1. Romanticism
Dark Romanticism

2. THEMATIC CHARACTERISICS
Competency Area 2 (Themes and Essential Ideas) Reaction against the Transcendentalism Literary Movement
Prominent Characteristics
Imagination, individual, intuition
Darker side of human nature
Psychological effects of guilt and sin
Reintroduced dark side of Puritan beliefs

3. STYLISTIC FEATURES Competency Area 2 (Themes and Essential Ideas)
Imagination, individual, intuition
Darker side of human nature
Psychological effects of guilt and sin
Reintroduced dark side of Puritan beliefs

4. FEATURED AUTHOR: DEATH IN THE LIFE OF POE
Competency Area 4 (Literature and History)
“When it most closely allies itself to Beauty: the death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world — and equally is it beyond doubt that the lips best suited for such topic are those of a bereaved lover.” – Poe Literary Accomplishments Father of American Horror Stories Works Transcend Time and Space

5. FEATURED AUTHOR: DEATH IN THE LIFE OF POE (Personal life)
Competency Area 4 (Literature and History) Personal Life Death of Biological Parents Death of Foster Mother Death of Wife

6. FEATURED AUTHOR: DEATH IN THE LIFE OF POE (Death)
Competency Area 4 (Literature and History)
Personal Life Multiple theories about death Most credible is that he was ill, got off a bus, and died shortly thereafter Poe Toaster Mysterious person placed alcohol and roses on Poe’s grave Continued doing this for years; stopped a few years ago

7. FEATURED WRITER: DEATH IN THE LIFE OF POE
Competency Area 4 (Literature and History)
“In speaking of my mother you have touched a string to which my heart fully responds. To have known her is to be the object of great interest in my eyes. I myself never knew her — and never knew the affection of a father. Both died within a few weeks of each other. I have many occasional dealings with adversity — but the want of parental affection has been the heaviest of my trials”. (Ostrom, 78-79)

8. FEATURED WORK: DEATH IN THE LIFE OF LIGEIA
“Ligeia” Obsessive grieving and longing for someone who has departed Allusions Ligeia alludes to mythology (Siren) Conqueror worm poem (poem by Poe)
Unreliable Narrator Is he hallucinating or in deep grief over his wife?

9. FEATURED WORK: DEATH IN THE LIFE OF LIGEIA (Poe)
Is this a supernatural tale?
Is this a biographical tale? If so, does Ligeia represent someone in Poe’s life?
Is this a psychological tale? What is the psychological state of the narrator?