Jasmyne American Literature Unit 3

Fortunato implores Montressor for forgiveness when he says, "For the love of God, Montressor!" What is the man's reply? (Cask..., Poe)

"Yes, for the love of God."

For The Raven, make sure you can describe the following: Narrator of poem Setting of poem Raven is a bird of ___ omen. Name of the deceased love

-Narrator: a bereaved lover -Setting: the lover's bedchamber -A bird of ill omen -Name: Lenore

Examine the contrast between the following in Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark: -Science and Nature -love and selfishness -perfection and imperfection

-Science and nature: science can be something that corrupts or ruins nature if used unethically -Love and selfishness: Love and selfishness cannot really coexist. Although Aylmer thought his love for his wife drove him to remove the birthmark, it was really for his own selfish desires. -Perfection and imperfection: Perfection can never be attained. Although we all have imperfection, there is beauty in the way we are designed. In striving for perfection, we often suck the happiness and enjoyment out of life.

As his silhouette is "painted on the crimson sky" who might see the bird? How would he want to "do thee [the bird] wrong?" His efforts would be in vain because the bird is flying so high. (The Waterfowl, William Cullen Bryant)

A hunter; shoot it down

What was the swivel in The Pioneers?

A small cannon that could shoot a cannonball about a pound in weight

What sorts of weapons do the villagers use to kill the pigeons in The Pioneers?

All sorts--rifles, pistols, bows and arrows

Contrast Aylmer and his assistant, Aminidab. What is the difference in their (a) appearance, (b) intellect--especially in regard to science and education, and (c) opinions on the birthmark?

Aminadab is short, bulky, messy hair, while Aylmer is skinny, pale, orderly and well-kept; he is not especially smart, but he is able to follow instructions well; he likes the birthmark

Who helps to identify Rip?

An old woman who used to be a neighbor of his.

On the last night of the story, the narrator can't sleep and is spooked. Of course, it's a wild and stormy night. Usher knocks on his door. What question does he ask the narrator? (Fall of the House..., Poe)

And have you seen it?

Many years before in "a kingdom by the sea" the speaker loved a maiden named _________ _________. (Annabel Lee, Poe)

Annabel Lee

What time of day is the bird flying? (The Waterfowl, William Cullen Bryant)

Around sunset

She begs for him to remove the birthmark. How large is it (see 2nd paragraph)? She tells him that her life means nothing. (The Birth-Mark, Hawthorne)

As big as the tips of two small fingers

A poem should have a "universal" subject or "effect." Universal means that it's a topic that all people experience. "_____________ is the atmosphere and the essence of the poem." (Philosophy of Composition, Poe)

Beauty

How is the American landscape described in The Last of the Mohicans?

Big forests stretching their branches over a babbling river, hot and steamy, mostly quiet except for the sounds of woodpeckers and blue jays.

The poet finds comfort in the lesson of the bird. Just as an unseen power watches over the flight of the bird, guiding it home through the "boundless sky" (eternity), how will this power (God) watch over the speaker at the end of the day (death)? (The Waterfowl, Bryant)

Bring him safely to heaven

The narrator becomes obsessed with the old man's "evil eye." The eye is pale blue with a film over it. What would we call this condition today? Modern surgery has made this defect relatively uncommon.

Cataracts

As she dresses, what does her husband do? (Sarah Willis Parton, A Law More Nice Than Just)

Collapses on the floor laughing

Goodman Brown feels guilt again, and two more people from the village appear. Who are they?

Deacon Gookin and the village minister

Though the bird is weary, he continues to fly even though the "dark night" is near. What might this night represent? (The Waterfowl, Bryant)

Death

What month is it? Often in literature, death is associated with winter. The poet has been reading in order to forget what torment? (The Raven)

December; the loss of his lover Lenore

The voice bellows "____ is the nature of mankind." (Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne)

Evil

The narrator and Usher spend their days writing, reading, and painting. He recalls the verses of "The Haunted Palace," a song. (707-08) Study stanzas III, V, and VI. These foreshadow the ending of the short story. Who inhabits this house? (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

Evil spirits

What is Amontillado?

Expensive wine

As Hawthorne puts it, he "shrank from the bosom of _________."

Faith

Goodman Brown tells the man "____ kept me back a while."

Faith

In desperation, Goodman Brown screams, "My _____ is gone." Explain the dual meaning of this word. What conclusion does he reach about his life on Earth?

Faith; He has lost his wife and his Christian faith by cavorting with the devil; he concludes that there is no good left in the earth

What is Goodman Brown's wife's name? How long have they been married? (Hawthorne)

Faith; three months

Rip drinks and then what does he do?

Falls asleep

What was Sarah Willis Parton's alternate name?

Fanny Fern, one of the first female journalists in the U.S.

Look at the last few lines of the short story. Montressor has been, very calmly, revealing the details of a murder that he had committed MANY years before. How long has it been since the murder? (Cask..., Poe)

Fifty years

Fortunato begins to sober up pretty quickly and laughs, thinking that Montressor is only kidding with him. When he realizes that Montressor is serious about sealing him alive in the tomb, what does Fortunato do? Notice that Montressor replies, he "surpassed them in volume and strength." (Cask..., Poe)

Fortunato begins to scream and try to break free from the chains

What "horrible" treatment has the narrator Montressor suffered at the hands of Fortunato? (The Cask of Amontillado, Poe)

Fortunato insulted him

When Fortunato seems reluctant to enter the underground vaults to test the liquor to see if it is indeed amontillado, Montressor says he call on Luchresi, another person who is knowledgeable of wines. How does this lie help to lure Fortunato into the trap? (The Cask of Amontillado, Poe)

Fortunato takes offense at the idea that Luchresi would taste the wine without him because he believes his taste is superior

The speaker knows that this waterfowl, which usually travels in a V-formation with others of his kind, is not lost. The fact that he is alone is significant to the meaning in his poem. Even though he is "lone wandering," who guides his movements back to the origin of his yearly migration? (The Waterfowl, Bryant)

God or Nature

Who are the two converts to be taken into communion? Note the litany of sins that are described. (Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne)

Goodman Brown and Faith; describes murder and sexual misconduct

What is Hawthorne's message concerning faith? Should human failures determine how we approach God and humanity?

Hawthorne's point is that many people tie their faith closely to those who practice it. However, because people are imperfect, God alone should be the basis for one's faith.

How does Montressor (a mason) begin to use the trowel and bricks? (Cask..., Poe)

He begins to seal Fortunato into the niche

Usher comes to what conclusion about the sounds? (Fall..., Poe)

He believes that it is Madeline breaking out of her coffin and coming up the stairs to them

Usher explains that he has an inherited family illness that will eventually claim him. There are certain sounds he cannot tolerate. Explain. (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

He cannot stand the sound of anything but some stringed instruments; he is experiencing heightened senses and so strong sensations bother him

Why does the slave no longer feel his torture? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

He dies

What happens to Usher? (Fall..., Poe)

He dies in his sister's arms

The house stands next to a tarn (mountain pool) that reflects its image. Describe the "dream" of the narrator. (The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

He dreams of a fog or gas swallowing up the house

One night he speaks in his sleep. What dream does he share with his wife? (The Birth-Mark, Hawthorne)

He dreams that he was attempting to remove the birthmark, but it kept sinking deeper and deeper until it caught hold of her heart

When the curtains rustle, what does the speaker feel? How does he explain his fear away? (The Raven)

He feels terror and tries to make himself believe that it is a mere visitor to his chamber

What does Rip do to escape? (Rip Van Winkle)

He goes into the woods or the mountains.

Fortunato shows Montressor the secret sign of the Masonic Order and tries to make Montressor feel bad that he is not a member. What is Montressor hiding under his cloak when he says he is a mason? What is the dual meaning here? Notice the Fortunato is either too drunk or too trusting to be alarmed by what Montressor has in his hand. (Cask..., Poe)

He has a trowel in his cloak; it shows how he is to bury Montressor in the catacombs

The narrator tries to calm Usher by reading to him from "The Mad Trist of Sir Lancelot." At the same time he reads about the hero defeating a dragon, what does he hear in the house? This happens on several occasions. (Fall..., Poe)

He hears the dragon screaming faintly

Describe the strange person Rip sees. What does he carry?

He is a grizzly, disheveled man dressed in traditional Dutch attire. He is carrying a keg of liquor.

Describe the man Goodman Brown meets on the road. Describe his staff. (Hawthorne)

He is dressed simply, sitting at the base of an old tree when Brown finds him; about 50 years old, worldly-wise; staff looks like a wriggling black snake

Is Aylmer "successful?" Can you relate the outcome to modern efforts to correct "flaws" of beauty? of spirit? (The Birth-Mark, Hawthorne)

He is successful in removing the blemish but his wife dies as a result of the treatment

Notice what Montressor offers Fortunato to drink. How will this make him more willing to continue walking underground? (Cask..., Poe)

He offers him wine; it will perhaps make him more intoxicated and willing to keep going

How did the narrator in The Telltale Heart feel about the old man?

He says he loved him

What is Natty Bumpo's reaction to the swivel? The killing of the birds? Why does he call their actions evil?

He says that the birds haven't hurt anything and don't deserve to be murdered, especially by a weapon of war like the swivel.

He makes some assumptions about what has happened to the raven. Explain.

He thought something bad must have happened to the raven's former master, and the bird escaped

He asks if the bird is a prophet. Again, alliteratively, the bird is "desolate," "undaunted, on this desert land enchanted." What sort of relief is the narrator asking for when he asks the bird "is there balm in Gilead?" (The Raven)

He wants to be rid of the pain of losing his lover

Who was Diedrich Knickerbocker? (Rip Van Winkle)

He was a fictional historian. He wrote, "A History of New York." He was very interested in Dutch history and is dead at the time of the story.

How was Goodman Brown changed forever? (prayer, church, with people, Faith)

He wonders what god the deacon is praying to; he fears that the townspeople are secretly teaching the children witchcraft; basically ignores his wife when she comes to kiss him

Goodman Brown says, "With ___ above, and ___ below, I will yet stand firm against the __."

Heaven, Faith, devil

The narrator sees Usher's sister. What is her name? Do they speak? Does anything seem strange? (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

Her name is Madeline; they do not speak; she looks exactly the same as her brother Roderick

The man claims to have met which two of Goodman Brown's relatives? What did the man help them do? What shocking details about her are revealed? Note how he blends real events into the short story.

His grandfather and his father; helped the grandfather whip a Quaker woman and his father set an Indian village on fire. Hawthorne's grandfather actually did that thing.

Aylmer shudders when he sees her birthmark and Georginia faints. She wakes in special chambers prepared for the "experiment" that her husband begins on her. He drugs her and "wows" her with some of his experiments, but she reads from his journals that her husband has never been successful with the experiments he has attempted in the past. Now, she is the new experiment. He intends to use a very strong potion that will work beyond the surface and cut to the "root" of her birthmark--even if it threatens her life. What is most important to Aylmer?

His own happiness and gratification came first for him

Describe Roderick's changing appearance. (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

His skin grows more pale and his eyes lose their shine; his voice goes from deep to weak and feeble sounding

Rip Van Winkle lived in the "fiery furnace of domestic tribulation." Explain.

Irving writes that he had a nagging and overbearing wife that made him a soft person.

The title "goodman" was a common address for a male member of a Puritan community. What's the double meaning here? (Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne)

It is meant to show his struggle with actually being a good man

What shape does the birthmark resemble? What are its qualities? (The Birth-Mark, Hawthorne)

It resembles a hand, crimson when she is not blushing

According to Edgar Allen Poe, what is the appropriate length for a good poem? What is the length of the "The Raven?" (Philosophy of Composition)

It should be able to be read in one sitting; one hundred and eight lines

What was the George the Third? (Rip Van Winkle)

King of England from 1760-1820. The inn that Rip would visit to hear the wise men of the village talk about current events was named for him.

What challenge does Billy Kirby offer to Natty Bumpo? His response? (The Pioneers, James Fennimore Cooper)

Kirby argues that he has to keep replanting his wheat because of the pigeons. Natty Bumppo replies that it is fine to shoot the pigeons if they plan to eat them, but he says that they are wasting much of the meat. Kirby says that it is impossible to just shoot one bird, but Natty Bumppo says it is and does it with one shot. *maybe review this if you come back around to it*

Again using alliteration, Poe's speaker says the "fowl's . . . fiery" eyes burned into him. Who will never sit beside him again? (The Raven)

Lenore, his lover

How does Rip spend his last days?

Living at his daughter's house and sitting at the inn and telling the stories of life before the war and of his experience in the mountain

Notice how Montressor continues to lure Fortunato by playing on his pride. As they descend even deeper into the underground catacombs, Fortunato begins coughing and considers turning back. Again, Montressor offers to return to the surface and ask ____________ for his opinion on the amontillado. (Cask..., Poe)

Luchresi

Usher screams that someone is outside the door. Who is there? (Fall..., Poe)

Madeline

Who is present at this communion in Nature? (Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne)

Many people from the church in Salem, the deacon, Indians, disreputable men and women

What is the name of the woman from Cotton Mather's work mentioned in Young Goodman Brown?

Martha Carrier

"_____________________ is thus the most legitimate of all the poetical tones." (Philosophy of Composition, Poe)

Melancholy

How many birds are flying overhead? (Cooper's The Pioneers)

Millions, they guess

What were the critical reactions to Cooper's Leatherstocking series?

Mostly positive, but Mark Twain basically said that Cooper butchered the English language. The influence of the Leatherstocking series endured, however, in western and frontier novels, including Huck Finn.

Explain the wisdom of Natty Bumpo's words in The Pioneers. How can this message be applied to our society today?

Natty Bumppo recognized the importance of preserving our natural resources, which is an important and enduring message especially today, with our disappearing rain forests and shrinking natural habitats.

Nature speaks in "gayer hours" (happy times). Explain. (Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryant)

Nature's beauty reminds us of happier times

He thinks he smells perfume and believes at first that the angels have sent the bird here to be his comforter in the loss of Lenore and to remove memories of her. What is the bird's reply? (The Raven)

Nevermore

This is where Poe said the poem began. With the loss of Lenore and the central question, "Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, . . ./ It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore." He wants to know if in the life beyond, he shall be reunited with his deceased love, Lenore. What is the bird's reply? (The Raven)

Nevermore

What word serves as the refrain of "The Raven?"

Nevermore

As he walks to the door, the speaker offers an apology for taking so long. Who is at the door? (The Raven)

No one

Montressor gives his family motto in Latin. What is the translation? (Cask..., Poe)

No one provokes me with impunity

Other men have considered the birthmark her special mark of beauty & she considered it a charm. Aylmer sees it as her one imperfection. Aylmer resolves to correct "what Nature left imperfect."

Note that he focuses on what HE can do with SCIENCE instead of being more concerned about his wife's pain over losing her husband's love and acceptance.

After a long day of rain she is feeling restless and decides to do what daring act? (Sarah Willis Parton, A Law More Nice Than Just)

Put on her husband's clothes and go for a walk

Who was Wolf? (Rip Van Winkle)

Rip's beloved dog

Goodman Brown feels guilty and wants to go home. Who is the woman he sees? Who was she to Goodman Brown? What shocking knowledge does her conversation with the man reveal? (Hawthorne)

Sarah Cloyse, who instructed him in the Christian faith; her conversation with the man reveals that she was practicing witchcraft

What happened to Dame Van Winkle?

She died after she busted a blood vessel in a fit of rage.

Because of that envy, a wind chilled her (caused her to grow ill) and what happened? What did her kinsmen do? (Annabel Lee, Poe)

She dies; her kinsmen come and bury her

Describe Madeline's appearance in death. Which features seem "odd?" (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

She has a slight blush in her cheeks and a slight smile on her lips

In response to her reading his journals, he becomes angry. She says she worships him, and he replies, "I shall deem myself hardly unworthy of it." He warns her that he has already given her strong drugs to remove the birthmark but they haven't worked, and now, he says she in in grave danger. What does she tell him to do? She is a loving wife; is he a loving husband?

She tells him to remove the birthmark at all costs

Ms. Fern says she will consult her tailor for what purpose? Even though the "Miss Nancys" of the world might object, what is she willing to go against convention to protect? (Sarah Willis Parton, A Law More Nice Than Just)

She wants to make a suit of her own; she wishes to keep herself healthy by freeing herself from the constraints of a petticoat

What does Marmaduke offer? (Cooper's The Pioneers)

Sixpence for every hundred pigeon's heads they broke off

How did Rip spend his days? (Rip Van Winkle)

Spend time and play with the village children, hunt, run errands for other people, tend to other people's yards

Describe Natty Bumpo (Leatherstocking) in The Pioneers.

Tall, rifle in his arm, dogs following him closely

What is James Fennimore Cooper's hometown of Cooperstown, NY known for?

The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

What was the name of the "fairy mountains"? (Rip Van Winkle) What was the origin of the people that lived there?

The Catskill Mountains; Dutch

Where do we leave the narrator in The Raven?

The Raven continues to sit in his room forever, watching him and reminding him of his lost love

Whom does he blame for her death? (Annabel Lee, Poe)

The angels

The narrator "gets out of Dodge" as fast as he possibly can. First, he turns back to see the house. What happens to the house? Well, remember the song that his friend sang? Was this all real or was it the story described in the song? (Fall..., Poe)

The house gets swallowed up in the lake; it is similar to the story described in the song

The speaker stands looking at the sky, but the bird is now out of sight. What remains "deeply . . . sunk" in the speaker's heart? (The Waterfowl, Bryant)

The lesson that the bird has taught him

How do the police find the body in The Telltale Heart?

The narrator admits that he killed the man.

The speaker tries to shoo the bird away from the but of Pallas and out of his door, but the bird remains. He tells the bird to "Take thy beak from out my heart." The bird is not literally pecking him. Explain the metaphor. What is the meaning? (The Raven)

The raven is merely causing him deeper pain by giving him answers of hopelessness

Why does he choose a raven to deliver this word? (Philosophy of Composition, Poe)

The raven would seem more likely to repeat the refrain over and over again as a non-reasoning creature and it preserved the tone of the poem

What breaks the tranquil beauty of the day in Cooper's The Pioneers?

The villagers gather outside to shoot a huge flock of pigeons

Who is older? Madeline or Roderick? (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

They are twins, so basically the same age

In his defense Rip declares, "I am . . . a loyal subject of the King, God bless him!" How do the people in the village respond?

They respond angrily, calling him a "tory" and a "spy."

When people hear thunder over the mountains, what is the story they like to tell?

They tell about Henry Hudson and his crew playing nine-pins.

Why do the villagers wish to kill pigeons in Cooper's The Pioneers?

They will eat all the wheat out of the wheat fields

What does Natty Bumppo look like?

Thin, muscular man; wearing a green hunting shirt, moccasins, buckskin leggings; carrying a knife, a pouch, and a horn. He speaks similarly to the Indians--using phrases like "from the setting sun, crossed the big river" etc.

He is happy to be free of "petticoat government." Explain.

Though he doesn't care much for the change of national government, he is basically glad that his wife died and that he doesn't have to fear her anymore.

What is NOT the goal of life? What was never said of the soul? (Psalm of Life, Longfellow)

To die; dust thou art and to dust returnest

These catacombs are cool and used for storing wines. What is their other purpose? (Cask..., Poe)

To preserve human remains

How long has Rip been away?

Twenty years

Madeline dies, and Usher decides to entomb her body in the dungeon instead of the family gravesite. Where is this dungeon located? Why does Usher place her in the dungeon? What does he wrap around the coffin? (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

Underneath the house; he places her in the vaults to prevent her corpse being dug up and sold for medical research; not sure what he covered it in

He sees other strange people. How are they dressed? What game are they playing? What else are they doing? What do they say to Rip?

Wearing long coats, jerkins, long knives, big pants; playing a game of nine-pins; they say nothing to him, they just simply stare and drink the beverage

She speaks to the "darker musings" as well with "gentle sympathy" (7). Also, what is another time nature speaks to us? (Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryant)

When we are fearing death

Once inside, what does Montressor do with the chain attached to the wall? (Cask..., Poe)

Wraps it around his waist and locks him in it

Is the narrator in The Telltale Heart mad (insane)?

Yes. He begins to pace the floor wildly, scream, curse, drag the chair across the floor to cover up the heartbeat sound.

While lying "in the sand" (4) the slave dreams of his "Native Land" of Africa (6). What details does the author give to describe this place? (6-12) (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

a land full of palm trees in which he is a king; he hears caravans coming down from the mountains

The speaker questions what sort of water the bird is seeking. What options does he give? (The Waterfowl, Bryant)

a marsh, a river, or the ocean

The narrator (unnamed) had received from his childhood friend, Roderick Usher, a letter asking for him to come because Usher is ill. What illness does he describe? Roderick Usher is the last of son of a long family line of gifted artists. Usher is particularly skilled with music. The family is "inbred," with Ushers only marrying Ushers, so they have an inherited illness. (The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

a nervous breakdown of sorts

He goes to the window to open the shutter and what is there? It is from "Night's Plutonian shore!" Where does the Raven perch? What does the raven say?

a raven; on a bust of the Greek goddess Athena; "Nevermore."

After killing the old man, the narrator in The Telltale Heart is at ease until he hears a sound. How does he describe the sound?

a ringing at first, then like a watch enveloped in cotton

What is "the only edge[d] tool that grows sharper with use?" (Rip Van Winkle)

a sharp tongue

What does he hold in his hand? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

a sickle

The narrator in The Telltale Heart claims once again the he isn't mad, but he hears a muffled sound like ___________________.

a watch surrounded by cotton (the old man's heart beating)

At 4:00 a.m. police officers arrive to investigate the scream. Where does the narrator in The Telltale Heart sit?

above the pieces of the corpse

Who was Natty Bumppo?

also known as Hawk-eye because of his marksmanship and Leather-stocking because of his clothing; raised by Native Americans (father-Chingachgook)

What was Edgar Allan Poe known for?

an author (writing short stories) a poet a literary critic a journalist the "father" of the detective story (though someone in England had actually published the first one--Poe popularized the form)

Poe, the critic, says that all works of art should begin with a consideration of ____________? (Philosophy of Comp.)

an effect

When we pass on, life continues (61-64). However, everyone will eventually "make their _______ ________ __________" (66). (Thanatopsis, Bryant)

bed with thee

We should live each day without "trust" in better times in the future, "howe'er pleasant" that future might seem or the "dead __________." We should live in the here and now, and "_______________ in the glorious ____________." We will be guided by our hearts with "_______________ o'er head!" (Psalm of Life, Longfellow)

bury the dead; act, present; God

We should fight the battle of life bravely and not move through it thoughtlessly, and pushed by its circumstances like what easily herded (dumb) animal? (Psalm of Life, Longfellow)

cattle

The narrator sees a zig-zag fissure running from the top to bottom of the house itself. When he moves inside, the spooky images of this gothic house continue. List a couple of details. (The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

dark floors, grave tapestries, shiny pieces of armor on the walls

How is the forest described? Note the first hint of the supernatural. (Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne)

dark, lonely, narrow and claustrophobic

What is the most melancholy and most poetic of topics, when that topic is associated with beauty? (Philosophy of Composition, Poe)

death of a beautiful woman

With a "heart for any fate," whether good or bad, Longfellow urges us to be "up and ___________." We should not waste life but live it fully every day (carpe diem). (Psalm of Life)

doing

The slave's dreams of freedom contrast starkly with his physical life. In his world he "did not feel the _____________ whip" (43) and the "_____________ __________ of day" (44). Who is the driver? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

driver's; burning heat; his slavemaster

Aylmer calls her birthmark, "a visible mark of __ __." (The Birth-Mark, Hawthorne)

earthly imperfection

Our lives are very brief, only "a few days" (17). Very soon even our bodies are "resolv'd to earth again;" (23) where our bodies will "mix forever with the ______________" (26). [Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.] (Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryant)

elements

Note Goodman Brown's wild behavior as he runs to the communion in the forest "with the instinct that guides mortal man to ___."

evil

What is the De Grave Montressor offers to Fortunato. Notice the pun with this particular name. What is the dual meaning? (Cask..., Poe)

expensive French wine; foreshadows how these catacombs will be Forunato's grave

Poe describes the Usher house and the surroundings with many specific images of death and decay—a pervasively gloomy scene. List some of these specific details. (The Fall of the House of Usher)

eye-like windows, bleak wall, decaying trees, sedges growing up in places

List the wild African animals that are mentioned in these lines. (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

flamingos, hyenas, lions

Goodman Brown believed others in the village were holy and perfect but discovered they were sinners. He placed his trust in the less than perfect people around him, was disappointed, and became a bitter disillusioned man whose "dying hour was _____."

gloom

The author offers clues that show things are wrong. Know details of the following: gun Wolf mountain setting people in village houses name of inn his house his appearance (Rip Van Winkle)

gun - rusted and worm-eaten Wolf - missing and does not respond to his calls, finds him starving at his home and growls at him when he sees him mountain setting - river now flowing in it, overgrown with various types of vegetation, a waterfall where the empty ravine had been where he had met the villagers people in village - they are strangers to him and dressed unusually; they stare at him as he walks by houses - sees rows of houses that he does not recognize name of inn - The Union Hotel by Jonathan Doolittle his house - in total disrepair, doors rusting off the hinges, abandoned his appearance - he has grown a long beard

One of the crypts has been emptied and bones are piled in the center of the room. Montressor says that the amontillado is in that crypt. Fortunato is reluctant to look inside. How does Montressor tempt him to do so? (Cask..., Poe)

he again mentions Luchresi

After determining that the old man is "stone dead," what does the narrator in The Telltale Heart do with the corpse? Where does he hide it?

he dismembers the corpse, hides the pieces underneath the floor planks

What act does he dream of? (19-24) The chains mentioned here are golden; what chains does he encounter as a slave? In the dream he also wears a weapon; what would happen to a slave who had a weapon? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

he is bound by the chains as a slave but as a king they are reins for his horse; a slave who had a weapon might be beaten

Montressor says Fortunato has a weakness and plots to use this weakness against him. What is this weakness? Fortunato's fatal flaw is his pride (ego). (The Cask of Amontillado, Poe)

he takes pride in his knowledge of wines

What sense does the narrator in The Telltale Heart say is most acute for him? What does he say about his sanity?

hearing; says he heard all things in heaven, earth, and some things in hell, but this should prove that his senses have been sharpened, not destroyed

As the beating gets louder, the narrator in The Telltale Heart jumps into the room, pulls the old man (who screams) onto the floor, and covers him with __________________. It is probably made of feathers and quite heavy. As the old man smothers to death, note the expression on the narrator's face.

his bed; the narrator smiles

What is the "worn-out fetter" [or chain] that tied him to this world? It is a fetter that ties us all to this world. That fetter is now "broken" and "thrown away." [lifeless] What has been released? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

his body

When he sees no one, he speaks one word. Who is Lenore? (The Raven)

his lover

Who else does he dream of back there in his native land? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

his wife and kids

Montressor says he is not the sort to utter threats only. He will "not only punish but punish with ___________." What is he saying about the revenge he will take? (The Cask of Amontillado, Poe)

impunity; it will be carefully planned and executed

Every evening the speaker lies down by his love. Where? (Annabel Lee, Poe)

in her tomb

William Cullen Bryant then says that of all the people "that tread/ the globe" (49) are a very small number compared to those who "slumber ______ _______ ____________" (50). (Thanatopsis)

in its bosom

Who else rests forever in the "mighty sepulcher (37) of the earth? (Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryant)

kings

The narrator describes Roderick Usher. Give details. (cadaverousness of complexion, etc.) Usher's behavior is so strange that the narrator thinks that Usher might be using opium. He learns Usher is extremely distraught over losing his sister Madeline. (Fall of the House of Usher, Poe)

large, black eyes; pale lips; thin, soft hair; pale complexion; his speech varies from fast to slow

In his dream he hears the forest shout "of _____________" (38) and the voice of the desert cry "with a voice so _________ and _______________" (40). His dream is of freedom. At this point in his dream, how is the face of the dreamer transformed? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

liberty; wild and free; he begins to smile

Where is the slave lying? WHY is he lying here? (The Slave's Dream, Longfellow)

lying next to a field of rice, on the verge of death

The narrator in The Telltale Heart knows others might say he is _____________. Then, he claims his careful plan and strategy of a week prove otherwise.

mad

Why was Emma Wilson arrested? At the end of the paragraph, she notes that the laws are made by __________. (Sarah Willis Parton, A Law More Nice Than Just)

men

In true Gothic horror tale form, what time does this dastardly deed take place? (Cask..., Poe)

midnight

What time of night is it? What does the speaker hear? What does he assume it is? (The Raven)

midnight; a tapping on his door; he assumes it is a visitor

The narrator in The Telltale Heart slowly sneaks into the old man's bedroom and wakens him. Freezing, the narrator hears the old man utter a groan of ______ ________.

mortal terror

When we are frightened by our own mortality, Bryant instructs us to walk " forth under the open sky" (14) and listen to "___________________ teachings" (15). We hear her "still voice" (17) in all parts of nature. (Thanatopsis)

nature's

He then determines that a good poem must have a _____. (Philosophy of Composition, Poe)

refrain

What was Aylmer's deepest passion? (The Birth-Mark, Hawthorne)

science

Describe a rainy day excursion for a woman of that period. (Sarah Willis Parton, A Law More Nice Than Just)

she has to hold her skirts up, hold up her umbrella, hop over puddles, walk around gutters, all without showing her calves

Don't go to your death like a "quarry- ___________" (77) but soothed and accepting because your "couch" [bed] is a place where you lie "down to ____________ _____________" (Thanatopsis, Bryant)

slave; pleasant dreams

The speaker says that their love was stronger than kinsmen, angels, or demons because no one "Can ever dissever my __________ from the ___________/ of the beautiful Annabel Lee."

soul, soul

What do these good examples of others help "shipwreck'd" people do? (Psalm of Life, Longfellow)

take heart again

She pins up her hair and puts on a hat as they leave. What does her husband caution her against doing while they are public? (Sarah Willis Parton, A Law More Nice Than Just)

taking her arm

He shuts the door and goes back inside and again he hears ___________. (The Raven)

tapping at the window

he speaker says they both were very young. Who envied their love? (Annabel Lee, Poe)

the angels of heaven

Who leaves "footsteps on the sands of time" to teach us this lesson--to live life fully while we have it? (Psalm of Life, Longfellow)

the great men before us

What are we constantly aware of throughout our lives? (Psalm of Life, Longfellow)

the looming figure of death

What decorates and shines on this "tomb of man"? (Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryant)

the sun, the planets, the stars, the hills, the woods, the fields

The narrator in The Telltale Heart says the old man feels his presence, so he finally lets his light fall on the man. The light hits the old man's ____________ eye.

vulture

Death takes people of any age, whether they are young "in life's green spring" (68), "bowed _____ ______" (69), or even smiling in "______________ age" (71) of infancy. (Thanatopsis, Bryant)

with age; the beauty of its innocent

Who was William Cullen Bryant?

writer, lawyer, owner of The New York Evening Post