Just when we were getting back into our groove post Christmas/New years, next week is our Chinese New Year holiday, and a much longer break. So she will finish her Mandarin book, continue on her online algerbra course and Science, and review Spanish and History. Finally, she'll read another Poe short story.
“The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story of horror that uses
detailed sensory imagery in order to instill fear and horror in the reader. The story
delves into the very basic human fear of torture, and because of the time period in
which it takes place (the Spanish Inquisition), it is also a fear of torture due to
religious intolerance.
Poe uses the classic characteristics of his usual Gothic genre flair, including a bleak location, an impending threat of violence, a character in physical and psychological torment, and a seemingly otherworldly element in charge of the plot. These elements combined with the characters’ realization of his impending doom by either a razor-sharp pendulum or a cavernous abyss create yet another Poe-ian world of despair, fear, and a yearn for redemption. Poe explores various themes along the way, including fear, intolerance and injustice, and the power of despair.
She is continuing her Mandarin, geography at her own pace, and will be finishing her writing, math and Mandarin by the Lunar New Year. As for Math, we are experimenting with an English online class and this week it's trying their Pre-Algebra Review. If she likes the format we will give the first Algebra Unit a try and pay for the class after CNY.
Review: Codominance and Sex-Linked Codominance Inheritance Test Problem #1 Codominance Problem: A mother has blood type O and her husband has blood type AB. They have a child who has blood type A. Is this possible? Draw a Punnett’s Square.
Test Problem #2 A man has normal color vision and is married to a woman who is colorblind. What are the chances that they will have children that are color blind like the mother? Colorblindness is carried on the X chromosome and colorblindness is recessive (see above for this information). Since the man has normal vision, he will have a dominant allele on his X chromosome: XBY
The woman is colorblind. This means she must have two recessive alleles – one on each X chromosome. Her genotype is XbXb. Draw a Punnett’s Square
This is for advanced English, for my G8A class week 9. I think we will just analyze the first 3 stanzas. If they could memorize the first, I'd be happy.
Who is
Edgar Allen Poe? Poe was an American author. Hecontributed greatly to the
genres of horror and science fiction. Poe is now considered the father of the
modern detective story and highly lauded as a poet. Poe’s
psychologically thrilling stories, examine the depths of the human psyche
earned him much fame during his lifetime and after his death. His own life was
marred by tragedy at an early age (his parents died before he was three years
old) and in his oft-quoted works we can see his darkly passionate
sensibilities—a tormented and sometimes neurotic obsession with death and
violence and overall appreciation for the beautiful yet tragic mysteries of life.
(Source: The Literature Network)
The Raven
By Edgar Allan Poe.
Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -
Only this and nothing more."
pondered = thought
lore = story
rapping = knocking
muttered = said
Ah, distinctly I remember it
was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow -sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.
bleak = sad, black and cold
ember = burning piece of wood glowing orange
wrought = presented
morrow = the next day
maiden = woman, girl
And the silken sad uncertain
rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me -filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more.
rustling = movement that
makes noise
entreating = asking for
Presently my soul grew
stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," I said, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you" -here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there and nothing more.
implore = ask for
scarce = hardly
Deep into that darkness
peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word "Lenore" -
Merely this and nothing more.
peering = looking into
gave no token = gave no sign
Back into the chamber
turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window
lattice;
Let me see, then, what threat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!"
window lattice = frame around
the window
Open here I flung a shutter,
when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not an minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched and sat and nothing more.
flung = threw open
flutter = movement of wings, noise
stately = magnificent
obeisance = gesture of deference, respect
mien = manner of
perched = how a bird sits
Then this ebony bird
beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure
no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore!"
beguiling = charming
countenance = bearing, manner
crest = head
thou = old English for you
art = are
craven = cowardly, mean-spirited
thy = old English for your
Much I marvelled this
ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning -little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such a name as "Nevermore".
marvelled = was surprised
ungainly = ugly
fowl = bird
discourse = speech
bore = contained, had
But the Raven, sitting lonely
on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered: "Other friends have flown before
- On the morrow he will leave me as my Hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said "Nevermore".
placid = peaceful
uttered = said
Startled at the stillness
broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of `Never -nevermore'."
aptly = well
stock and store = repeated phrase
dirges = sad songs
But the Raven still beguiling
all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust, and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore".
betook = moved myself
fancy = here used as noun meaning imagined story, thought
yore = from the past
croaking = the sound a frog makes, usually a very ugly sound coming from the
throat
This I sat engaged in
guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
bosom = chest, heart
divinig = guessing
Then, methought, the air grew
denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried "thy God hath lent thee -by these angels he
hath sent thee
Respite -respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".
methought = old English for
"I thought"
censer = a container for burning incense
wretch = horrible person
hath = old English for has
thee = old English for you
respite = rest from
nepenthe = a drug providing a way of forgetting something
quaff = drink quickly or recklessly
Quoth = quoted
"Prophet!" said I
"thing of evil! -prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted, -tell me truly, I implore -
Is there -is there balm in Gilead? -tell me -tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".
Tempter = Satan
tempest = storm
balm = liquid that eases pain
Gilead = biblical reference
"Be that word our sign
of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting -
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! -quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".
parting = separation, leaving
fiend = monster
shrieked = shouted, screamed
plume = type of feather
quit = leave
And the Raven, never
flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that is floating on the floor
Shall be lifted -nevermore.
Teacher Guide to "The Raven"
How might students use storyboards to demonstrate and to extend their learning?
Check the resources here. Includes essential questions, plot diagram, TP-CASTT
approach to writing, literary elements, key themes, symbols, and motifs,
vocabulary, post-reading project, more. Note: Storyboard That helps
sponsor this site.
Edgar Allan Poe: Nevermore
Video biography (1:05) from biography.com. This episode discusses the overnight
fame created by publication of "The Raven" and mentions that Poe
earned only $14.00 from it.
Edgar Allan Poe
Poetry Readers Theater
A fun project that serves as a good introduction to both Readers Theater and
four poems by Poe: "The Raven," "The Bells,"
"Eldorado," and "Annabel Lee."
The Interactive
Raven
As students work online through each stanza, they learn alliteration,
assonance, and internal rhyme. Vocabulary words are also indicated.
"The Raven"
Background analysis and emphasis on vocabulary.
"The Raven"
Video of actor John Astin in period costume reciting the poem.
"The Raven"
Voice Artist Bob McGraw's dramatic reading of the poem. The video features
lithographs by 19th century artist Gustav Dore. It resides at YouTube.
"The
Raven"
This YouTube video (9:56) of Christopher Walken reading the poem includes the
lithographs by Dore and the text of the poem as captions.
"The
Raven"
Actor John De Lancie reads the poem. Video runs 8:54.
"The
Raven" vocabulary
Words are presented in context and with definitions. Click on a word for
pronunciation, synonyms, examples of use, more.
"Edgar
Allen Poe" [sic]
1909 film by D. W. Griffith, the first to feature Poe as a character. The film
depicts an imaginative inspiration for writing "The Raven": Poe needs
money for his sick wife, Virginia. Students may need to be reminded that this
depiction is not historically accurate. This black-and-white "silent"
film runs 7:06; a piano soundtrack is provided.
Repeat After Us
Audio files of "Annabel Lee," "Eldorado," "Sonnet - To
Science," "The City in the Sea," "The Raven," "To
Helen." A good site for LD students, ELL students, and for those who read
well and might like to record and contribute. Files are in alphabetical order
by poet; scroll down.
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