1. ACT Practice 2. Discussion Question 3. Who was Edgar Allen Poe? – 1. What I found and what the textbook says…. 4. Words to know 5. Historical Connections 6. Tomorrow’s Plan
Imagine that your city or town has been struck by an epidemic of an incurable, fatal disease. The disease spreads rapidly but has not reached your block. How do you think you and your neighbors will react? What do you think would be the right thing to do? Write down some ideas in your notebook.
Edgar Allen Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts and died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was known as a shor t-story writer, poet, critic, and editor who was famous for his cultivation of mystery and the macabre. His tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) initiated the modern detective story, and the atmosphere in his tales of horror is unrivaled in American fiction. His The Raven (1845) numbers among the best-known poems in the national literature.
Poe was the son of actors. After the death of his mother in 1811, he was taken into the home of a merchant presumed to be his godfather. He was then sent off to Scotland and England to receive a “classical education”. Interesting Fact- Poe was a gambler. His problem eventually got him kicked out of school.
1. Contagion 2. Courtier 3. Dauntless 4. Grotesque 5. Impetuosity 6. License 7. Pervade 8. Sagacious 9. Tangible 10. Untenanted Define these 10 words for homework!
During the 14 th century, an epidemic of bubonic plague- the Black Death-killed approximately 25 million people in Europe, more than a quarter of the entire population. Victims of the plague experienced fever, vomiting, pain and black swellings that oozed blood. Death usually came within three to five days. The fictitious plague in this story, the Red Death, is an exaggerated version of this horrible disease. The Prince and his friends react to the epidemic by locking themselves up and having a masque party.
Be ready to turn in your vocabulary. Bring your ACT books to class. Pre- read: The Masque of the Red Death.