Edgar Allen Poe

Poe's Childhood

He was abandoned by his father, and his mother had died. Both were traveling actors. He was raised by Mr. and Mrs. John Allan but never formally adopted. He got into conflicts with his adoptive father. For example, he had to withdraw from college because of gambling debts that Allan refused to pay.

Success and Failure and Success

He entered a group of stories and a poem in a Baltimore literary contest and won the friction prize to the story, "MS. Found in a Bottle". He continued to win recognition for his stories, but he didn't gain any financial success. Two years after the death of his wife, Virginia, Poe died poor and alone.

Suffix -tion

the act of

August

imposing and magnificent

Piquancy

pleasantly sharp quality

Arabesque

elaborately designed

Cessation

stopping, either forever or for some time

Disapprobation

disapproval

Habiliments

clothing

Subject-Verb Agreement

a verb must agree with its subject in number, (singular or plural), even when the subject comes after the verb, rather than before it

Background for Understanding

a plague known as the Black Death swept across the continent, killing millions. Most afflicted died withing three to five days. For Poe and many others, these outbreaks were a haunting historical memory. The "Red Death" is a plague Poe invented for his story, but is based on historical and timeless fear

Literary Focus - Symbols

writers often use concrete symbols to help readers understand the meaning of a general idea, like "disease" or "safety". Poe's story is filled with symbols. Ex. The prince, his fantastic masquerade ball, the plague raging in the kingdom-all these things seem to stand for more than the things themselves

Context Clues

you can figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words by using context clues to define unfamiliar words