1. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

3. Activity Packet

14. Name ____________________________________________ L.A. Period ________

16. Your score ___________out of 30 points possible

17. ( Covers plot elements, comprehension, figurative language,

18. mood, character traits, , and setting )

22. Pre-Reading Guide for “Tell-Tale Heart”

25. Name _________________________________________ Period ___________ (5 pts.)

27. Describe five things that you usually find in a scary/horror story:

29. 1. ______________________________________________________________

31. 2. ______________________________________________________________

33. 3. _______________________________________________________________

35. 4. _______________________________________________________________

37. 5. ________________________________________________________________

40. Read the following statements
Read the following statements. If you agree with them, put a check in the YOU column. Then, AFTER we read the story, go back and put a check in the AUTHOR column if you feel the author agrees with that statement.

42. YOU AUTHOR STATEMENT

44. ____ ________ 1. People who are insane know that they are insane.

46. ____ ________ 2. Sane people sometimes imagine that they hear things.

48. ____ ________ 3. If you commit a crime, the worst punishment is the guilt

49. afterward.

51. ____ ________ 4. Often it’s the small annoying things about people that

52. can be the most irritating and infuriating.

54. ____ ________ 5. All people are basically afraid of the same things.

56. ____ ________ 6. When you’ve done something wrong, wondering if you’ll

57. be caught can cause great stress and anxiety.

62. “Tell-Tale Heart”comprehension Questions
“Tell-Tale Heart”comprehension Questions Name__________________ (20 pts.)

64. After reading “Tell-Tale Heart” by Poe, answer the following questions using short answers. They do not need to be complete sentences, but answer each part of the question thoroughly.

66. 1. Who is telling this story (narrating)
1. Who is telling this story (narrating)? Is it first, second, or third person?

70. 2. What is your first impression of the narrator
2. What is your first impression of the narrator? What does he try convincing the reader

71. of?

76. 3. How does the narrator feel about the old man in general
3. How does the narrator feel about the old man in general? What, then, specifically, is

77. it about the old man that troubles/bothers the narrator. Why
it about the old man that troubles/bothers the narrator? Why? How often does the

78. narrator mention this “thing” in the story?

87. 4. What does the narrator tell us he does every night? Why?

93. 5. How does the narrator feel immediately after he commits the murder
5. How does the narrator feel immediately after he commits the murder? Do his

94. feelings change? If so, how and why?

105. “Tell-Tale Heart” Comprehension Questions continued…
“Tell-Tale Heart” Comprehension Questions continued… Name__________________

107. 6. What sound drives the narrator to confess to the crime
6. What sound drives the narrator to confess to the crime? What do you think

108. causes his paranoia?

112. 7. Give two direct and specific examples from the story that the author uses to

113. create an atmosphere of horror or suspense
create an atmosphere of horror or suspense. These are sentences that set or

114. enhance the MOOD of the story. Give the page number.

128. 8. Give one example where the author uses punctuation or repeated words or

129. phrases in a sentence to show the mood of horror or suspense.

134. 9. Find one example of each of the following:

136. a. Alliteration – Pg. ___ ___________________________________________________________

138. _______________________________________________________________________________

140. b. Simile – Pg. ____ ____________________________________________________________

142. __________________________________________________________________________________

144. 10. c. Personification – Pg. ___

146. _______________________________________________________________________________

148. d. Assonance – Pg. ____ ________________________________________________