The Raven, Cask of Amontillado, Annabel Lee, The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

entreating

asking someone earnestly or anxiously to do something.

implore

beseech, entreat.

entreating

asking someone earnestly or anxiously to do something.

implore

beseech, entreat.

obeisance

A bow or similar gesture expressing deep respect

stock and store

Meaning it only knows one thing (The raven only knows how to say "Nevermore.")

dirges

funeral hymns; poetic or musical expressions of grief

melancholy

A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness.

ominous

Menacing; threatening

yore

former days, an era long past

censer

container for burning incense

quaint

attractively unusual or old-fashioned.

lore

body of knowledge, especially of a traditional, anecdotal, or popular nature, on a particular subject

ember

a glowing, hot coal made of greatly heated wood, coal, or other carbon-based material that remain after, or sometimes precede a fire

surcease

to desist from action; also : to come to an end : cease.

token

n. a thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.

window lattice

web/net-like pattern on the window

flirt

(v & n) a sudden or brisk motion

mien

(n.) air, manner; appearance; expression

bust of Pallas

a statue of the head of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom

beguiling

Charming or pleasing

fancy

Imagination

decorum

appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety

countenance

Appearance, especially the look or expression of the face

craven

(adj) cowardly; (n) a coward

Night's Plutonian Shore

Allusion to the afterlife. Pluto was the Roman God of the underworld.

placid

(adj.) calm, peaceful

Seraphim

(pl. n) the highest order in the hierarchy of angels [singular is Seraph]

nepenthe

(n) something that induces forgetfulness of sorrow or eases pain

Gilead

(n) A region of ancient Palestine that was the site of much sorrow and trouble as told in stories in the Bible.

Aidenn

(n) Arabic word for Eden or paradise

plume

Feather

Tempter

the devil

chamber

A room/ in this poem a bedroom or study

pallid

Having an abnormally pale or wan complexion; lacking intensity of color or luminousness

mortal

human/earthly

wrought

Formed, made

quaff

Drink (something, esp. an alcoholic drink) heartily; DRINK, GULP DOWN, GUZZLE

vainly

without success, to no avail, uselessly

bleak

(adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

distinctly

clearly or specifically

ebony

A very dark black

discourse

Communication of thought by words; talk; conversation

ungainly

clumsy, awkward, unwieldy, not graceful

decorum

politeness, appropriate behavior or conduct, conformity to the accepted standards of conduct

tempest

violent storm

undaunted

Courageous; resolute; fearless

gaunt

Thin and bony

Who wrote "The Raven"?

Edgar Allen Poe

What is the speaker of the poem trying to do t the beginning before the knocks on the door?

Reading

At the beginning of the poem, who does the narrator think is at the door?

Lenore

Who is Lenore?

the narrator's dead wife

How does the narrator feel when he first hears the knock at the door?

Hopeful

What does the narrator see when he first opens the chamber door?

Darkness

What changes occur in the narrators attitude towards the raven?

He becomes more annoyed with him

What is the raven's only answer to the narrators question?

Nevermore

What does the raven symbolize?

death

Does the raven leave at the end of the poem?

No

The author states "nameless here for evermore." What does he mean?

Lenore is dead and gone to heaven

What is the tone of the Raven?

melancholy; sadness

What is the theme of the Raven?

Grief

Three literary devices in the Raven are -

Metaphor, Personification and Allusion

How does the Raven enter the room?

Through the window

In "Cask of Amontillado," what are two themes of the story?

dangers of pride and revenge

What leads Montresor to want to kill Fortunato?

an act of revenge for insulting him

In Montresor's opinion, what is Fortunato's weak point?

his pride especially his judgment of wine

At what time of day does Montresor encounter Fortunato?

dusk

In addition to being drunk, thoughout the story Fortunato suffers from

a cough

What does the reader know that Fortunato does not know? (hint: this would be a kind of dramatic irony

Montresor is seeking revenge for some wrong done to him

What is a catacomb?

an underground graveyard often with tunnels and rooms

Luchesi is a fellow wine lover that Montresor and Fortunato know.

Montresor lured Fortunato into the catacombs by saying that he could always get Luchesi to taste the Amontillado instead of Fortunato.
Why did he mention Luchesi?

Montresor uses this kind of psychology of mentioning Luchesi to ensure that Fortunato comes with him

How long has it been since the events Montresor relates in the story occurred?

50 years

Why is the coat of arms (family crest) important to the plot of "The Cask of Amontillado"

It partially explains Montresor's need for revenge

When Montresor encounters Fortunato on the street, what is the Fortunato wearing?

a jester's costume

What does Montresor do to help Fortunato ward off (fight against or block) the damp?

gives him wine to drink

How does the narrator secure Fortunato to the wall of the crypt?

he chains (fetters) him to the wall

Why does Montresor make sure Fortunato has drunk a lot of wine?

So that Fortunato would be so drunk he could not defend himself or fight back when Montresor chains him to wall

Who is the narrator in "The Cask of Amontillado"?

Montresor

Fortunato says, "The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough." This is an example of:

Irony

Montresor tells Fortunato that he is a "man to be missed". This is an example of

irony man to be missed

After Montressor invites Fortunato to examine the Amontillado in the niche, what happens?

Montressor chains Fortunato to the wall before he has a chance to respond

Look at these examples from the story:

the final words are "In pace requiescat" (rest in peace)
the naming of Fortunato (meaning fortunate)
Fortunato's motley costume as a fool/jester
Montresor holds up a trowel, but he is not the kind of Mason Fortunato means but is another kind of mason.

These are all examples of what literary device?

fortunato irony

who is the author?

Edgar Allan Poe

Describe Montresor.

major; round; wealthy, sinister, educated, cold-blooded killer, protagonist

Describe Fortunato.

major; fact; enemy of Montresor, unsuspecting, trusting, around wine taster and drinker, murder victim , antagonist, wine enthusiast

what is the conflict?

Montresor vs. Fortunato and Montesor's unstable mind/obsession with revenge

Climax- What event is the high point of interest or suspense in the story?

Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall, drops the torch, and bricks him in

Resolution- What event ends, or resolves, the conflict?

Montresor states that no one has disturbed the pile of bones- bragging that he got away with his revenge 50 years later. Montresor kills Fortunado

What is the point of view?

first person, Montresor

what is the tone of the story?

creepy, scary, eerie, dark,

what is the mood?

frightening, spooky

foreshadowing, clues that hint to something what will occur later in the story

Montresor shows Fortunato his trowel

What are the six sound imagery?

low moaning cry, the rattling of the chain,screaming,narrator yelling,Montresor yelling,Fortunato yelling,Fortunato's laughter,jingling of bells

List one piece of diction important to the story?

impunity, punish, motley, cask, fettered

What does "in pace requiescat!" mean?

A prayer for the repose of the dead, rest in peace, rest, repose

aperture

an opening

impunity

free from penalty or harm.

retribution (n.)

a repayment; a deserved punishment

immolation (n.)

death or destruction

connoisseurship (n.)

expert knowledge

preclude (v.)

to make impossible, especially by taking action in advance

motely (adj.)/(noun)

:a woolen fabric of mixed colors from the 14th and 17th centuries