HOME LEARNING The Bloody Chamber List four things the speaker feels about getting married. I remember how, that night, I lay awake in the wagon-lit in a tender, delicious ecstasy of excitement, my burning cheek pressed against the impeccable linen of the pillow and the pounding of my heart mimicking that of the great pistons ceaselessly thrusting the train that bore me through the night, away from Paris, away from girlhood, away from the white, enclosed quietude of my mother's apartment, into the unguessable country of marriage. And I remember I tenderly imagined how, at this very moment, my mother would be moving slowly about the narrow bedroom I had left behind for ever, folding up and putting away all my little relics, the tumbled garments I would not need any more, the scores for which there had been no room in my trunks, the concert programmes I'd abandoned; she would linger over this torn ribbon and that faded photograph with all the half- joyous, half-sorrowful emotions of a woman on her daughter's wedding day. And, in the midst of my bridal triumph, I felt a pang of loss as if, when he put the gold band on my finger, I had, in some way, ceased to be her child in becoming his wife.

Edgar Allen Poe What is Poe known as? What did Poe do after the death of his parents? Who did Poe marry? What happened to his wife? In addition to being a writer, what else was Poe? What was one of the notable features of Poe’s stories? What granted Poe his breakthrough? How was Poe discovered before his death? What was Poe’s cause of death? What type of literature was heavily influenced by Poe’s works?

The Tell-Tale Heart What does the story’s title mean? What does the narrator do with the dead man’s body? Why does the narrator want to kill the old man? What finally causes him to commit the act? The narrator claims that he is not mad. What evidence is there that he is? The two main symbols in the story are the eye and the heart. What might these symbolise? Provide techniques Poe uses to create suspense in the story.

What do you learn about the old man? List four points. Question 1 Look at lines 1-14 What do you learn about the old man? List four points. TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story. It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees --very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. Correct statements: a, b, d, f

Look at the extract from page 5. Question 1 Look at the extract from page 5. How does the narrator describe the death of the old man? And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more. Correct statements: a, b, d, f

How does Poe use language to describe the murder scene? Page 5 But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eve. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! --do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead.

Evidence Technique Effect

Short, simple sentences But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eve. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! --do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. First-hand account Repetition Negative lexis Exclamatives Auditory Imagery Short, simple sentences

How does the writer use language to describe the murder scene? Firstly, Poe uses repetition to emphasise the beating of the heart which is what leads the narrator to commit murder. It states that ‘the beating grew louder, louder,’ and ‘louder’ is repeated six times throughout the paragraph emphasising the sound. This auditory imagery is successful in replicating the sound of the heart, particularly as the two syllables: ‘lou- der’ could mimic beating. Furthermore, the repetition of ‘quicker’ reflects the old man’s rising fear and ‘terror’ as he realises what the narrator is about to do. This repetition emphasises how distressed the old man is and yet the repetition of ‘louder’ is arguably hyperbolic, leading readers to understand why the narrator has decided to kill him.

Question 2: Language Analysis Peer Assessment Question 2: Language Analysis Level Skills Descriptor 4   Perceptive, detailed 7-8 marks Analyses the effects of the writer’s choices of language Selects a judicious range of quotations Uses sophisticated subject terminology accurately 3 Clear, relevant 5-6 marks Clearly explains the effects of the writer’s choices of language Selects a range of relevant quotations Uses subject terminology accurately

How does Poe use language to describe the concealment of the body? Page 6 If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye --not even his --could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha! When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock –still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

How does Poe use language to describe the concealment of the body? Page 6 If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye -- not even his -- could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind -- no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all -- ha! ha! When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock – still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, -- for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

Question 2: Language Analysis Peer Assessment Question 2: Language Analysis Level Skills Descriptor 4   Perceptive, detailed 7-8 marks Analyses the effects of the writer’s choices of language Selects a judicious range of quotations Uses sophisticated subject terminology accurately 3 Clear, relevant 5-6 marks Clearly explains the effects of the writer’s choices of language Selects a range of relevant quotations Uses subject terminology accurately

Heart of Darkness How does the writer use language to describe the river Congo? Annotate the extract and respond to the question in a PEELA paragraph.