocabulary: 1. What is an “assumption”? Answer: The act of taking something for granted or supposing. 2.What does “affluent” mean? Answer: Having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods.

Test Your Knowledge!! Vocabulary: 3. What does “estranged” mean? Answer: Displaying or evincing a feeling of alienation; alienated. 4. What does “ostracizing” mean? Answer: To exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc.

Test Your Knowledge!! Vocabulary: 5. What does “acclaim” mean? Answer: To welcome or salute with shouts or sounds of joy or approval. 6. Using the definition of acclaim what do you think critical acclaim means?

Test Your Knowledge!! Edgar Allan Poe 7. When and where was Poe born? January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts

Test Your Knowledge!! Edgar Allan Poe 8. Who did Poe live with after his mother died? Mr. & Mrs. John Allan

Test Your Knowledge!! Edgar Allan Poe 9. True or False: Poe and Mr. Allan had a close relationship. False

Test Your Knowledge!! Edgar Allan Poe 10. What was Poe’s wife’s name and how old was she when they married? Virginia Clemm; 13 years old

Test Your Knowledge!! “The Raven” 11. When and where was “The Raven” first published? The New York Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845

Test Your Knowledge!! “The Raven” 12. True or False Edgar Allan Poe experienced critical acclaim while he was still alive.True

What have you learned about Poe? Fill in the last section of your KWL chart now.

Want to Know More? Read – The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allan Poe Explore the haunting illustrations by Gustave Dore Research for more information on Poe and his works. **EXTRA CREDIT** - Research information on “The Raven” and share it with the class tomorrow.

Coming Up… * Listen to “The Raven” * Check out The Raven: The Interactive Study Resource and study the poem. Watch two versions of “The Raven” – Compare and Contrast * Work in groups to reenact “The Raven”